Source: See below.

What we heard: Though not as big a hit as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire was one of BioWare's premiere role-playing games of the last generation. Released in 2005 on the original Xbox and then in 2007 for the PC, the martial-arts-heavy, Eastern-themed title established a sizeable following on the back of solid reviews.

So strong was Jade Empire's reception that in November 2005, BioWare cofounder and then-joint-CEO Ray Muzkya revealed that his company was working on a sequel. "BioWare definitely plans to continue the Jade Empire franchise," he declared. "The Jade team did a great job with the first game in that series; we have great teams working on all of our games here. We've also said in the past that we're working on not just one, but two Xbox 360 titles. Enough said."

Jade Empire 2 was apparently in the works.

In October 2009, though, BioWare was more circumspect on the project, with Dragon Age lead designer Mike Laidlaw casting doubt on whether a follow-up was in active development. "We will certainly announce it if it's going to be coming out," he said. "At this point, Jade Empire is a staff favorite, and a lot of us love it, so we'd love to revisit it at some point. But right now, we are very focused on Dragon Age and Mass Effect 2."

This week comes with an indicator that Jade Empire 2 was indeed in active development--and that it will likely never see the light of day. On his LinkedIn profile, a former senior designer lists "Jade Empire 2 (360/PS3/PC)" amongst the unreleased projects he has worked on. In this case, "unreleased" appears to mean canceled, since other projects he lists in that category include the confirmed-dead Gun 2 and True Crime 3, which he worked on while at Activision.

The official story: "It's EA's policy not to comment on rumors or speculation."--EA BioWare rep.

Bogus or not bogus?: Looking not bogus. Jade Empire certainly had potential--enough potential for BioWare sign a one-time deal with 2K Games just to get the title on the PC. (The original was published by Microsoft Game Studios.) However, following BioWare's purchase by Electronic Arts in 2007, it appears that the sequel didn't make the cut when compared to the Canadian studio's other hot properties.

Source: Technology blog Engadget.

What we heard: The Nintendo Wii burst onto the gaming scene in November 2006 at the going rate of $250. Nintendo's white knight sold millions at that MSRP for over two years before the Japanese game company cut its price to $199 at the end of 2009. Now, as industry analyst Michael Pachter said in May, it appears the Wii's price will drop to $150.

Is Nintendo readying yet another Wii price cut?

The news stems from tech blog Engadget, which cites a "trusted source," who tells the site Nintendo is prepared to drop the price of the Nintendo Wii to $150 on May 15. Further, according to the report, the $150 price tag would also include a copy of the portly plumber's well-received racing game Mario Kart Wii.

The official story: A company rep told GameSpot, "Nintendo does not comment on rumors or speculation."

Bogus or not bogus?: With the Wii having been regularly outsold by the Xbox 360 over the past few months, the time seems right for Nintendo to cut the price of the system. As for the purported May 15 date when the price change is to go into effect, a more likely time for the announcement to be made would seem to be the 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo, which is slated for June 7-9.

Source: Enthusiast game blog Joystiq.

What we heard: The Online Pass initiative first gained steam last year, when Electronic Arts announced that the online modes for its sports titles would be free for those who purchased the game new but require a buy-in for secondhand users. THQ quickly adopted a similar strategy for many of its games--most recently the platinum-selling Homefront--and it appears as if Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is next.

Who wouldn't willing pay to spit acid into their opponent's face?

Joystiq reports this week that it has obtained a memo from WBIE to retailers detailing an Online Pass initiative for the upcoming NetherRealm-developed fighter Mortal Kombat. According to the memo, Mortal Kombat will ship with a one-time use code that grants access to its online modes. However, those who pick up the game secondhand must pay $10 (800 Microsoft points) to play online.

"Mortal Kombat, available on April 19 for the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, includes a one-time-use registration code that gives players access to all online modes in the game," the note reportedly reads. "Players who do not have a code will get a free two-day trial of the online play and then be able to purchase the online modes for 800 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live Marketplace and $9.99 on the PlayStation Network."

The official story: Warner Bros.' PR agency had not responded to a request for comment as of press time.

Bogus or not bogus: Looking not bogus. Publishers have been keen on monetizing used-game sales and rentals, and EA's Online Pass method doesn't appear to have negatively impacted sales. Its wider adoption appears to be inevitable.

Source: A voice-over casting call on the Actors Pages website (spotted by the blog Revolt-tech).

