This is just through the grapevine, but sources close to Nintendo have told IGN that the company is getting ready to release the DSi in the United States during the first half of the year. Word has it that Nintendo and its partners will ship during April, most likely on the 4th. More info in the full article.

Leipzig's over and the Tokyo Game Show won't be till October. But that doesn't mean there won't be any other conferences around to satisfy ever-curious gamers' appetites. And this time, we won't even have to fly overseas. The Austin Game Developers Conferences is coming up next, and they've added in a nice touch to this year's event.

Seems the fine folks at UPS Blog It asked Elefunk developers, Big Head Games whether a Trophy patch for Elefunk was likely, to which the response was:

"We are in discussions with Sony about it but as usual with big companies it takes a bit of time to get approval."

More after the jump!

French site Play-3 Live reports that a Sony PlayStation 3 version of the popular MMORPG EverQuest II: Echoes of Faydwer is in the works. There's not a lot of details on that, but they did post these screens allegedly from the port.

It does seem a little bit doubtful to us if we judge the buzz on these images alone. The graphics seem to not be too far off from the PC version. We thought that if it was getting ported, it could look a little better. Still, it's possible that they didn't change the visuals for the sake of quelling lag issues.

EverQuest II: Echoes of Faydwer takes players on the journey of their lives into the island of Faydwer where the land is quiet but the spirits are restless. Using traditional MMORPG elements with quest-driven play that enhances your abilities, the game racks serious longevity and great fun for all ages.

More screens after the jump!

Allegedly, some retailers have discovered the amount of PS3s that would be hitting their shores come launch day on March 23,2007. It appears that only 11,000 units are set to be released. Now, while some would be livid at this thought, the reported retail price of a 60GB unit would be about $AUS 1,000 (about $ USD 800) so not everyone would really be able to afford the steep cost. (We're assuming import duties and taxes have jacked up the price.)

Remember, this is only a rumour. But in the case that it is true, we would be very saddened that many won't be able to enjoy the PS3 during it's release. More information when it comes up.

How would you like to buy a new Xbox 360 with a 120GB hard drive and a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) all in a black casing for a little less than 500 bucks on May 1? Too good to be true? Retailers say not really.

Weeks after Microsoft shot down the rumor of a new Xbox 360 (codenamed Zephyr), the buzz is on again and this time, local distributors are chiming in. Microsoft is still mum on the matter but it would be surprising if a lot of retailers across the nation would confirm the same gossip.

Whether the talk yields truth in it or not remains to be seen. Visit QJ.net regularly for updates.

Once the ball is dropped, there ain't no other way for it to stop rollin' except by either a confirmation or a denial from the respective parties involved. Kingdom Hearts have been setting tongues a-wagging with the rumor that it's heading out to Wii. And although there's still no official statement from Square Enix about it, we've tripped upon yet another bit regarding this buzz.

From Go Nintendo, who picked it up from Neo Gaf, who got it from 2ch (see, we told you word gets around), Square Enix and Disney have agreed to put the next Kingdom Hearts on Nintendo consoles. That means the title won't be coming out only for the Wii, but possibly for the DS as well.

As to KHIII being a PS3 exclusive, well, that one's pretty quiet now. For now. We'll make sure to send you an update on this one.

This just in.

Three Wii Virtual Console (VC) titles are rumored to be seen free in the images below. Titles Super Mario Bros., R-Type, and ToeJam & Earl are labelled with free and zero points. According to GamersReports, they aren't sure whether this is just a function for viewing the page on the PC or the values just haven't been updated.

Interesting that the titles are timeless classics. It would be great to have these games for free, but then again it probably won't be wise to get our hopes up too much. We can wait for news whether it's the real deal, it IS Christmas.

Before all hell breaks loose, we're gonna wave the disclaimer flag and again emphasize that as of writing, this is still just a rumor. You might think we're being overly cautious about this, but see, we know how some of you guys can get too...uh...passionate about your gaming, so, again, we're waving the disclaimer flag on this one.

So. Okay, now that that's done with, let's get to the topic at hand. Someone by the name of Th3 Wiz4rd has just tipped us off that the latest buzz on Call of Duty 3 (Wii, PS3, Xbox360), is that the downloadable picture packs of the game are total ripoffs.

According to Th3 Wiz4rd, the different picture packs all contain the same images, and that if you tried downloading them all (which we assume our tipster did), you'll always get the same images. Th3 Wiz4rd also said that he has already contacted Microsoft about this, and that the company is already aware of the problem.

As of now, we haven't received any updates on whether this glitch has been fixed, so until then (no, we're not gonna suggest boycotting the game) just take caution if you do decide to download the picture packs. And now that we've answered our call (of duty) in informing you guys, if you get any updates or know anything about this, feel free to share it with the rest of the QJ readers via the comments below. We'll keep you posted once news reaches our ears.

Nintendo's Wii may have been a no-show at the recent Tokyo Game Show but according to the official eGames Weblog, Nintendo not only confirmed their attendance at upcoming expo; the company also said it will attend ONLY the eGames & Entertainment Expo!

Now that's an exclusive that will be hard to top. It will also launch the eGames in the same orbit as TGS and other major gaming events in the world. The buzz also claims Wii will be hands-on at the eGames with hundreds of titles.

Joining Nintendo is Microsoft who will continue to push its Xbox 360 down under. MS has supposedly made reservation for more than 100 m of floor space! No word yet if Sony's PS3 will join the next-gen console fracas

The eGames & Entertainment Expo will be held on November 17 to 19 in Melbourne. Tickets will cost AU$ 16 (about US$ 12) for adults and AU$ 13 (about US$ 9.70) for concession with family.