Major publisher and developer Eidos has anounced that is will publish Definitive Studios’ Traxxpad, a PSP application that allows users to create, mix and sample their own tracks at home or on-the-go. The application will ship this spring in North America.

The key to Traxxpad is its utilization of different high-end, music-making modules which focus on different aspects of music making such as sequencing, song assembly, and melody creation. Sounds can be assigned to specific buttons, and inputted into a sequence by rhythmical button presses. In addition, in order to make the game accessible to persons of various skill levels, if a sound is off-beat, Traxxpad automatically associates the sound to the nearest 16th note.

Equipped with over 1000 stock sounds which range from drum samples to more exotic instruments, the sound library will offer a variety of choices. However, if more are needed, Traxxpad can also be utilized as a sampler, utilizing its compatibility with the PSP system microphone. Traxxpad also allows users to export their songs to .wav or .mp3 files, enabling production to be as easy as burning to a disc or transferring to a MP3 player.

“The PSP system is so much more than a gaming platform,” said Eidos’ sales and marketing executive VP Robert Lindsey. “Traxxpad utilizes the PSP system hardware to its fullest. It produces professional music, and makes it easy to do, providing an end result that is more fun and satisfying than completing a pre-defined task in a game.”

In what could be the greatest sounding premise for a MMO to date, building block company LEGO and indie game company NetDevil have revealed that a new massively multiplayer game based on LEGOs is in the works.

While details are scarce at the moment, a brief statement by both companies further adds fuel to the belief that this could be the next big thing for the genre (provided it’s done right).

“The LEGO brand represents construction, creativity and problem solving — values that compliment the MMOG market,” commented The LEGO Group’s Lisbeth Valther Pallesen. “By merging the online world of social interaction with physical play, the LEGO brand is providing new experiences for children, as well as fans. NetDevil’s technological capability, openness to work with a large community, and their enthusiasm for the LEGO brand made them a natural partner.”

NetDevil president Scott Brown added: “Playing with LEGO bricks and developing online worlds are both creative activities. To bring them together is deeply professionally satisfying and we look forward to working with the LEGO team.”

NCsoft has announced the release of a fourth free update to its vehicle-based MMO for the PC, Auto Assault. The latest collection of additional content will include a new auction house, as well as the introduction of new vehicle chassis, a new tournament schedule, and several quality-of-life system improvements.

NCsoft officials describe the auction house as “one of the most important additions” to the game since its release, making it easier to profit from the game’s many loot drops. The auction house, for example, will enable lower-level players to obtain currency by selling material to higher-level players who can then craft more powerful weapons. The company adds that the auction house will feature an email system that will allow players in the same faction to send messages to each other regarding items up for auction as well as sending items via email.

The update also adds two new vehicle chassis, both of which are available at the INC vehicle stores. These include the Switter, a medium-sized chassis available for all classes, and the Backup, a small chassis usable by any scout class.

Rounding out the additional features are changes to the skills systems. NCsoft notes that balance between races has been improved “so success in player-versus-player combat will be based on skill rather than faction-based advantages.” Additionally, skill building has also been made easier to manage and understand.

Finally, Auto Assault tournaments have a new schedule and reward system built in, and the new tournament schedule system is timed to work for players regardless of their time-zone location. The tournaments have also been level-balanced so that all players can enjoy the experience, and additional loot and bigger rewards, the arena will be more profitable for all participants.

According to [url=http://www.nielsenmedia.com/nc/nmr_static/docs/Nielsen_Report_State_Console_03507.pdf]a new Nielsen report[/url], 41.1 percent of all U.S. households with televisions also contain at least one video game console. This figure, which represents 45.7 million U.S. homes, has jumped over recent years, with 43 million being reported in 2005 and 38.6 million the year prior.

To put this into perspective, over this same period of time, the total number of U.S households with televisions has increased just 1.6 percent. In addition, during the fourth quarter, the top 20 percent of people playing video game cones in the U.S. averaged about 5 hours and 45 minutes of play daily, and that these users accounted for 74.4 percent of all console usage during the period.

Other interesting findings include an increased acceptance for online gaming, with more than 4.4 million households reporting consoles going online in 2006, a figure that does not even include the PlayStation 3 and Wii. In addition, the report also added that at any given minute of the day, about 1.6 million people in the U.S. are using a game consoles.

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