It doesn't look like Ubisoft is planning to stop with just Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 for the Wii. The publisher has just sent out word via E3 and press release of another new game currently under development as a Wii exclusive, titled Nitrobike.

The game's reportedly going to have players riding rocket-propelled bikes using arcade-style controls, somewhat like Excite Truck. It will also carry support for both standard multiplayer and online mode.

What makes this game announcement all the more interesting is that Nitrobike is being developed by Left Field Productions - the same studio that brought Excitebike 64 to the Nintendo 64 console. As Ubisoft's publishing VP Jay Cohen remarked, "Ubisoft is thrilled to be introducing the first Motocross game available for Wii. Nitrobike’s fun and fast-paced gameplay is sure to be a hit for Wii owners for the holiday season."

Expect this new motocross title to hit store this holiday season. That's all the info we've got available for now - stick around in case we pick up more Nitrobike goodies in the near future.

PC World reports that the head of science and technology research at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that there's a "crisis in this country" and that some students are part of the "PlayStation generation". Jay Cohen (not to be confused with Ubisoft's publishing VP), said that he is worried that the U.S. isn't producing the talent needed to further national security research.

The "PlayStation generation" he is referring to are some students who want immediate gratification and those who avoid math and science subjects because they're "too hard". And that's where the crisis part enters the picture. Cohen said this at a conference last Friday held by the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association. Tech firms that develop systems used in homeland security attended the event.

Well, we don't know if Mr. Cohen plays video games, but nobody would dare say that homebrew developers are shying away from challenges and projects because they are "too hard". But then again, we all have different perspectives of issues. With that, tell us what you think through the comments section below.

With the sort of success Ubisoft is churning out as of late, today's topic brings us one of their more prospective business plans. In a recent interview, Ubisoft publishing VP Jay Cohen states that one of the strongest points Ubisoft attributes to its success is its new Intellectual Properties (IPs).

According to Cohen, Ubisoft expects to make three IP titles every three years, noting Ubisoft's original IPs like Rayman, Red Steel, and Assassin's Creed. "If we can keep doing that, they're sustainable, and they're ours. We can take them with us no matter where we go."

In light of this strategy, Cohen further detailed that companies that used licensed IPs often ended up facing complications when the licenses expired. "For example, look at SEGA 2K Sports. They had the NFL license, and now they don't. Boy, they're kind of screwed... That's a big hole in somebody's business plan. All because the license ran out or the licensor took it back."

Import Tuner Challenge may not sound all that exciting as a game's title, but wasabi also looks so darn harmless on a plate. The game goes beyond just picking a car and racing through Tokyo's underground racing scene. Players can modify and race licensed import sports cars using real tuner parts and tuning techniques. More than five million combinations are possible in tailoring a car’s interior, exterior and engine. Tuning your car right is extremely important since you're going to go up against the fastest street-racing teams imaginable.

The five million customizations are made possible by selecting from a vast warehouse of specialized parts to customize a car’s interior, exterior and engine. Players can fine tune the parts of their cars to suit a specific race against 400 unique opponents, each with varying degrees of strengths and weaknesses around real Tokyo highways and regions. You can test your masterpiece versus other players through Xbox Live's online gaming service.

“Import Tuner Challenge brings unprecedented car customisation and speed to the racing genre,” said Jay Cohen, vice president of publishing at Ubisoft. “The game offers more tuning possibilities than any other street-racing game to date on Xbox 360 and will submerge players into Tokyo’s thrilling underground.”

Import Tuner Challenge is being developed by Genki of Japan and is scheduled to ship in Europe in Autumn 2006.

Download: [Import Tuner Challenge Introduction]
Download: [Import Tuner Challenge Customization]
Download: [Import Tuner Challenge Xbox Live]
Download: [Import Tuner Challenge Racing]