Source: Euro Nintendo game magazine NGC by way of Gaming-Age.com.

The official story: "Nintendo does not comment on rumors or speculation."--Nintendo representative.

What we heard: One of the most anticipated games of 2005 became one of the anticipated games of 2006 when Nintendo announced that The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess would not make its holiday ship date. The postponing immediately caused many to begin speculating that Link's latest adventure would be coming to the Revolution, Nintendo's next-gen console expected to be released later this year. Such assumptions are partly true, given that the Revolution will be backward compatible. However, as recently as last month, Twilight Princess was still being demonstrated on the GameCube.

Nintendo originally stated that the delay was to "enrich the game," according to Perrin Kaplan, vice president of marketing and corporate affairs at Nintendo. The development team apparently requested extra time "to add new levels, more depth, and even higher quality to Zelda: Twilight Princess."

The January edition of gaming magazine NGC is reporting that "more depth" for Twilight Princess includes compatibility with the Revolution's controller, according to Gaming-Age.com. When inserted into a Revolution, the game will "unlock the ability to use the Revolution controller."

From a business perspective, it makes perfect sense for Nintendo to include some exclusive Revolution features for its highest-profile release in years. The extent of these possible features isn't clear, though. Could gamers be able to flick the Rev controller and see Link chuck his trusty boomerang or see the game in a higher resolution? Or will next-gen controller support be limited to smaller options such as fishing minigames or simple bare-bones compatibility with the controller and its D-pad extension?

The gaming public won't be finding out anytime soon, if Nintendo has its way. The company is notorious for having more secrets than the NSA, and a company rep would neither confirm nor deny that The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess would have any next-gen bonuses.

Bogus or not bogus?: Though Revolution-exclusive features are likely not bogus, it's too early to tell if they're anything of consequence.

Source: Japanese media outlets, including Mainichi Interactive and Zakzak.

The official story: See below.

What we heard: Less than a week after the launch of the Xbox 360 in Japan, various news sites claimed that a new version of the console would be shipping as early as next year. According to the reports, the new and improved Xbox would reportedly sport a drive that runs HD-DVDs. HD-DVD media can hold approximately 15 gigabytes per layer (30GB for dual-layer discs), versus the DVD-9 standard's capacity of just 4.7GB per layer (8.5GB dual-layer discs).

The backers of HD-DVD, which include Microsoft, are currently in a battle with the backers of the Blu-ray disc, which include Sony. The Blu-ray format, also known as BD-ROM, can handle about 23GB per layer, or around 45GB per dual-layered disc, and will be supported by Sony's next-generation console, the PlayStation 3. An HD-DVD-equipped 360 would be able to compete with the PS3 in terms of storage capacity, which is becoming a major concern, given the massive amounts of data required for high-definition gaming.

For that very reason, Microsoft has taken criticism for not considering incorporating a next-gen media format for its next-gen console. The most likely reason for the omission is that adding an HD-DVD drive (which Toshiba hasn't even completely finished) would spike manufacturing costs for Microsoft, which reportedly already loses more than $125 on every 360 sold.

Though an HD-DVD-equipped Xbox 360 would make for some snazzy games, the reports from Japan were, sadly, a case of misinformation. Hours after the reports of the super-Xbox 360 went up, most sites pulled the news down on the heels of a brisk response from its maker. "Microsoft has not made any announcements in either America or Japan regarding possibilities of a next-generation disc drive to be equipped on the Xbox 360. We do not have any plans to release an Xbox 360 equipped with a next-generation DVD [drive] at the current time," the company said in a statement.

Given Microsoft's support for the format, will there ever be an HD-DVD Xbox 360? Not any time soon, according to Microsoft Japan's Xbox operation chief, Yoshihiro Maruyama, who has publicly stated that the format "won't be used for gaming purposes for a while."

Bogus or not bogus?: 15 gigabytes of bogus, unfortunately. Don't think that Microsoft isn't thinking about it, though.

Source: Several job listings on the Shiny Entertainment Web site.

The official story: Atari reps did not respond to requests for comment. As for Shiny...see below.

