Black Rock Studio has just released a new Split/Second trailer that shows off the game’s “Power Play” mechanics, and it’s pretty damn impressive.

Power Play is skill based gameplay mechanic that allows you to activate course obstacles, create short-cuts, and even alter the entire layout of the race with giant terrain changes if you play well enough.

This is definately going to be one to look out for, when it hits in 2010.

It seems Epic Mickey might be too epic to be limited to a single game. According to creative director Warren Spector, he’s already got a couple of Epic Mickey sequel ideas bouncing around in his head.

“I don’t do anything that isn’t extensible,” Spector told 1UP. “And I will certainly feel like that I have not done my job if we can’t make other games in this world with these characters. In my head, I’ve got two more planned.”

But don’t get your hopes up yet. Just because movie franchises seem to be made on a trilogy basis, not all videogame franchises are.

“In the business world of reality, those games have not approved, and who knows if we’ll ever see them. I had three games planned for Deus Ex, and you see where that got me.”

Epic Mickey has been in the works for a while and most of us have been following it since day one, yet it’s never been officially confirmed by Disney Interactive. So put on your best act of surprise as Epic Mickey has been officially announced today through a press release by Disney.

Epic Mickey is described as an adventure-platformer wit light RPG elements. A sorcerer named Yen Sid has created an alternate world where forgotten and retired Disney characters live. Within this world (the Cartoon Wasteland) lives Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Walt Disney’s first cartoon star created in 1927, who’s made this cartoon world quite comfortable to live in. Mickey discovers Yen Sid’s map to the Cartoon Wasteland and inavdertently devastates Oswald’s world. Even when Mickey messes up it turns out epic.

“Mickey is an adventurous and rambunctious mouse,” said Warren Spector, creative director and vice president, Junction Point. “I want to bring his personality to the forefront, place him in a daunting world and connect his spirited character with video game players worldwide. Ultimately, each player decides for him- or herself what makes Mickey cool.”

It’s still Wii exclusive, so suck it, PS3 and 360 owners!

read this entry »