What we heard: Earlier this month, a casting call surfaced for an "interactive project" called "Rush," which many suspect is a cover name for Grand Theft Auto V. The main reason for suspicion was the over-the-top nature of the characters and an association to Rockstar's go-to casting studio Telsey & Company. The casting clues also appeared to indicate the series would return to the West Coast, site of the popular--and famously controversial--Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Now, another casting call has emerged with a more concrete link to the GTA universe in the form of a character from San Andreas. Though the Actors Pages, which went up earlier today, has the production company and casting agency listed as private, it does list one of the roles being cast as one James Pedeaston.

James Pedeaston.

Though not a major character in San Andreas, Pedeaston did make a humorous impact as the host of the Wild Traveler show on the WCTR radio station. On the program, he waxed poetic about his too-close-for-comfort relationship with a young boy in Sri Lanka, with his tales of exotic exploits offending listeners so much that they would call in to protest.

Pedeaston also made an appearance in Grand Theft Auto IV, albeit in a far reduced form. The game's Internet cafes allowed players to access the site freejames.org, which was set up following the character's 2003 arrest and subsequent conviction in Bali, Indonesia, on suspicion of child molestation. That latter detail is important, since the casting call describes Pedeaston as "a man-boy love activist who just got released from an Indonesian prison."

Given the solid link between the GTA series and the casting call, it is likely the other characters listed could make an appearance in an upcoming GTA game. These include: Matthew, "a liberal young male who believes in a conspiracy made by Republicans to undermine America"; Jose, "a white creepy man who thinks that technology is a poison against the wilderness"; and Anthony, "a young, fast-talking boy fighting for the right of young boys to drink alcohol and have sex." Another character, Samantha, further cements the West Coast connection, since she is "a young female obsessed with sex parties, always dreaming of being a Hollywood celebrity." (Emphasis added.)

The official story: "We don't comment on rumors or speculation."--Rockstar Games rep.

Bogus or not bogus?: Not bogus.

Source: Gaming blog The Noble Eskimo.

What we heard: It's been nearly three years since Grand Theft Auto IV became an international sensation, and with Rockstar offering not even the slightest hint on what the next installment entails, anticipation is rapidly reaching a fever pitch. It comes as no surprise, then, that the rumor mill has begun churning, beginning earlier this month with word that the game may be set in Los Angeles.

In all fairness, Gilbert Gottfried probably wouldn't be a bad choice for a GTA game.

Yesterday, a doozie of a detail appeared to emerge, when low-profile gaming blog The Noble Eskimo reported that Gilbert Gottfried (Aladdin, Problem Child) had been cast to lend his notoriously grating voice to the lead role for Grand Theft Auto V. The source of the information, according to the site, was Gottfried himself, who purportedly updated his Twitter feed with the news.

"Just found out I'm voicing the lead in grand theft auto 5! also I hate japan lol," the tweet reportedly read. The Noble Eskimo claimed to have spotted the tweet before it was deleted.

The information appeared to have an air of truth to it. If there's a common link between Rockstar Games and Gottfried, it's a shared irreverent streak. Gottfried himself is coming off a round of negative press, after comments he made on his Twitter feed resulted in him losing his job as the voice of insurance-company Aflec's iconic duck.

Further, Gottfried has a background doing voice work for games. Most notably, he voiced Iago (of Aladdin fame) in Square Enix and Disney's crossover role-playing franchise Kingdom Hearts.

The official story: The problem here, of course, is that the entire thing was a joke. "I didn't realize this story would make such a splash," The Noble Eskimo told GameSpot. "Everything I write is fake and for kicks, including the Gottfried article."

Bogus or not bogus?: Bogus.

Source: A Kotaku story citing a survey conducted on behalf of Ubisoft.

What we heard: According to the report, Ubisoft commissioned online research firm Toluna to survey US adults about Sony's upcoming NGP handheld. Specifically, the survey asked about price points, stating that the 3G-enabled version of the system would sell for around $350, with a 3G-less counterpart on sale for $250. After presenting those numbers to respondents, the survey asked, "How likely would you be to purchase the Sony NGP now that you know this retail price?"

Don't expect NGP to come with 3G for free.

The first noteworthy point about the survey is that it suggests US gamers will be getting two different models of the NGP. Previously, it had been confirmed that Europe would get versions of the handheld with and without 3G, while all Japanese NGP systems would feature the mobile network capability.

While the $350 figure is in the ballpark previously proposed by one analyst, the idea of a $250 model of the NGP is a bit lower than expected and would put the system's cost on equal footing with that of its primary competitor, Nintendo's 3DS. That would also put the NGP's price in line with that of the original PSP, which debuted in March of 2005 in a $250 "Value Pack" with a memory stick, soft case, and UMD copy of the film Spider-Man 2.

However, the supposed $100 difference in price for the two is interesting for a few reasons, especially since Sony hasn't communicated exactly how core 3G will be to the NGP experience. Apple's recently launched iPad 2 also comes in models with and without 3G support, but the difference in cost between those is $130, and users are able to subscribe to data plans on a month-by-month basis with no contracts. In the NGP's case, it's unclear what sort of data plans would be allowed or required.

