Source: The official Web site for the Xbox 360 wing of Official Xbox Magazine.

The official story: See below.

What we heard: To next-gen gamers, "Humpday" is now more than just the middle of the work week and Lost reruns. Wednesdays are the days new Xbox Live Arcade games are released as part of the very appropriately titled Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays program, which kicked off with Frogger on July 12. Microsoft announced the schedule for the programs first five weeks, which comes to a conclusion this week.

Fans of old-school classics and indie games have been kept in suspense about what's on tap after this Wednesday, but a report from the UK Web site for Xbox 360 - The Official Xbox Magazine claims to know the XBLA release schedule through the first week of September.

Following the previously announced Pac-Man this week, OXM expects Texas Hold 'Em on August 16, Time Pilot on August 23, Scramble on August 30, and Lumines Live! on September 6. The schedule did not mention any prices for any of the games.

Cross-checking the release dates with the respective games' Web sites on Xbox.com reveals nothing, as there are no listings for Time Pilot or Scramble and no clear release dates for the other games (except for Lumines Live! which shows an incorrect July 2006 date).

GameSpot contacted Microsoft directly to get the lowdown and got this response: "We have yet to announce the upcoming release schedule, and that is all just rumors and speculation." The rep then went on to say that a correct schedule would be released in the coming weeks.

Bogus or not bogus?: Straight from Microsoft's mouth...Bogus. Though the Pac-Man part is spot on.

Source: What appears to be a Ubisoft press release posted on French site Jeuxpo.com.

The official story: US Ubisoft reps directed inquires to the company's French representatives, who had not returned GameSpot's requests for comment (and were likely asleep, given the transatlantic time difference) as of press time. Attempts to contact Jeuxpo.com editors were also unsuccessful.

What we heard: Earlier today, a press release from Ubisoft went out to herald the company's commitment to releasing seven launch titles on the Nintendo Wii. However, it appears that not everyone received the same release.

French site Jeuxpo.com has posted a version of the press release en francais that mentions that a Prince of Persia game will be released for the Wii in March 2007. The Jeuxpo release is identical to the one on Ubisoft's official French-language Web site, with the exception of the Prince of Persia line in question. Instead of stating that the Prince of Persia franchise will appear on the Wii, it merely says that Ubisoft has other, unnamed games in development for the system. That's basically the same line used in the English-language release as well.

So what happened? The more paranoid theory is that Jeuxpo decided to fabricate mention of a Prince of Persia Wii game and slipped it into a Ubisoft press release. The other is that the information actually came from Ubi in an early draft of the release, which was revised at the last minute before hitting newswires.

Of the two, the latter scenario seems more plausible. Game-news outlets often get information under embargo about news that game companies will announce soon. The site agrees not to publish the news early so it can get the information and arrange to have its coverage ready to go when said embargo breaks. Sometimes the information is delivered in the form of press releases that aren't quite final and wind up being revised before the news is actually released. So it appears that Ubisoft released--and then retracted--the version of the announcement on Jeuxpo's site, or Jeuxpo had access to a copy that never was approved for release.

However, even if the news did come from Ubisoft, that doesn't necessarily mean it's accurate. The announcement and release date could have been omitted because the game's development status is in limbo. It seems unlikely that the existence of the game itself would be inaccurate, but its release date could very well be up in the air at the moment, enough so that the publisher wouldn't want to commit to a March launch.

Bogus or not bogus?: Though Jeuxpo's not a major game-news outlet, it seems unlikely that it would forge a press release, so this appears to be not bogus.

Source: Nintendo fan site Nintendo Now and game blog Kotaku, both using sources.

The official story: See below.

What we heard: Could it really be two whole months since the last worthwhile Wii rumor? The drought is apparently over, as two rumor-licious Wii tidbits are out and about.

The first comes by way of Nintendo Now, a Web site dedicated to Nintendo...now. Some of the site's authors milled about Nintendo's booth at the recent San Diego Comic-Con, and spoke to several people at the company's setup. One unnamed source dropped the bomb that there was "a strong possibility" that Nintendo would drop its own bombs at the Leipzig Game Convention, which takes place in Germany in late August.

