Activision is getting ready to launch its Quantum of Solace game in time for the James Bond movie of the same name's debut later this year. We're now being treated to some of the first gameplay footage in the title and we're getting some details on the gameplay mechanics. Watch the video after the jump and tell us what you think.

Ever wondered how it feels like living the life of James Bond? Sony Online Entertainment's (SOE) The Agency won't make you a secret agent but it'll definitely give you the chance to play as one. It's probably the next best thing as to being a real secret agent.

In this video we got from Gametrailers, Sony Online Entertainment talks about the details of the gameplay of their soon-to-be released game. To watch the video, head on over to the full article.

Lately, the talk of the town has the merger between industry giants Activision and Vivendi Games. Financial reports aside, the upcoming company's released a teaser of the titles that will come with the big move. More details are available in the full article.

Tired of seeing ordinary looking, dirt-smudged heroes steal the limelight in your favorite video games? This short list of fashionable video game characters shows that it's possible to look snazzy while saving the day, and the girl too. Check out the full article!

Invisible in the shadows, prowling the streets of Gotham City is the Dark Knight, Batman. Lego Batman, that is, prowling the streets of Lego Gotham City. The game's been as mysterious as the character but now it's finally confirmed for a multi platform release! Some new details have also emerged and lie in wait (not prowling though, that's just silly) in the full article.

It's been more than a year since Activision acquired the rights to the James Bond video game franchise from Electronic Arts. Activision CEO Bobby Kotick has assured gamers that the company is committed to revitalizing "one of the great videogame franchises of all time".

Kotick also revealed that two new Bond titles are in the works. Find out more at the full article.

After finally complying with NASDAQ requirements, Take Two Interactive called a public conference to announce the new management protocol the publisher will be adopting to ensure continued financial confidence, utmost integrity, and management transparency. The plan is also supposed to "revitalize" the company.

The "five point" plan is set to be undertaken by the management in the next 100 days, and includes the hiring of a new Chief Financial Officer after former CFO Karl Winters abandoned ship.

The plan, however, will also strip away non-core, non-profitable and marginal businesses, especially those that don't pass the cost structure review that is "well underway." Whether the review of cost structures will give leeway for innovative ideas for games, only Take Two Interactive devs can tell.

But with the plan aside, the company is promising to deliver Grand Theft Auto 4, BioShock and Manhunt 2 this year, all of which have currently passed the review and are on schedule for 2007. The new management's consideration of GTA 4 being the company's savior, while plausible, isn't a sure bet for the company to save itself.

Chairman Strauss Zelnick considered GTA as a "James Bond," always reinventing itself with newer installments, but didn't seem to have any long term plans to allow for newer game concepts and ideas to replace GTA should its popularity ever wane.

But this time around, Take Two Interactive is focused on working with Nintendo, aligning the Wii on a level priority with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Zelnick commented that "working with Nintendo is a priority" and that Take Two was committed to creating "great games for Nintendo."

Remember all those McDonald's outlets that display how many people they have served over the years? Now, imagine putting that sort of computing into videogames, and see who comes out on top. With that said, we bring you this Top 20 published by the UK-based "The Independent."

From what we see, Japan seems to hold in this list, with Mario, Pokemon, and Final Fantasy making it to the top three. Then again, it looks like all the top gaming mascots are here. We advise the fans out there to cross-reference this with anything else they may have read, for accuracy's sake. Enjoy poring over it.

The best-selling games franchises

1. Mario: 193 million
2. Pokémon: 155 million
3. Final Fantasy: 68 million
4. Madden NFL: 56 million
5. The Sims: 54 million
6. Grand Theft Auto': 50 million
7. Donkey Kong: 48 million (centre)
8. The Legend of Zelda: 47 million
9. Sonic the Hedgehog: 44 million
10. Gran Turismo: 44 million
11. Lineage: 43 million
12. Dragon Quest: 41 million
13. Crash Bandicoot: 34 million
14. Resident Evil: 31 million
15. James Bond: 30 million
16. Tomb Raider: 30 million
17. Mega Man: 26 million
18. Command & Conquer: 25 million
19. Street Fighter:25 million
20. Mortal Kombat:20 million

On a last note, we did find it mortifying that our personal faves like MGS did not make it.

We know that there a lot of games out there who sport excellent storylines. But for now, whenever we talk of such, PSP title Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure and MMO Vanguard: Saga of Heroes readily comes to mind. Sigil Games and Mastiff LLC have spoken recently about the scripts and voice acting for their respective titles.

But the point of the matter is that, every game for every genre on every platform should be concerned about scripts and voice acting. Andy Emery of audio specialist company, Side, pointed out the relationship between the two: "There are many factors that contribute to poor quality dialogue in games, but by far and away a poor script is the biggest single culprit."

While it is true that the graphics and the physics aspects of games nowadays have been superb, the above mentioned are lagging behind. "A professional script writer is an essential part of modern game development and the importance of good casting should not be underestimated," explained Emery.

The generally held practice across the industry today is you get one person, two at the most, then ask them to perform "the lead role in a gritty WWII game and then ask them to also play a couple of German soldiers, a French ally and a bartender, whilst keeping all performances naturalistic." This, according to Emery, should be changed.

Given this, don't get the idea that videogame producers aren't aspiring for higher standards. Actually, they are gunning to be at par with their movie-making equivalents. Emery pointed out that it's just they haven't fully recognized the power of audio in game making.

Andy Emery and his company are responsible for the audio of successful titles Tomb Raider, Dragon Quest, Total War and James Bond among many others.

In a lengthy interview over at Gamespot, Eidos' product acquisition director, Ian Livingstone gave several details on Tomb Raider: Anniversary, the future of Lara Croft, and his opinion regarding the next-generation console wars.

What? Who's Ian Livingstone and why should you guys care? Well, if in case you're too lazy to wiki him up, his game cred starts with Games Workshop and Steve Jackson, moves on to D&D, gets big during the 90s with Eidos, and reaches a high point when he got awarded an Order of the British Empire last year for "Services to the Computer Games Industry." So snotty fellow, can you top that?

Here be the pertinent details from the interview:

So how's Lara?
Livingstone says that the brand and franchise will continue. According to him she's now much like James Bond now. Hence, there are no plans to kill of the character any time soon. She's recognized everywhere and according to Livingstone there was a Time Magazine survey a few years back that ranks her as more recognizable than the pope.

In Livingstone's words:

There are other great characters, but they're all aimed at a younger audience--Zelda, Sonic, Mario--there have been none that have been aimed at the more mature consumer. If you think of other successful games, you don't always remember the characters.

Women don't object to Lara because she's strong, independent, intelligent, athletic, sexy, and essentially she doesn't need men. And of course, men wouldn't object to [her] for the same reasons... And, as she's virtual, she can be anything to anyone.

He adds that he isn't really allowed to say much about Tomb Raider: Anniversary, but he does hint that we should all be thinking about that first time Lara met the T. Rex.

Get the rest of the article after the Jump!