On the surface, it seems like a $100 surcharge for 3G might be unreasonable, but the Kotaku report (and presumably, the survey in question) makes no mention as to what else would come with that configuration of the system. If, like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the NGP launched with a premium version of the system, including a number of additional accessories, more storage space, or even pack-in games, the $350 package could still be attractive to consumers despite a budget alternative.

The official story: "That's purely speculative."--A Sony representative.

A North American Ubisoft representative was unable to confirm the authenticity of the survey as of press time and said the publisher would be unable to comment on the NGP price anyway.

Bogus or not bogus?: Bogus that anything is set in stone. It would be great if Sony could hit those price points, but a final determination on price and hardware configurations is likely yet to be made.

[CORRECTION]: This article originally reported the price difference between 3G-enabled iPads and standard models as $30. We regret the error.

Source: The Twitter feed of expert Internet sleuth Superannuation.

What we heard: Up until recently, the Grand Theft Auto franchise was publisher Take-Two Interactive's main moneymaker. Since then, Take-Two has begun to expand its top-flight portfolio with the likes of Red Dead Redemption and BioShock 2. However, the franchise that continues to command the most attention remains GTA.

Nearly three years removed from the top-rated release of GTAIV, and it's possible that the first tidbits of GTAV info have been puzzled out by Superannuation. The posts began in late February, when the Internet sleuth discovered an actor's resume with a since-deleted reference to motion-capture work on Grand Theft Auto V. This motion-capture find, he said, led him to further investigation into motion-capture casting calls for Rockstar's go-to casting studio Telsey & Company.

GTA may be returning to Los Santos.

"Among the projects listed in the casting call was an 'interactive project' called 'Rush,' which featured characters that fit with the few details I heard about GTA5; outlandish characters, weed, gangsters, & celebrities fit the profile for a contemporary LA-set GTA game," Superannuation tweeted.

The casting call in question, which commenced on December 6, sought actors to do motion capture and voice work for eight "additional principal characters" on the interactive project. The personalities have a decidedly Rockstar feel, with stock characters such as the "annoying, wise cracking, highly successful FBI agent" mixed with absurd personalities such as the "Welsh monk / cult leader / yoga teacher - 50, very lithe, very into exploring your personal tension through gripping massage."

Other characters referenced in the listing include a "weed evangelist"; a "swinger, mellow Californian divorcee" who is "ugly but comfortable with self"; and a "publicist for an actress known as America's newest sweetheart…who just so happens to love animals, orphans, drugs and sex."

Superannuation also secured a direct link between "Rush" and Rockstar Games, again courtesy of a self-promotional actor. On September 9, professional wrestler and aspiring actor Robert Esparza tweeted, "Got body scanned for my role in the video game 'Rush', coming out on Rockstar Games."

Should Rockstar choose to set GTAV on the West Coast, it wouldn't be a first for the franchise. The highly regarded GTA: San Andreas featured Los Angeles and San Francisco-inspired cities, complete with their surrounding boroughs. Of course, it wouldn't be the first time that Rockstar has returned to a locale, as GTAIV and GTAIII both took place on the mean streets of Liberty City, which bears more than a passing resemblance to New York.

The official word: Rockstar had not responded to a request for comment as of press time.

Bogus or Not Bogus?: A very tentative not bogus. What seems clear, at least, is that Rockstar is prepping some project under the name "Rush" and that the project will have an eclectic cast of characters that mesh with the GTA universe. Unfortunately, Take-Two has not even announced GTAV yet, so it may be some time before the industry gets an official look at the title.

Source: Gaming blog Kotaku's Australian arm.

What we heard: At last year's Game Developers Conference, Bungie's writer/design director Joseph Staten offered a teasing bit of intel on the studio's first post-Halo title.

"I think it's a shame that we spent so much time working on this world called Halo and then we only let people spend six or eight or 10 hours in it," Staten said. "Wouldn't it be great if we could make a world that was always there for you, with lots of stories to tell, like a big, infinite storytelling horizon? Man, that would be great."

Is Bungie entering the MMO space with Destiny?

Now, a source speaking with Kotaku Australia says Bungie is currently crafting a massively multiplayer online first-person shooter titled Destiny. The source is reportedly one of about 30 contractors recently reportedly let go without justification from the project.

According to the source, Destiny--which is codenamed Tiger in development--will run on an entirely new game engine and will sport "unique online connectivity and matchmaking technology." The source said Bungie's MMOG will be "WoW in space."

