Next-gen Def Jam named, dated

For some hip-hop fans, the East-Coast-West-Coast rivalry just wasn't enough--they wanted to see rappers from all over the country engaging in fisticuffs. For them, Electronic Arts' Def Jam series let them live out the age-old question of "Who would win in a fight, Method Man or DMX?" and the like.

Over a year ago, EA and Def Jam Enterprises unsurprisingly announced that the series was headed to next-gen systems. Today, EA announced the first details of the game, including the official name, platforms, and release window.

Def Jam: Icon is currently in development at EA Chicago, home of the Fight Night series, and will be released on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in March 2007 (there was no mention of any current-generation versions). Once again, the developers are putting a stress on the game's environments, promising that they will play an integral part in who becomes victorious and who gets clowned.

Kudo Tsunoda, general manager of EA Chicago, said, "We are completely innovating the role of the environments in the games, moving from the typical lifeless arenas the hip-hop celebrities are fighting in to environments that play an instrumental part in the fight where they will react to the music and interact with both characters like a third fighter."

While EA is ready to say that environments and music will play a large part in the game, it isn't divulging the game's celebrity cast. The only artists mentioned by the publisher to be featured in the game are Ludacris, T.I., and Big Boi.

Def Jam: Icon has not yet been rated or priced.