With the Wii still fairly well veiled and launching sometime in Q4 this year, it's obvious that there are still plenty of details to be unleashed upon Nintendo's Wii-thirsty fans. The Leipzig Game Convention and September's Tokyo Game Show appear to be the obvious choices to pull back the curtain, so the likelihood of some news coming out of both shows isn't exactly a revelation, and is all but certain.

As far as a firm release date and pricing go, that will likely be held off until after Leipzig, as Nintendo brass have said that those bits of info will be disclosed in September.

The source also told Nintendo Now "definitively" that the company will hold its own show to demo the Wii, an idea that game blog Kotaku also picked up on. Kotaku's sources say the Wii will be the centerpiece of a cross-country tour to show off the console to the masses, with the idea being that hands-on time with the Wii will convince potential buyers to part with their cash and pick up the system.

As far as cross-country tours go, Nintendo has announced the Fusion Tour, which will "include a sneak peek at the Wii console" and feature some musical acts. However, the extent of the sneaking and peeking at the system (hands-on? Tech demos?) haven't been disclosed. A Nintendo rep would only say, "We haven't announced specific details yet but hope to in the weeks ahead."

Nintendo's marketing strategy with its new products has been "playing is believing,"--that is, give it a shot and you'll like it. At this year's Game Developers Conference, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata told a tale about how the company, as an assignment, gave copies of Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day to employees and had them show the game to friends and family members in order to drum up interest. The idea worked, and Iwata attempted to replicate that by giving attendees of the Nintendo GDC press conference their own copies of the game, with instructions to let others try it out.

Hands-on time with the Wii at E3 was particularly successful, and personal demos of the console seem to fit into Nintendo's strategy. Expect the Wii to be shaking hands and kissing babies all across the country later this year--however, it's unlikely it will be the musically focused Fusion Tour.

Bogus or not bogus?: Though nothing is official, this appears to be two scoops of not bogus.

Source: Another rumor-provoking preview over at UK game site Computer and Video Games.

The official story: See below.

What we heard: There weren't too many attendees at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo who even knew that Mercenaries 2 was at the show. That's because the game was only shown off behind closed doors to esteemed members of the press at the developer's booth. The demo was shown off on a PlayStation 3 dev kit, and Pandemic has not made any mention of other platforms.

Pandemic also never spoke of a publisher for the game. Mercenaries was published by LucasArts in the US and by Activision in Europe. However, the developer joined forces with BioWare and Elevation Partners, a venture-capital firm, late last year and formed BioWare/Pandemic, which frees up the two indie studios to take control of the creative, while Elevation provides the cash. With financial backing from Elevation, it isn't even clear whether Pandemic will need much help from a publisher.

Though the developer has been quiet on many of the game's details, some of Pandemic's secrets may have been revealed today. CVG has posted a preview of an Xbox 360 version of the game and has listed the game's publisher as Activision.

Mercenaries 2 on the Xbox 360 wouldn't really be too surprising, as the original Mercenaries was released on both the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. When Merc 2 was first announced, Pandemic said it was merely headed to "next-gen consoles," further opening up the possibility that a multiplatform release is in the works. CVG admits that a 360 version hasn't been announced but says it has it "on very good authority that it will be Xbox 360 bound..."

As for the game's publisher, it appears that CVG isn't even sure about its own information. In the first paragraph of the preview, CVG says, "Pandemic haven't [sic] even signed a publisher yet, but we can tell you that it won't be LucasArts/Activision again."

When asked for comment, a Pandemic rep would only say that no publisher has been announced, and only a PlayStation 3 version has been confirmed. The rep was also quick to point out that the screenshots in the preview were from the PS3 version.

The whole platform dispute resembles the confusion surrounding another announced game for the PS3--Assassin's Creed--right down to the CVG exposé. So why would Pandemic wait to announce an Xbox 360 version? One possibility is that Sony may be trying to wrangle Mercenaries 2 as an exclusive, and the two companies may be in negotiations. The game may also be a timed exclusive, such as how the Grand Theft Auto games were for the PlayStation 2.

