As E3 draws nearer, we've got more publishers coming out guns blazing with their E3 lineups. Up next is Activision, and well, well, well, look who's packing the big guns for the expo! They've covered a lot of genres with this lineup and I would love to win a hypothetical contest to win everything on this list. Check it out.

In the same vein where you heard unconfirmed details of Call of Duty 5, Guitar Hero 4, the next Tony Hawk title, and Forza 3, we've learned that the Wii might be getting the ultimate party game for pop culture and trivia fans, while a new superhero game is to be announced for the high-powered gaming platforms at present. But what's also interesting is that Microsoft has prepared their own game to rival that of SingStar, the so-claimed pet project of former Sony exec Phil Harrison, who's now pursuing broader market dreams at Infogrames. More at the full story.

A new neck slide guitar for Guitar Hero 4, a new board-based controller for an upcoming Tony Hawk title, and several possible box art designs for Call of Duty 5. These are the topics we'll be covering for now, in light of the recent info leak from Intellisponse. More details are available in the full article.

 Now that Activision's Tony Hawk skating franchise is facing stiff competition from EA's Skate, rumors are circulating that the publisher may want to innovate the series by giving the axe to the series creators. Is Neversoft out and is new dev Robomodo in? Details after the jump.

The latest news regarding the Vivendi and Activision merger has come in. It looks like the new company called Activision Blizzard has been given the go-signal by the European Commission. To find out more, head on over to the full article.

The Tony Hawk video game franchise is already a winner in itself, but Activision, Neversoft, and Tony Hawk still saw it fit to do some overhaul in the franchise's direction. Dubbed as the "Tony Hawk Innovation Plan," what can fans expect from this move? Read more in the full article.

Activision just came out with its stellar lineup of game offerings for the holiday season. With an array of diverse games to choose from, Activision seems to have poised itself to appeal to gamers both young and old.

You can view the list at the full article.

Video Games Live, the premier video game concert event, is performing at this year's Video Game Awards from Spike TV. The event, which will mark the group's television debut, will be aired on December 9 at 9:00 p.m. The group will perform some hits from their world touring event and other new material. They will also be releasing their Greatest Hits album in the future.

When a gaming company manages to churn out a hit franchise, we'd most probably think that they hit paydirt, like what Activision did when they came up with the Guitar Hero series of games. However, the benefits of coming up with a great title may be a bit of a bane as well.

According to analyst Mike Hickey from Janco Partners, the emerging competition resulting from Activision's Guitar Hero and Tony Hawk franchises may prove to be "damaging for growth prospects".

Of course, when talking about Guitar Hero's and Tony Hawk's competition, it can only mean Harmonix' Rock Band (for the Xbox 360, PS3) and EA's Skate (also for the Xbox 360 and PS3). Hickey said that Rock Band may prove to be a compelling option in the console music gaming genre, which may eventually mean trouble for Activision itself.

Hickey said that analysts are expecting the Guitar Hero series to develop and evolve with the addition of new music peripherals in the near future, which will help the franchise in staying afloat in the midst of competition.

Last week in On Shelves This Week, we saw an outstanding crop of releases across all platforms led by Folklore for the Sony PlayStation 3 and Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions for the Sony PlayStation Portable. This week, we're treated to another worthy banquet of titles hot off the studios to keep us all occupied.

Particularly noteworthy is Activision's Tony Hawk's Proving Ground which debuts on four platforms. Also good to see is Crash of the Titans finally landing on the Sony PlayStation Portable. There's a whole lot more where those two came from, so help yourselves to this week's batch!

Crash of the Titans. Crash is back and he's having his latest, larger than life showdown with the diabolical Dr. Neo Cortex. This time he shows off just how big he can be on the Sony PlayStation Portable as he flexes his platforming prowess.

• Sony PlayStation Portable - October 16, 2007
• US$ 39.99
• ESRB E (Everyone) 10+
• Sierra Entertainment

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Game of the Year Edition. One of the most critically-acclaimed games on the Sony PlayStation 3 will have a special release this week. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Game of the Year Edition includes the Knights of the Nine and The Shivering Isles expansions for a more immersive experience than ever.

• Sony PlayStation 3- October 16, 2007
• US$ 59.99
• ESRB M (Mature)
• Take-Two Interactive

Tony Hawk's Proving Ground. If you think that the Tony Hawk series is running out of tricks, think again. Tony Hawk's Proving Ground has more than just sweet moves, it also has a deep career mode and one of the most advanced replay editors in a game which will allow you to show your stuff online. Get your pads and helmet because this one's ready to roll this week.

• Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS- October 15, 2007
• US$ 59.99 (Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3), US$ 49.99 (Nintendo Wii), US$ 29.99 (Nintendo DS)
• ESRB T )Teen)
• Activision

* Article originally posted on October 15 at 12:32 AM

Buy: [Tony Hawk's Proving Ground (DS, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360)]