Electronic Arts has taken the lid off of MySims, a new game in The Sims franchise developed for the Wii and Nintendo DS. In MySims, players begin by creating their own toy-like sim that reflects their personal style and attitudes, including accessories and hairstyles – new styles of sims can be unlocked through playing.

MySims moves the player to a delightful but disorganized town where they can re-shape everything and make it their own. The town is rundown, but the player can make it much more dynamic. Using a selection of building blocks, patterns and tools, players can design furniture and appliances, architect new homes and businesses, and re-define the the game’s landscape.

As players explore and build up the town, they will get to know other residents such as Mayor Rosalyn P. Marshall and hotel bellhop Buddy. Once things start to look up, they’ll meet and choose from a variety of other residents, and will be able to decide on what to build, and for whom. Examples offered by EA including being able to build a restaurant for Gino Delicioso the Italian Chef, or helping Ocean Breeze set up his Yoga studio.

For a better idea of the game’s style, check out its [url=http://www.mysims.com/]official website[/url]. MySims is expected to launch this fall, though it is unknown if both versions will launch simultaneously, or if this game will finally bring the much anticipated Wii/DS interoperability and connectivity that has, until now, remained purely speculation.

Sony’s European arm confirmed that “early adopters” of the PlayStation 3 will be able to immediately download the much anticipated Gran Turismo HD Concept over the PlayStation Network when the console launches on March 23. However, there won’t be a lot to see, as the game will only consist of a single track, though admittedly the content is free.

In Gran Turismo HD Concept, players are offered one car on the Eiger Nordwand track in the Swiss Alps. When the track is completed within the time limit, another car is unlocked. There are nine further cars to unlock in this way, including a Ferrari 599, marking the first time a Ferrari has appeared in Gran Turismo. In another first, Gran Turismo HD Concept’s Time Trial will allow players to rank themselves against other players on the PlayStation Network.

Publisher Lighthouse Interactive and developer Kerberos Productions announced plans for an expansion for last year’s 4x space strategy title for the PC, Sword of the Stars. Set for release in mid-April, the expansion, Sword of the Stars: Born of Blood, will add a new alien race (the bloodthirsty Zuul), a new form of strategic movement, new ship sections, 15 new weapons (including boarding pods), new technologies, new scenarios and new unknown menaces.

In addition, the expansion, which will require the original game to run, will also update the core game with a new set of GUI, graphical, and optimization updates. Born of Blood will offer new content for single and multiplayer gameplay, including two new scenarios, five new galaxy types, and newly detailed combat results and status graphs that allow players to track the rise or fall of their empire over time.

The game will also feature more than twenty five new technologies, as well as new diplomatic data and comm systems that will allow players to make demands, ask for help, or even warn players off from the worlds still yet unclaimed. Additionally, those players opting to try their hands at the new Zuul race will be able to take advantage of massive Zuul slaver disks, which allow them to take slaves and use them to boost production on Zuul fortress worlds. Creepy!

Finally, one of the most interesting sounding additions of this expansion is a new trade route system, which promises to make economic control and output even more vital for military success. Star freighters ply the trade routes making money for the player but are also vulnerable to raiders. Active piracy and escort battles enter the Sword of the Stars universe with the add-on, which are to make things a bit more interesting.

Officials from Eidos announced that the company has purchased European wireless game developer Rockpool Games, along with its two sister companies, Ironstone Partners and SoGoPlay. The three companies will become part of Eidos’ New Media division.

As part of the deal, Eidos will take on Rockpool Games’ Manchester studios as well as 36 new staff members who are currently working on multiple titles, though no other details concerning these projects have been released.

Rockpool Games is perhaps best known for developing wireless versions of popular franchises such as Worms, MotoGP, and Toca Race Driver. Ironstone Partners is a licensing company which own a catalog of intellectual property rights, including the Epyx back catalog of classic video games, as well as Top Trumps, Withit, and Commodore. Finally, SoGoPlay is a developer and publisher of casual games, and works with licensed IP and creates its own brands and concepts to be published on its own gaming portal and on other gaming websites.

“We believe that the global market for mobile games is set to grow considerably over the next few years from around $3billion in 2006 to $10billion in 2009 (source: Juniper Research), and that casual games are also becoming increasingly important. Rockpool’s breadth of activity, including not only mobile games but casual PC games, fits well with Eidos’ strategy to expand the company’s business in this direction and will strengthen our position in these consistently growing markets,” said Eidos CEO Jane Cavanagh.

“This deal marks a major leap forward in the development of our businesses. Being part of the Eidos family means that we can accelerate our growth and build on the great achievements we have already made in the mobile, casual and wider games market. We are very excited about what the future holds and believe we have found the right home, for our people, our brands, our technology and for our strategy,” said Paul Gouge, managing director of Rockpool Games.