As far as Activision signing on to publish, it looks as though it may just be a database error on CVG's part, particularly since the body of the preview seems to contradict that info. But while an Activision rep had not responded to requests for comment as of press time, a LucasArts spokesperson made it sound like his company is having zero involvement with the game. "We have the utmost respect and appreciation for Pandemic and their new endeavor with Elevation," the spokesperson told GameSpot. "Mercenaries is a great franchise, and we wish them continued success with it."

Bogus or not bogus?: Headed to the Xbox 360? Probably not bogus. Activision publishing? That's less clear. But one thing's for certain: Many publishers would love to have Mercenaries 2 in their portfolio.

Source: A CVG preview of the game...on the Xbox 360!

The official story: See below.

What we heard: Hey did you hear? Assassin's Creed may be coming to the Xbox 360! Ubisoft's medieval stealth game has been the subject of one of the hottest rumors of the year, a rumor that refuses to die or be debunked.

Assassin's Creed was officially announced at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo for the PlayStation 3. Though a press release never mentioned the word "exclusively," it sure did its best not to mention the Xbox 360. However, the game, previously known as Project Assassin, was first revealed as an Xbox 360 game at X05--Microsoft's Xbox-centric event.

Further doubt that the game was a PS3 exclusive was cast when some Web sites claimed the E3 demo was running on an Xbox 360 dev kit, and earlier this month, Internet reports stated that an Ubi employee spilled the beans at the Interactive Digital Entertainment Festival in France.

The latest good news for those in the Microsoft camp comes via the Web site for Computer and Video Games, which has posted a preview for the game on the Xbox 360--which no doubt peeved the French game publisher. Though Ubisoft has never announced that an Xbox 360 version is in the works, CVG appears to be accepting it as fact. To give the preview even more credence, the article is branded with the Official Xbox Magazine logo.

When asked for comment on the rumored Xbox 360 version, Ubisoft said something awfully familiar. "Assassin's Creed is coming to the PS3. No other announcements have been made."

So what gives? Ubisoft and Sony may have a deal for a timed exclusive, much like they had with the Grand Theft Auto series on the PlayStation 2. Another more nefarious possibility is that a deal may have been worked out so the game stirs enough interest in the PS3 if gamers believe it will only be available for that platform. And of course, there's the possibility that no one wants to believe (except hardcore Sony fanboys)--it is a PS3 exclusive game.

Bogus or not bogus?: We've said it before and we'll say it again...we'd be utterly flabbergasted if it didn't make it to the Xbox 360...not bogus!

Source: The ever-popular gaming blog Kotaku.

The official story: Calls left with Clinton's press office had not been returned as of press time.

What we heard: It's no secret that Hilary Clinton is considering a presidential bid in 2008. It's also no secret that the junior Senator from New York has been trying to scrape off the "liberal" label conservatives have slapped onto her by adopting a center-right stance on a variety of issues, including the war in Iraq.

Clinton also tried to up her family-values cred with a hard-line response to the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas "Hot Coffee" scandal. In the wake of the game being pulled from store shelves after sex minigames were discovered buried in its code, the senator called for federal legislation that would make selling M- or AO-rated games to minors a federal crime. Later, she joined fellow senator Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) in calling for the Centers for Disease Control to investigate the "impact of electronic media use" on minors.

But while the Federal Trade Commission has formally ended its investigation into San Andreas publisher Take-Two Interactive, rumor has it that Clinton isn't done taking potshots at gaming. Today, Kotaku editor Brian D. Crecente obtained an e-mail sent out by Clinton's office looking for "volunteers for a new anti-violence in video games initiative."

By "volunteers," Clinton apparently means individuals willing to be a "concerned parent" at a press conference. Naturally, the parents will be "concerned" about the hazards games present to their children. According to Kotaku, they should also be willing to voice their concerns to the press to help sway public opinion in favor of a new measure Clinton reportedly wants to introduce--a federal game tax akin to taxes states levy on cigarettes. Proceeds from the tax would fund a program for troubled minors.