What we heard: This morning, Shiny sent out an e-mail blast to the games press announcing that it was hiring new programmers. But unlike most hiring spam, two of the job listings listed in the e-mail garnered interest beyond the usual job-seekers and headhunters.

First up was a listing for a "PSP Programmer." Though the listing gave no information about the game, it would be Shiny's first for Sony's portable. Given that most PSP games to date have been ports of existing PlayStation 2 games, odds are this listing is for an as-yet-unannounced portable port of the recent multiconsole release, The Matrix: The Path of Neo.

A second Shiny job listing is of particular interest to those watching the next-gen console race. Though ostensibly for an "Xbox 360 Programmer" position, the listing also asks that applicants be able to work "together with PlayStation 3 and Revolution programmers on converting existing code base to run on Xbox 360." Since CEO Bruno Bonnell told a 2004 investors' conference that a next-gen Matrix game was likely in the development pipeline, the Shiny ads seemed to confirm Neo would jack into all three consoles.

However, it appears now that a next-gen Matrix might not be happening. Though Shiny has specialized in games based on The Matrix films in the past, it could be on the verge of announcing an original intellectual property. At least, that's the impression given by the shop's founder and CEO, David Perry. "People keep asking what I will do 'after' Matrix," he told GameSpot. "The answer is I've got more new ideas than I have staff!" However, when asked about what project the developers being hired would work on, Perry began speaking in Morpheus-esque riddles. "This job posting is one of many for new things I have in the pipeline.... Over the next six months, it will become more obvious why I need to expand. I hope that's cryptic enough!"

Bogus or not bogus?: Given the ease of porting from PS2 to PSP, Atari would be crazy not to make a handheld Matrix. However, Path of Neo's underperformance may stop the franchise from going next-gen. That, or Shiny may simply not be working on the project....

Source: Numerous reports from the Web, including a report from Canada.com and Spong.com.

The official story: See below.

What we heard: The Nintendo DS isn't an ordinary handheld. With its built-in microphone, stylus, and touch screen, the system seems more like a plaything rather than a hardcore gaming machine. In Japan, the DS is also being used to teach users how to use their noggins a bit more with Brain Training for Adults. The game lobs various questions and brainteasers at the player in an effort to help gamers flex their brainpower.

So when reports began to surface about a DS game in development that would help female gamers stimulate themselves--SCREEEEECH!! What? Yep, stories abound about a game titled Lapis, in which a blue rabbit helps teach females the proper technique toward self-satisfaction.

The concept is simple: rub the bunny the right way and it will eventually fly into the air (and eventually land for a cigarette break, one would assume). Being the complex organism it is, Lapis won't get to flying with simple strokes or repeat maneuvers. What's more, sometimes he won't be in the mood to fly at all, leaving gamers with tired wrists all for naught.

The game was developed by Heather Kelley (picture 2, right), an employee of Ubisoft's Montreal Studios, as part of a competition at the Montreal International Games Summit. The game's subject matter was in part a response to the outcry over the Hot Coffee mod for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which allowed gamers to enter minigames that showed the main character fornicating with his in-game girlfriend. Kelley won first prize for her effort.

Before you go out buying new screen protectors for your DS, take note: The game was merely a prototype made for the event. It has not been--nor is it likely to be--officially certified by Nintendo, and it is not commercially available. That leaves amorously inclined DS owners with just one T-rated option for dual-screen romance: the dating game XY/XX.

Bogus or not bogus?: Not bogus. The game exists alright, but don't EVER expect to see it on shelves.

Source: The jobs page on Bungie.net by way of Evil Avatar.

The official story: "Microsoft does not comment on rumors, even on ones about pirates." --landlubbin' Microsoft publicity buccaneer.

What we heard: Bungie is renowned for being one of the more secretive developers around. Its modus operandi has been to eschew the press and address the public directly via weekly updates on its Web site, Bungie.net.

