Following previous denials from Sega that the newly revealed Crucible title had no relation to their own similarly titled game, the recently leaked game may actually be the latest brain child of Oblivion designer Ken Rolston and developer Big Huge Games. You can check out our full article for more details on this interesting tidbit.

The new lineup for the board of directors of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) was recently revealed. Joining the 10-man team will be designer and professor Brenda Brathwaite, consultant Mark DeLoura, and THQ/Big Huge Games studio manager Tim Train. Other details regarding the new board of directors can be read in our full article.

Microsoft's sending word that new registrants to their Xbox Live service will be entitled to a free copy of Live Arcade's Catan title. Wondering if you're eligible for this freebie? Promo details are available in the full article.

It looks like THQ and Big Huge Games will have more in common aside from their mystery RPG project. THQ has just sent out word about their intent to acquire BHG. Details on this transaction are available in the full article.

Microsoft Game Studios and developers Big Huge Games along with Ensemble Studios have announced that Age of Empires III: Asian Dynasties has gone Gold and will be available in stores come October 23. This will be the second expansion to Age of Empires III.

For the price of US$ 29.99, players can upgrade to this new version of the game and explore lands they were not able to in previous iterations. Marvel at the rich and exotic cultures as you expand your domain to the world's largest continent.

If you don't like the idea of being a Western conqueror, Asian civilizations will also be playable. Also retained is the "Wonders" feature which has become a favorite among the game's install base.

Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties will not disappoint strategy fans with its ability to retain classic elements which has made the game franchise popular while adding new tweaks and innovations that will keep the series fresh. Watch out for this one because you'll be away in an expedition for a long time once you get your hands on it.

Most people find history as one of the most boring classes they can possibly take up at school. However, Big Huge Games inserts more than just historical factoids in their real-time strategy game, Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties, they support these little tidbits with good old fashioned RTS fun.

Andrew Auseon, lead writer and one of the associate producers for the game's expansion pack, explains the importance of how the history books influenced the development of Age of Empires III. He explains the process in detail:

From the very beginning, Big Huge Games knew it faced a significant challenge in balancing the element of historical accuracy with the element of fun. After all, we were making a game and not writing a doctoral thesis. That being said, however, we wanted to be sure Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties was built on a strong, solid foundation of authentic historical data. We poked our noses everywhere to find the coolest warriors that ever marched the Asian continent.

The majority of our armies consist of units that have had volumes written about them, such as the samurai, the workhorse of our Japanese army. But occasionally we discovered a strange or exotic military unit that didn’t have the same deep historical background as others did. If we felt its inclusion in the game would improve the final product, we made an exception. We always tried to maintain that balance between accuracy and enjoyment.

He sites an example in the game where the use of Indian Flail Elephants as an unorthodoxed tactic that never really caught on in the actual history books. However, the it gives the player a unique feel of what it's like using the elephant-based military the Indian faction offers and the novelty of destroying your opponent's Town Center with a giant, mace-wielding elephant.

The game also centers on three independent short stories, focusing on each of the playable Asian civilizations. The narrative takes the player literally into the history books as they relive famous moments in Asia's bygone times.

Age of Empires III: The Asian Empires is set to be released this October 23 for the PC. Check out more updates on the game as we get them.

Even though the development studio Big Huge Games has been only around for a couple of years, this company is no pushover being founded by industry veterans Tim Train and Brian Reynolds.

It should be also remembered that it recently hired the services of the then retired Oblivion Morrowind lead designer Ken Rolston. Currently, Big Huge Games has a scheduled new RPG to be released on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC platforms some time in 2009.

We learned today that Wii owners will also be getting some love from the company. They're currently creating an exclusive title for Nintendo's white console. In addition to this, the company is also looking for a concept artist who will be working on the said exclusive Wii game.

Judging from the job listing posted at Gamasutra, it seems that Wii owners are really in for a treat:

We're looking for an experienced, exceptionally knowledgeable, talented, and motivated Concept Artist to contribute to our upcoming Wii title (trust us, while it’s yet-to-be-publicly announced it’s gonna be an incredibly fun and quirky title that’ll be a concept artist’s dream).

Aside from that, no other information was given on this secret title. If you want to know more about the Concept Artist position the company needs, click on our Read link below.

