Timesplitters 3 for 2005

Previously published by Eidos, the TimeSplitters series blends time travel, guns, bots and more guns to great FPS effect, and we confidently expect great things from number three. With a release date set for 2005, details are understandably thin on the ground, with little more than talk of "unprecedented graphics" to chew on.

Online play has been confirmed however, and this can only be another incentive for Microsoft to patch up their relationship with EA. Currently the two giants have failed to agree terms on Xbox Live, so EA's games are conspicuously missing from Microsoft's otherwise unbeatable online offering.

Following yesterday's announcement of and PS2 online exclusivity, we're watching developments closely. What can't be disputed is that EA's first-party titles alone would massively improve Xbox Live, and their increasingly weighty third-party hand can only strengthen their negotiating position.

Watch this space...