Bungie's silence has led to some confusion about its next project. Shortly before the blockbuster Halo 2 was released in 2004, Bungie studio manager Pete Parsons told the BBC that "after Halo 2 we are planning to do something different. We will do something else and we have a few ideas." However, seven and a half months later, Microsoft CEO Bill Gates told Time magazine that Halo 3's release would counter the PlayStation 3 launch. Since Sony's next-gen console is set to go on sale in spring 2006, that would mean that Bungie must currently be hard at work on Halo 3 (an assumption backed up by Halo 2's notoriously abrupt ending).

However, this week, a rumor began to spread that Bungie's next project might not be Halo 3 after all. At the end of a job listing for a "Generalist Programmer," the company says one "plus" is "a love of combat on the high seas." This got the rumor mill a-churnin' that Bungie was trading interstellar combat for intercontinental plunder in the form of a pirate game. The tone of the rest of the ad added to that assumption. "Bungie Studios is looking for skilled programmers, be they unblooded innocents or grizzled heroes...Come march under our black banner and share our inevitable domination."

Sadly, as appealing as a Bungie-made buccaneer-fest sounds, it is not happening anytime soon. Before its infatuation with annoying alternate-reality games began, Bungie had a penchant for pirate jokes aplenty--remember Pimps at Sea? Furthermore, a source close to the developer laughed off the notion that Bungie would forgo a surefire Xbox 360-seller like Halo 3 for an untested commodity. (Not if Bill Gates has anything to say about it, anyway...)

Bogus or not bogus?: Bogus.

Source: An article on tech-news site VNUnet.

The official story: Nokia reps did not return requests for comment.

What we heard: In 2003, the N-Gage launched with much fanfare--and even more derision. The original form factor of Nokia's hybrid game deck became a running joke for its clunky design, laborious game-switching process, and laughable "side-talking" mobile-phone functionality. Not even the lightning-quick introduction of the redesigned N-Gage QD could reverse the platform's fortune. Instead of selling an anticipated 6 million in two years, Nokia has sold only 2 million N-Gages to date.

Given the N-Gage's unpopularity, industry watchers have been predicting its demise for months. However, as recently as May, Nokia claimed the platform was alive and well. But over the weekend, headlines such as "Nokia Dis-N-Gages" and "Nokia Shifts Focus from Gaming" helped fuel rumors that the end was finally nigh for the handheld/phone.

However, most of the stories that bore the headlines did not explicitly say that Nokia has ceased manufacturing the N-Gage. Almost all cited the VNUnet article, titled "Nokia Holds Fire on Mobile Gaming," which says that the Finnish phone giant "will not be building new versions of the N-Gage gaming phone." That statement could easily be interpreted as meaning manufacture of the handheld/phone has ceased. However, the article does say that "the company intends to continue producing N-Gage devices primarily for the Chinese and Indian markets." But given the dismal-sounding quotes in the VNUnet article from Nokia vice president for corporate strategy Antti Vasara, you shouldn't expect to see future N-Gage publicity campaigns...unless you live in Shanghai or Mumbai.

Bogus or not bogus?: Technically this is bogus for now, though the platform's days are almost definitely numbered.

Source: Legend of Zelda fan site Thehylia.com

The official story: Nintendo reps were not available for comment.

What we heard: Gaming movies are currently all the rage. With the recent announcement of the Halo film, it seems as though Hollywood may actually do them right for a change.

Historically, though, the spirit of most games gets lost in translation onto the silver screen. Exhibit A: German director Uwe Boll's menagerie of cinematic cowpats, which includes House of the Dead, Alone in the Dark, and the soon-to-be-released Bloodrayne.

Even gaming giant Nintendo has seen one of its properties, Super Mario Bros, bastardized into a universally hated movie. However, that may soon change. The rights to Metroid have become optioned by once-great, now semi-competent Hong Kong director John Woo, although no production start date has been announced.

This week, it looked like another beloved Nintendo game, The Legend of Zelda, might make it to the big screen. Mexican magazine Club Nintendo, the Spanish-language equivalent of Nintendo Power, quoted Nintendo executive vice president of sales and marketing Reggie Fils-Aime as saying that the company is indeed planning a Zelda film. Because Club Nintendo is published by Nintendo, there's zero chance of them misquoting Fils-Amie, let alone making up quotes attributed to him.

