Fans of Sony’s “MLB: The Show” franchise got a nice Christmas/New Year’s present when ESPN recently unveiled the early list of features in “The Show 09.”

Among the highlights are a revamped franchise mode featuring salary arbitration, September call-ups and 40-man rosters (yeah!), a more in-depth Road to the Show, team mascots, a ton of new gameplay and presentation animations, and the ability to record your own taunts and cheers.

Seriously, this is currently my most-wanted game of 2009. “MLB 08: The Show” was the best sports game of last year and it looks like Sony is prepared to up the ante this time around. Is it March 3 yet?

According to numerous internet reports (which are always 100 percent reliable), British development house Free Radical, the folks behind the venerable “TimeSplitters” franchise, has closed up shop.

Free Radical’s most-recent release, the PlayStation 3 shooter “Haze,” was generally panned by critics and consumers, alike. The independent developer had previously announced “TimeSplitters 4,” but now the future of that title is up in the air.

Somebody cue Steven Tyler and the boys — I’m back in the saddle again.
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If you’re a regular visitor to this little corner of the Interwebs, you’ve probably noticed a lack of updates lately. Well, I’m here to say it’s not my fault. I’ve been buried under an avalanche of new games that, for some reason, have all been released during the last month-and-a-half.

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Given the success of Nintendo’s “Wii Fit,” it’s no surprise that other companies have begun looking at ways to capitalize on the fitness craze.

The latest to toss its spandex into the ring is Electronic Arts, which today announced “EA Sports Active.” While “Wii Fit” focused primarily on balance and stretching, “Active” is geared more toward strength building and cardio exercises.

“EA Sports Active” is on track for a 2009 release and will retail for $59.99, $30 less than “Wii Fit.” For more on the game, check out this interview with EA Sports chief Peter Moore at Gamespot.

One of the year’s most anticipated Xbox 360 exclusives, “Gears of War 2,” is now available and selling like hotcakes — the game has already sold more than 2 million copies since its Nov. 7 release. To see what all the fuss is about, head over to the Video Games section of wvgazette.com to read a full review.

I’ve posted my review of EA’s “Dead Space” at the Video Games section of wvgazette.com. I was absolutely blown away by how good this game is and it’s easily the most terrifying game I’ve played since “Doom 3.” If you’re a fan of survival-horror games, or just looking for a good scare, definitely check this one out.

Hey guys, jump over to the rechristened Video Games section at wvgazette.com to check out my review of “Fable II.” As someone who didn’t really care for the original “Fable,” I was totally blown away by “Fable II.” It’s too early to declare “Fable II” the game of the year (I’m just getting started on “Fallout 3″) but it’s certainly worthy of consideration.

| You may have heard that The Beatles are finally set to make their video game debut. But Harmonix and MTV Games are keeping a tight lid on just what, exactly, a Beatles game would include. It’s not going to be a standalone “Rock Band” release like the “AC/DC Track Pack,” but I can’t imagine gamers would be jumping at the chance to drop another $170-plus on new instruments (there has been talk of a keyboard peripheral) just to play “Hey Jude,” “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” or whatever other classic Beatles tunes are included.

| It looks like the economic woes plaguing our country are finally beginning to hit the video game industry. Despite another solid sales quarter, mega-publisher Electronic Arts plans to lay off six percent of its work force.

Dribble on over to the Plugged In section at wvgazette.com to read my reviews of “NBA Live 09″ and “NBA 2K9.” I consider “2K9″ the superior game, but I have to give major props to the folks at EA — “Live 09″ is really fun. It needs a little polish and some tweaking here and there, but it’s light-years ahead of last year’s game.

Head over to the Plugged In section of wvgazette.com to check out my review of “LEGO: Batman.” If you’re a fan of the Batman comics or the old-school TV show, you’re sure to appreciate the game’s atmosphere and huge list of unlockable characters. It’s a great choice for younger gamers, as well.