Lots of surprises are being popped in this year's DICE, and Microsoft's Shane Kim is no exception to the activity. In this update, we get the skinny on a LOT of upcoming titles from the man himself, as well as the reason for a certain MMO's cancellation. Check it out in the full article.

Aside from the rumored Animal Crossing Wii MMO, the latest issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) hinted that there's a possibility Bungie Studios is working on a Halo MMO for the Xbox 360. According to the gaming magazine's Rumor Mill section:

Microsoft may start a war--word is they're making a massively multiplayer online first-person shooter for 360. Hmm, wonder what Bungie is up to?

While not explicitly stated, it's entirely possible that this rumored Bungie MMO is actually Peter Jackson's secret Halo project, the details of which - including genre -  have not yet been revealed. Also, it should be noted that Shane Kim, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios, said earlier this month that both Bungie and Microsoft are investing in a new "interactive" series set in Halo.

As always, this is just a rumor so don't get your hopes up too much. Do check this space often for more updates!

We don't know if we'd tag this as either news, rumor, or something to be taken as a dose of game developer humor, but you can bet on us to report about it in any case. Make of it what you will, it depends on you how much weight you'd want to put into this recent turn of events.

During the panel discussion on "The Evolution of RPG Development" at the GDC, Hironobu Sakaguchi was asked about the importance of MMO games. Well, Sakaguchi did help with the creation of Final Fantasy XI after all, so it's not all together surprising that he was asked about MMOs.

He responded by saying as much and that he'd want to speak with Microsoft's Corporate VP Shane Kim about making a new MMO for the Xbox 360. Lo and behold, Shane Kim was actually in the same room at that time. And so, Sakaguchi was forced to directly ask Kim on the spot.

Sakaguchi asks: "Please Shane, I want to make one."
Kim jokingly responds: "Yes."
And if that weren't enough, Fable 2's very own Peter Molyneux wanted to get into the whole mix by adding: "Can I do one as well, Shane?"

We're not sure if they were all serious on that but when you think about it, it does pose an interesting buzz that's just nagging at our brains right now. If anything, at least we've got confirmation of their interest in making a new MMO for the 360.