Currently, all that is officially known is that Bungie is creating an all-new multiplatform universe as part of its 10-year publishing deal with megapublisher Activision.

The official word: As of press time, Activision has not responded to GameSpot's request for comment or clarification on the matter. However, Bungie did address the termination aspect of the source's story by bluntly refuting it.

"Bungie has never been asked to lay off any employees or contract employees by our publisher, Activision Blizzard, for any reason," reads the statement. "The talented professionals who grace our offices day in and day out are the lifeblood of Bungie--our most cherished commodity--and the unsubstantiated rumors posted today are in direct opposition to the culture and values that we believe make Bungie an exceptional place to work and to call home."

Bogus or not bogus?: Bungie's statement at the GDC certainly contains language emblematic of the massively multiplayer online genre. Moreover, Bungie is an established first-person shooter developer, so if the studio were to create an MMOG, a first-person shooter style would seem a likely fit.

Source: A report on UK gaming site MCV says rumors are circulating that Activision is looking to acquire Take-Two Interactive.

Activision may be taking aim at a Take-Two acquisition.

What we heard: The MCV article cites "a senior executive" as saying that rumors are floating around other bigwigs in the game industry that Activision is considering making a play for Take-Two. GameSpot's own sources added to that, saying there had been some talks between the companies.

An Activision-Take-Two union would indeed be industry-shaking, but not entirely unprecedented. After all, Activision in 2007 merged with Vivendi Games in an $18.9 billion deal, bringing genre-dominating franchises like World of Warcraft and Call of Duty under the same roof and relegating Electronic Arts to the position of the industry's second-biggest third-party publisher.

However, beyond Call of Duty and Blizzard's offerings, Activision's lineup has been shrinking of late. This week the publisher disbanded its Guitar Hero division, signaling an end to the mainstream phenomenon's six-year run. It also confirmed that the annualized Tony Hawk franchise would be taking 2011 off at least, and scrapped the open-world crime game True Crime: Hong Kong.

A Take-Two acquisition would help fill some of those holes in the lineup, most notably with Rockstar Games' own open-world crime series, Grand Theft Auto. Take-Two also boasts Rockstar's latest hit, Red Dead Redemption, as well as popular franchises like BioShock, Civilization, XCOM, Max Payne, and Borderlands. Another potentially attractive aspect of an acquisition would be 2K Sports, which recently scored a hit with the Michael Jordan-fronted NBA 2K11, and also includes the Top Spin, MLB 2K, and NHL 2K franchises.

If Activision were to purchase Take-Two, not only would it give the publisher a competitive foothold in the sports market against EA, but it would also one-up its largest rival at the same time. In February of 2008, EA attempted to purchase Take-Two for roughly $2 billion. When Take-Two executives declined the offer, EA made its intentions public and tried to buy the company directly from Take-Two shareholders. The companies jousted for months, with EA eventually withdrawing its offers and walking away in September of that year.

However, simply having talks is a long way from a done deal. After all, EA and Take-Two had talks that fell through, even though the Madden publisher's $2 billion offer included a steep premium above and beyond the Take-Two stock price. It's hard to see Take-Two saying yes to a lower offer now that Red Dead Redemption has panned out as a franchise-worthy blockbuster possibly along the lines of Grand Theft Auto. It's also hard to see the famously frugal Activision matching EA's previous number when the economic recovery is only now accelerating and Take-Two's stock is even lower now than it was before EA's initial advances. (Take-Two shares hit a low of $15.83 in February 2008, but haven't topped $15.51 this month.)

There's also the matter of corporate culture clash. When Activision brought Blizzard into the fold, it was willing to let the company operate almost autonomously because of its proven track record of smash hits. On the other hand, Take-Two habitually delays its high-profile games (Max Payne 3, L.A. Noire, Duke Nukem Forever, Mafia II, Red Dead Redemption, BioShock 2, Midnight Club: Los Angeles, Borderlands, and Grand Theft Auto IV, to name a few), and the wait doesn't always pay off in a monster hit.

Activision's approach to publishing is based more on surefire blockbuster hits like the Call of Duty series and on licensed titles with reliable audiences that can turn at least a modest profit, like Spider-Man, James Bond, Bakugan, and the Cabela's hunting games. While Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption might buy Rockstar Games a measure of independence from Activision's standard operating procedure, it's not at all clear how the rest of the Take-Two operation would be folded into Activision, or what level of autonomy they would be granted.

The official story: "We don't comment on rumors and speculation."--A Take-Two representative. Activision representatives had not returned requests for comment as of press time.

Bogus or not bogus: Not bogus that Activision and Take-Two are talking about an acquisition. But there are a lot of logistical issues that would need to be agreed upon before anything is finalized, not the least of which is a price.