That said, Fils-Aime also said Nintendo is currently focusing all its efforts on the Metroid movie. Zelda is being considered as a following project, with the possibility of another Mario movie following that. Given that there's no timetable for a Metroid film, any hopes of pinning down a release for the Zelda movie would be pure guesswork. And many film projects that have been much farther along have wound up in development limbo for years--if not decades.

Bogus or not bogus?: Where there's a will, there's a way--if the Metroid film goes well, look for Zelda to get fast-tracked. If it bombs, don't expect to see Link's green tights on the big screen any time soon.

Source: An article on SPOnG recounts scuttlebutt that Sony was playing possum with the boomerang-style PlayStation 3 controller and that the final design of the controller could be revealed at January's Consumer Electronics Show.

The official story: A Sony spokesperson told GameSpot, "We have made no announcements regarding the PS3 controller, so any reports to the contrary are purely speculation."

What we heard: At first, CES seems as good a place as any to unveil the final design of the PS3 controller. If you consider Sony's announced spring 2006 release of the PlayStation 3, May's E3 2006 would be a bit late for a coming out party, and there's no bigger trade show in the meantime. There's even some precedent for a CES unveiling, as Sony revealed part of its American PSP launch plans at this year's CES in January. Combine that with the fact that Sony admitted the controller shown at this year's E3 was not a final design, and this rumor might have some grain of truth to it. Sony might well have been putting it out there to judge public reaction to the controller, and given that the reaction has been generally negative, it might be time for a complete overhaul. Right?

Probably not. First of all, Sony Computer Entertainment corporate executive and chief technical officer Masayuki Chatanai told Famitsu after the E3 unveiling that the controller might undergo "minor changes" but that the form factor would probably stay the same. And if Sony wanted feedback on the controller, why didn't it let E3 attendees get their hands on it? And what would Sony have to gain by "fooling" the competition with a phony controller at E3 when Nintendo's Revolution controller was already purported to be something radically different, in addition to the fact that Microsoft had already unveiled the 360's glorified Controller S pad?

You may not like the PS3 pad, and what you've seen so far may not be exactly it, but don't expect any kind of "Revolutionary" redesign on it before the system launches. Maybe a trigger here or some tweaked hand grips there, but it'll still look right at home hanging from a bright yellow utility belt.

Bogus or not bogus?: Holy Bogus, Batman!

Source: The Circuit City Web site

The official story: See below.

What we heard: There are some hardcore gamers out there who are painstakingly eyeing their calendars, waiting until midnight each night to mark off another day. With the November 22 launch date of the Xbox 360 slowly inching closer, anticipation is getting the best of several 360 fans, who can't wait to get their hands on the console. So imagine their joy when they woke to reports that Circuit City would be selling Xbox 360 bundles this Friday at 2:00 p.m. EST.

Indeed, emblazoned on its Xbox 360 product Web page was the phrase, "Xbox 360 packages available Friday at 2:00 p.m. EST." Just underneath the bundle prices reads a box that says "available Friday."

Would-be line campers, no need to make that mad dash to fish out sleeping bags and tents just yet. While there are reports that Xbox 360s are currently arriving in stores, every retailer seems to be sticking to the strict 11/22 launch date. Why would Circuit City jump the gun? Selling the console before others would certainly raise some fervor, but it would also raise a big fat lawsuit from deep-pocketed Microsoft, which would probably sue, just as Sony did those who sold the PSP early in the UK.

In fact, the information on the Web site, as well as that given by Circuit City reps, was incorrect. Consequently, the site has since been updated. The head banner now includes the caveat "Web-only" and clarifies the date "11/18." A disclaimer at the bottom now states "Available in-store Tuesday, 11/22. Web-only packages not available for pre-order or in-store pickup. We are receiving shipments on a regular basis. Please check back frequently." Apparently, Friday is the first day the packages can be ordered over the Web from the retailer. By ordering Friday, the bundles will ship Monday with overnight delivery ensuring that the 360 will arrive at doorsteps on Tuesday.

Bogus or not bogus?: Sorry, HD era. A serious heaping of next-gen bogusness.