Yes, the sequel may have bombed, but Turbine’s original – one of the first of the big MMORPGs – is still trundling along. The social landscape has changed dramatically since yours truly first cut his teeth on the genre; what was once a world of busy player hubs surrounded by vast wilderness is now largely barren and tamed by portal magic.

Level 1 billion (or thereabouts) players are no longer motivated by exploration but by the ever unfolding story and changing gameplay. Driving it all is the humble monthly update, which has seen the introduction of housing, new magics, new lands and countless buffs and nerfs over the years. The latest one is suitably epic, but still no different.

It might sound a little late to be introducing player factions, PvP town ownership and a whole new level of spells, but it’s these kinds of changes that have become the lifeblood of the game. Players will also find another new landmass to hunt, but of course, if you’re not already at least level 150, you probably won’t see any of this.

There's a current trend for publishers to confirm sequels to games before said games have even been released. Is it a confidence thing? Are they saying "we're so confident this game is going to be a success, that we're willing to commit to a sequel already"...?

Regardless, the news that Ubisoft is already planning Far Cry 3 - with the second game in the series still a couple of months away from release - won't surprise many, given the inevitable sales success Far Cry 2 will more than likely be. While the studio behind the original, Crytek, is no longer involved, anyone who has sampled some of the pre-release videos will have found it hard not to get swept up in the hype.

"We might find something new and compelling about the Antarctic setting that wants us to make the next game there, but honestly, we’re still at the preliminary stages," Ubisoft Montreal's Patrick Redding told videogaming247.com of the third game in the series.

Yes, Far Cry - to you and me - might equal jungles and deserts, but Ubisoft is very wary of such settings becoming slightly routine and tired, and so new locals could well be on the cards. It's also a case of setting the game apart, according to Redding, from its competition, which is increasingly using the kind of settings Far Cry initially made its own.

First things first though, lads. Can we get Far Cry 2 out of the way first, and then focus on its sequel? I know it's a traditional way of doing things, but...

Crikey. That was rather scary, wasn't it? Well, the beginning act, anyway.

If the success of a zombie thriller is measured by the weight of fear they manage to instill in their players, then this snippet of Left 4 Dead suggests that Valve's thriller will have much to offer, come release. The kind of fear they rely on - showcased in this trailer - stems from the idea that something inhuman is pursuing you, relentlessly and without reason.

BioShock had it. Even the somewhat comical Dead Rising had it, in parts - though not always as a result of the zombies. (There's something terrifying about being drugged by a load of mack wearing nutters, waking up in a box in nothing but your undies - especially when, like me, you buy your undies from ASDA.)

Left 4 Dead looks like it has 'it', too. No wonder those PS3 magazines keep making up rumours about a possible port to Sony's system. They're gagging for it!

And if you missed the previous Tribal Stage, here it is. Next up, space exploration.

Now, (admittedly French) Ubisoft has claimed that the U.S. is no longer the primary focus of its business; Europe is now beginning to take centre stage, it claims, with the publisher gearing up for the release of its most ambitious game in years - EndWar (pictured).

"First, our money - the pound or the euro - is very strong and because of that the turnover from those countries is heavier than they used to be. So for Ubisoft turnover Europe is actually more important than the US now, and by more than 5 per cent. It's become a very strong market for us," Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot told GamesIndustry.biz

Guillemot's comments also paint a pretty picture for the games industry, with the Ubisoft man claiming growth is still ahead, with accessories and an endless lust for games across the continent opening up the market to new customer after new customer. EndWar's speech recognition control also has the potential to expand the market, it must be said, if everything comes together for its release.

It's just as well, really, with financial growth coming to an end in the UK this month. Seemingly, when times are hard, we stop going out and treating ourselves to alcohol, nights at the cinema, and instead save money by forking out hundreds of pounds on gaming hardware, widescreen HDTVs and scores of games. That makes much more sense.

More salient, I think, is Ubisoft's belief that Europe now commands more respect from the games industry than the States. The problem for all of them, if sales charts are to be believed, is that tastes across Europe vary much more wildly than they do in the States - both in terms of hardware and software. Finding the successful formula to really take advantage of the market is no easy task on these shores.