MMOs are steadily breaking out of their PC confines and into this console generation thanks to the massive support for online play. Speaking at the "MMOs to consoles" panel at the GDC in Austin, Turbine VP of product development Craig Alexander makes a comparison between the two powerhouses of the seventh generation. His thoughts - it's easier to develop MMOs for the Xbox 360 than the PS3.

It looks like Blizzard is stirring the pot again for some juicy developments behind the scenes. As some of us probably know, they're currently working on a couple games right now (StarCraft II, Diablo III, etc.). If these two new job postings are any indication though, they're now planning to jumpstart development on an entirely new - and unannounced! - game. With details scarce at the moment, it could be anything right now: a new IP, a new MMO, or maybe a console RTS?

It was September of last year when Cevat Yerli, Crytek CEO, announced that they were in fact already preparing for the next cycle of consoles. This announcement was coupled with his prediction that the next consoles race will by on by 2011 or 2012. What was interesting at that time was that he said that they are gearing up for the PS4 with their CryEngine 3. At the GDC 09 today, jaws dropped as Crytek presented the demo for CryEngine 3. Watch the vid after the jump to see what the fuss is all about:

This is a category that's especially close to my heart, kudos to those who dared to risk all, who colored outside the lines and put the extra thinkin' effort into giving us something fresh.

Once again, a lot of our editors agreed on one very special title... Unreal Tournament III... just kidding!

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.

As we all know, events such as the Game Developers Conference are vital to improving the state of the video game in general. With that in mind, you may want to take a peek at the speakers featured by the Parisian GDC organizers. The event is scheduled to take place this June. More details after the jump!

People have this need to belong; no one wants to feel left out. How would you feel if you weren't allowed to attend a big gaming event because you're not a member of the press? Unfortunately, that may just be the case next year with the GDC, DICE and E3. More "exclusive" news after the jump.

Gamers have long clamored for a sequel to RealTime Worlds' Crackdown, but the gaming development studio has something possibly even better in store for their fans. In the recent GDC 2008 event, RealTime Worlds' Dave Jones showed off APB, an MMO that doesn't involve grinding, just a lot of style and cop-and-robber shooting. Read more about it in the full article.

Images courtesy of MTV Multiplayer.

If you think that Lego Universe is only about playing with virtual Lego blocks, think again. According to Mark Hansen, Lego director of business development, Lego is also planning to let Lego Universe players order a real-life version of their online creations and have them shipped to their doorstep. Unbelievable? Not so. Check out the full article for more details.

It's one thing to type out your commands to your allies in the middle of a heated battle; it's another thing to actually bark out orders they can hear. Get ready for a slew of new communication devices designed to revolutionize the system of voice chatting, courtesy of Sony Online Entertainment and Vivox. More auditory stimuli ensues after the jump.