So is the report legit? GameSpot spoke with Crecente, who, unlike o-so-many blog proprietors, is a professional, legitimate journalist working for the Rocky Mountain News. Though he would not share the e-mail for fear of revealing his source, he swore it was "very reliable."

But even without concrete proof, one thing is abundantly clear: Clinton is waging a public crusade against games. At a recent speech in front of the Kaiser Family Foundation, she accused modern society of performing a "massive experiment" on millions of children by exposing them to games, electronic media, and omnipresent advertising. "At the rate that technology is advancing, people will be implanting chips in our children to advertise directly into their brains and tell them what kind of products to buy," Clinton warned, according to the New York Daily News.

Bogus or not bogus?: Given Crecente's reputation, this rumor is more credible than most. Unfortunately, that means gamers can expect their favorite pastime to become a political punching bag when the 2008 presidential campaign heats up next year.

Source: A promotional card (pictured) enclosed inside each retail copy of Prey.

The official story: See below.

What we heard: After years of anticipation, Prey finally hit store shelves last week. The game began development at 3D Realms before being canceled in 1997, when the developer decided to focus its efforts on the still-unreleased Duke Nukem Forever. Then, in 2005, 3D Realms head George Broussard revealed that developer Human Head and publisher 2K Games had resurrected the title and would bring it to both the PC and the Xbox 360.

Now that Prey has been released to mostly positive reviews, the hype surrounding the title has died down. However, rumors continue to swirl around Prey, thanks to a promotional flyer included in both versions of the game.

Under the headline "mystery deal," the black and white flyer promotes the album Prey: The Soundtracks and urges visitors to go to the URL www.directsong.com/preymystery. Once there, they must enter the following "secret code": "prymvyscrnplycmng2007".

Given Prey's cinematic qualities and compelling--if short--story, many gamers believed the secret code contained the following secret message: "Prey movie screenplay coming 2007." However, the only things the code unlocks are discounted copies of volumes one and two of the Prey soundtrack, which includes rock-pop ditties "inspired" by the game.

But while Prey has the potential to make a rollicking film--if Uwe Boll has nothing to do with it, anyway--there's no evidence any such project is in the offing. Neither 2K Games nor 3D Realms would respond to requests for comment, leaving this rumor smack-dab in the middle of speculation town--for now.

Bogus or not bogus?: Too little information to make a determination one way or the other. [Insert dated "You got to Prey just to make it today" MC Hammer joke here.]

Source: Internet wildfire, stoked by Kotaku.com, Maxconsole.net, and others.

The official story: See below.

What we heard: Sleek, stylish gadgets elicit "oohs" and "aahs" from consumers and make them part with their hard-earned money, not only because of what they can do, but how they look doing it. This year's must-have toy is the redesigned DS Lite, which is basically the bulkier DS after the electronics equivalent of a tummy tuck.

Unfortunately, much like the Botox injected into the various flaps of skin of Hollywood celebs, some of the cosmetics of the DS Lite appear to not be holding up too well over time. According to several Internet-savvy DS Lite owners, the left hinge that connects the unit's two screens is prone to cracking.

Photographic evidence of the small crack, which is a few centimeters in length, has turned up on several Internet sites, with users explaining that their dual-screened darlings just aren't what they used to be. It should be noted that the crack is merely aesthetic and does not affect the unit or gameplay.

Of course it's the loudest voices that are heard on the Internet, and they usually belong to those with gripes, so the extent of the crack epidemic isn't clear. A quick poll of DS Lite-owning GameSpot employees yielded no such broken units, but reports of more cracks are popping up on message boards.

As to what causes the alleged cracks, handheld abuse has been ruled out by forum users. Several gamers with pristine DS Lites have reported dropping their units multiple times with no damages, and several who have become the victim of the crackage report that they have treated their DS Lites like a newborn baby.

One theory is that opening the handheld all the way at a full 180 degrees puts extra pressure on the hinge, causing the plastic to crack. A brave GameSpot editor opened his DS Lite all the way, and the hinge remained intact, and while he said he has done it before, he admits that it doesn't happen too often.

