Rockstar Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, has announced that Beaterator will be coming to iPhone and iPod touch this fall.

Developed by Rockstar Leeds, Beaterator is a portable music-making application that allows people of all musical backgrounds and ability to create beats and songs. The game is being developed by Rockstar Leeds, which developed Grand Theft Auto titles on portable consoles. The game is co-produced by music producer Timbaland.

Previously announced for the PlayStation Portable system, Beaterator features loops and sounds made by both Timbaland and Rockstar.

Artificial Life has announced an exclusive global agreement with BMW to produce a BMW Sauber F1 Team racing car title for the iPhone and iPod touch.

This is the second collaboration between BMW and Artificial Life and follows the first iPhone title, ‘BMW Z4 – An Expression of Joy’.

The upcoming title will feature the new BMW Sauber F1.09 race car in 3D graphics and animations.

In the game, players take on the role of a BMW Sauber F1 Team driver to form a team with avatars of the famous professional drivers Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld racing against other virtual teams.

Races will take place on a variety of locations modeled after real race tracks around the world.

The game is tentatively scheduled for release in July 2009 pending approval.

Shanda, an interactive entertainment media company in China, has established a strategic cooperation with Shanghai Storm, a game developer and operator based in China, regarding Yuyan Online, which is Shanghai Storm’s in-house developed 2.5D MMORPG.

Pursuant to the strategic cooperation, Shanda Games will operate Yuyan Online, which Shanghai Storm will also continue to operate.

In addition, Shanda Online will open its unified platform to support the operation of the game.

Gameloft, a publisher and developer of digitally distributed video games, has announced a line-up of 20 games for Android-powered devices such as the T-mobile G1.

Via Android Market, an open marketplace, Gameloft seeks to deliver a new wave of ‘mega-games’ with improved graphics and gameplay capabilities. The offerings range from Derek Jeter Pro Baseball 2009 to Oregon Trail and CSI:Miami.

Through agreements with telephone wireless carriers, handset manufacturers, specialised distributors and its online shop, Gameloft boasts of a distribution network in over 80 countries.

Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) has officially announced the expansion of PlayStation business into Latin America, making its computer entertainment systems and services formally available to the region.

The Latin America expansion will specifically introduce the PS3 system, PSP (PlayStation Portable) system and PlayStation 2 system to 13 different countries in the region.

Through a distribution partnership with Sony Latin America, PlayStation services will now be available in select countries throughout the Latin America region. This includes access to PlayStation Network, a free entertainment network service that delivers original content, future-proofing system software updates, and online services that foster community among its worldwide audience.

In the coming weeks, the company plans to launch a localised website providing current PlayStation news and information relevant to users in select countries in Latin America.

Midway Games, an interactive entertainment publisher and developer, has entered into a strategic relationship with Ubisoft to publish Wheelman, an open-world driving game starring action-filmstar Vin Diesel as an expert driver for hire.

Ubisoft will handle sales, marketing, and distribution of the title in North America, South America, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Austria, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Midway will continue to direct the development of the title and has retained all future rights to the franchise and will sell the title in all other European territories.

Wheelman is scheduled for a 24 March 2009 ship date in North America and a 27 March street date in Europe for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the Playstation3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC.

Mobility player Nokia and Fishlabs Entertainment, a developer and publisher of 3D mobile games, have announced an agreement to bring games to the N-Gage service.

Titles scheduled for release in 2009 include, Powerboat Challenge, Rally Master Pro, and Snowboard Hero followed by Galaxy on Fire and Blades & Magic in early 2010.

The companies believe that all titles will be improved in terms of graphics, sound quality and additional features. With the multimedia capabilities of N-Gage compatible mobile phones, Fishlabs now hope to offer a better gaming experience.

Glu Mobile, a publisher of mobile games, will launch a game based on the movie, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which will be released in theatres on 26 June, from DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures, in association with Hasbro.

The game represents the next title from the mobile gaming franchise that Glu has launched in conjunction with Hasbro.

The companies worked together on the global launch of the Transformers mobile game, based on the 2007 movie, followed by the 2008 global launch of Transformers: G1 Awakening mobile game, a mobile-specific game based on the original Transformers cartoon.

The new game will launch worldwide in conjunction with the movie premiere from Paramount.

Rubik’s Cube has gone ‘touch’ with the introduction of Rubik’s TouchCube, an electronic solvable Cube.

Rubik’s TouchCube utilises the latest in touch and motion technologies and will make its debut in New York City next week at the American International Toy Fair, 15-18 February.

The cube features touch sensor technology on all six sides, a motion-detecting accelerometer, and coloured lights in every square.

It mimics the movements of the original 3×3 Cube—swipe a finger across three squares and the lights will follow, ‘turning’ a side of the Cube; make an ‘L’ shape to turn the top face of the Cube a quarter turn.

The cube’s motion-detecting accelerometer only recognises moves made on the top side of the cube, so that a player’s fingers will not move the lights on other sides when holding it

Xfire, an online gaming platform, has announced that its latest release includes an in-game web browser.

Gamers who already use Xfire to chat with friends, take screenshots and capture game-play video no longer have to alt-tab away from their game.

‘Scroll Lock + W’ or a search from the main Xfire window launches the new web browser in-game.

This is expected to now make checking game FAQs, strategy guides and maps easier. Listening to Pandora or viewing YouTube videos linked by friends without pausing the game is also possible, thanks to Flash support and tight integration with Xfire Chat.