Microsoft Game Studios, together with Ensemble Studios, has officially announced that their latest award winning Age of Empires title will be getting the "Asian touch" with a second expansion pack, loaded with content of the East. Entitled Age of Empires III: Asian Dynasties, the expansion pack will arrive on Windows XP and Vista by Fall of 2007 as stated by the press release.

Developed by Big Huge Games, makers of Rise of Nations and who are also teamed up with THQ for an as of yet unannounced RPG title, Asian Dynasties will be delivering authentic Asian civilizations present in other genre mimics, such as Sierra's Empire Earth series, while delivering new ways of gameplay plus additional content to Age of Empires III.

For Vista users, the game will be shipping as a Games for Windows title, so expect this content pack to reflect on your Games Explorer, with all the ease of installation and operating system compatibility. Brian Reynolds, CEO and creative director of Big Huge Games commented:

We're honored to have the opportunity to develop Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties with Ensemble Studios and confident that the innovation of both teams will deliver an exciting experience for fans of this franchise. We feel that the in-depth experience of Big Huge Games in the real-time strategy genre, combined with the solid reputation of the Age of Empires franchise, will result in something fresh and unique for gamers.

As of press time, it is unclear if the new expansion pack will affect the 2007 World Cyber Games current game line-up for the PC competitive bracket, running this October.

The eve before THQ was set to announce its newest project that will launch the company into the world of RPGs, IGN managed to have a little enlightening chat with Executive Vice-President Kelly Flock. And as if THQ's lucky stars were indeed smiling brightly upon it, the company even had Big Huge Games' President, Tim Train, to join in on the interview.

First of all, it is certainly without a doubt that this yet-unnamed RPG project from THQ and BHG has piqued the interest of the gaming community. But as THQ has been strict about keeping mum about it, we can only hope that this duo will be more forthcoming.

And relatively accommodating, they were. For one, they had no qualms discussing the extent of renowned designer, Ken Rolston's participation in the project. Ken Rolston had supposedly retired after the completion of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. And yet we see him back in action for this THQ-BHG title. Says Tim Train,

Ken is the Lead Designer and resident Mad Genius, and he sets the tone for the game and the project team across the board. It's hard to overstate how well Ken fits in to Big Huge's collaborative approach to game design. In particular, he is exceptionally skilled at world creation and at helping us solve issues that we've all found annoying in RPGs for years. I think he's most energized by the opportunity to work on a completely new IP, unfettered by the constraints of working in a world on its third or fourth incarnation.

But while they were open about talking about Rolston's participation, both Flock and Train were keeping good at keeping quiet about their game. Quips Flock, "You can expect more info from us later this year."

Okay, one last push. To which platforms will we be seeing this game? Flock replies,

From a console perspective, the horsepower behind the PS3 and Xbox 360 help us create a huge world with that sweeping scope we're aiming for. Happily, the PC has kept pace with the times, and we're excited to be developing the game for simultaneous release across all three systems.

Great, it's a multi-platformer, then. Now we'll just have to be patient and wait for THQ's official announcement about its RPG multi-platformer. We'll be sure to keep you updated as soon we get wind of it. We expect news to come around in just a few hours. So keep it locked here for more.

If you've been waiting for a new board game to hit Xbox Live Arcade, the wait may finally be winding down as the XBLA reproduction of the "Settlers of Catan" board game will be coming in May. That much is said in an update to the website for Catan, which also provides the following Achievements to hungry, hungry settlers:

• Settler of Catan: Build a settlement in any game of Catan. (10)
• Scholar of Catan: Win a Single-Player game against Moderate AI’s. (10)
• Professor of Catan: Win the Single-Player game against Hard AI’s. (20)
• Builder of Catan: End any game of Catan in possession of the Longest Road card 10 times. (20)
• Knight of Catan: End any game of Catan in possession of the Largest Army card 10 times. (20)
• Merchant of Catan: Acquire 100 resource cards in trade in any game of Catan. (20)
• Villager of Catan: Collect 25 Victory Points. (10)
• Citizen of Catan: Collect 100 Victory Points. (20)
• Elder of Catan: Collect 250 Victory Points. (20)
• Statesman of Catan: Collect 500 Victory Points in ranked match play. (20)
• Chancellor of Catan: Collect 1000 Victory Points in ranked match play. (20)
• Ambassador of Catan: Invite a friend to play Settlers of Catan. (10)