Screenshots from Banjo Kazooie 3 and Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise have been leaked, ahead of their official debut at the Spring Showcase tomorrow. Though most of the Banjo shots focus on vehicles, Rare is quick to point out that the game isn't a kart racer. "You can't really tell the gameplay mechanics from a screenshot, and it's the gameplay mechanics which are going to blow people away tomorrow."

Industry and multi-console news

• In reference to EA's possible buyout of Take Two, Rockstar's Sam Houser says he has no problem with becoming a "much smaller fish in much bigger pond."
• EA has announced Skate 2 for the 360 and PS3.
• Marvelous Entertainment will be bringing a number of titles to the US through a publishing agreement with XSEED Games, the first of which being Valhalla Knights 2 for PSP.
• Tory MP David Ruffley says there is a failure to crack down on the sale of violent videogames to children.
• Blizzard has announced Blizzcon 2008, set for October 10 and 11.
• GameTrailers has gotten itself in a bit of trouble by doing another one of their pointless comparison videos between the PS3 and 360 versions of a game (in this case, GRID), except they used PS3 footage for both sides. And somehow the "PS3" side was made to look worse.
• A modified version of the game Full Spectrum Warrior is being used to help Iraq War veterans deal with post-traumatic stress disorder.
• The Medal of Homer trailer for the Simpsons Game won in the best video game trailer category at this year's Golden Trailer Awards.
• An 11 year old Kentucky boy sold his bicycle and video game collection to fund Hilary Clinton's campaign. Preview of next week: His social studies class gets to the chapter on the electoral delegate system and he screams AW SHIT

PC and mobile news

New content: GRID demo

• PMOG is a passive multiplayer online game one plays while surfing the Internet, via a Firefox browser extension.
• OGPlanet has announced the first Invitational Tournament for Albatross18.
• Bit-Tech has more on the mini-controversy between ATI, Ubisoft and Nvidia over Assassin's Creed and DirectX 10.1 support.
• Amazon has Star Wars: The Best of PC for $27.99. The box contains Empire at War, Knights of the Old Republic, Battlefront, Jedi Knight II and Republic Commando.

Nintendo news

• This week's Virtual Console title is the blackest game for the most brutal of all game players... NOOOOOTTTHIIIINNNNGGGG
• But the Nintendo Channel DS demos have changed, at least. However, that does mean they removed most of the old ones.
• Wired has an interview with Shigeru Miyamoto, in which he says America "has always been better at creating unique products."
• Next Generation talks to WiiWare developers about their experiences with the service.
• Activision has announced Pitfall: The Big Adventure for the Wii.
• Epicenter Studios has announced Real Heroes: Firefighters for the Wii.
• Gamasutra has an interview with the developers of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King.
• There's a DS game to teach you just about anything in Japan, including suggestions on how to play with a child. The example seen in the screenshot from the article is to dress up like a ghost and chase the kid around.
• You can also be trained to run a convenience store. This is actually a new installment in a series of simulation games in Japan, but they tacked on the word Training because everybody's doing it.
• A German Sega website is claiming that Skies of Arcadia 2 is coming to the Wii.
• Amazon has Viewtiful Joe 2 for $5.84.

Sony news

• Downloadable content for Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds is coming later this week.
• Metal Gear Solid 4 has gotten its first review: a 10/10 from the UK's Official Playstation Magazine.
• Kaz Hirai believes "there was some confusion as to what PS3 was initially -- some of the third parties didn’t understand and they wanted to scale back a little and see how things went before they really put in their resources."
• Amazon's deal of the day is Sega Rally Revo for $29.99.

Microsoft news

New content: Burnout Paradise revised Bogart patch

• This week's Live Arcade title will be Assault Heroes 2.
• After being revealed in the database of the German ratings board, Microsoft has confirmed that Ticket to Ride is coming to Live Arcade.
• Alongside the screenshot leaks mentioned above, in Microsoft's materials for tomorrow's event there's also mention of items called Lips and Ninja Blade, but no one knows what they are.
• Major Nelson says that GTA4 has a 40% attach rate with new 360s.
• Amazon's deal of the day is Sega Rally Revo for $29.99.