GameSpot contacted Nintendo customer support, who explained that this malady doesn't seem to be what the company calls a "known issue" and appears to affect less than 1 percent of DS Lites. However, unless the broken hinge impairs the opening and closing of the clamshell portable or the overall stability of the top screen, it does not fall under warranty. A damaged unit could be fixed for $50, down from the normal rate of $75.

Gamers are no strangers to defective gadgets, with a few consoles released in the past few years also experiencing some problems. After the Xbox 360 was released, many gamers were stopped by red lights on the "ring of light," but Microsoft announced that only 3 percent of units were broken, less than the average rate for newly released electronic gadgets. The PlayStation Portable was stricken by the "dead pixel syndrome" on its LCD screens, and consumers were given the option to exchange units still under warranty.

Though Nintendo customer support had plenty to say on the matter, the rest of the company hasn't been so loose-lipped. Attempts to reach Nintendo PR for comment on the matter were unsuccessful as of press time.

Bogus or not bogus?: There's plenty of photographic evidence and Internet testimonials, so not bogus that it has happened. However, there's still not enough evidence to call this an epidemic--yet.

Sources: The little-known film blog The Movie Center and the well-respected entertainment site Dark Horizons.

The official stories: Attempts to elicit comment from LucasArts, Burton's agent, and Microsoft were unsuccessful as of press time.

What we heard: This week saw a couple of crazy rumors spring from the crossroads of Hollywood and games. First up was word that the sultan of strange himself, director Tim Burton, is planning to direct a film version of LucasArts' beloved 1998 PC game Grim Fandango. The string of rumors tracked back to what appeared to be a typo-packed interview on the obscure film blog The Movie Center.

"Well, I'm currently woerking (sic) on Sweeny Todd (sic), which will be released in mid-2007," read the quote attributed to Burton. "After that, I'm gonna start working on a new script that was sent to me recently: Grim Fandango. It sort of follows the style of The nightmare before Christmas (sic) and Corpse Bride. It's about a surreal land of the dead, some sort of purgatory where everyone goes when they die. In that place, dead people have to make a four-year transition before they can rest in peace for all the eternity. I still don't know when we're going to start filming this, though."

Given that "Burton-esque" was an adjective often used to describe Grim Fandango when it came out, the quote seemed confirmation of a match made in nerd heaven. The problem is, the "interview" was actually a collection of quotes lifted from other press outlets. While several of the early quotes could be traced to this About.com interview with Burton, several of the others--including the Grim Fandango quote--remain of indeterminate origin and are therefore unverifiable.

Meanwhile, a single line on Dark Horizons sent out waves that traveled far beyond its Antipodean origin. In its Tuesday "News Bites" column, the Australian film site ran the following one-sentence note: "Latest rumors have Denzel Washington as the favorite for Master Chief."

While such throwaway lines could be pulled out of thin air, this one does have some basis in fact. In June, Washington did indeed fly to New Zealand, according to an article in the June 30 edition of New Zealand newspaper The Dominion Post. "Oscar-winner Denzel Washington has confirmed he visited Wellington to see director Peter Jackson and the Hollywood heavyweights will collaborate on a new film project," said the paper.

However, Washington told reporters at the Wellington, New Zealand, airport that the meeting was about an unnamed project--that would put him behind the camera. "Speaking at the check-in counter, Washington said he would direct the movie, which he hoped would be released in two years. Jackson would provide the special effects."

Given that Jackson is executive-producing the Halo movie, it's easy to see how Washington's visit could start tongues a-waggin'. However, if Halo is going to stay true to the well-reviewed script written by Alex Garland, it's unlikely the Oscar-winner and sex symbol would play the Master Chief. (WARNING: script review contains adult language and spoilers.) Why? Because the screenplay, which is partially based on the novel Halo: The Fall of Reach, stays true to the spirit of the games by never revealing the Chief's face. It's hard to believe that Washington would agree to spend an entire shoot inside the Master Chief's power armor, and his unaltered voice lacks the supersoldier's clipped military gravitas. However, Washington easily has the chops and physique to play the MC's comrade in arms, Sergeant Johnson...

Bogus or not bogus?: Burton directing Grim Fandango? Not enough to go on. Washington as the Master Chief? Highly unlikely.