GDC: Rumors Ahoy!

It's almost here.

The Game Developer's Conference starts on Monday, but I'll be up there tomorrow. Already the rumors are starting to swirl. David Cage of Quantic is supposedly going to show some of their new work that may represent a new stage in the evolution of story in gaming, beyond Heavy Rain. Valve is supposedly working on their own console design, a "Steam Box" that's like a custom PC built around Steam but priced like a console; the big difference, really, would be that such a device would be built around digital distribution at its core. Yeah, you could go to a store and buy PC games for it, but why bother with the drive?
Then, of course, Apple's got a little announcement to make on Wednesday morning, just a co-inky-dink that this takes place during GDC at a venue literally on top of the Game Developers Conference. It'll be their new iPad, of course, sporting a screen with 4x the resolution of the current one, no doubt with a faster processor and other bells and whistles. Also rumored is a new version of Apple TV that can handle full 1080p video... and maybe apps? Is it time for Apple to begin the apocalyptic battle for control of the family room? Maybe, but  probably it'll be later in the year when they actually have some content deals on board.
More rumors? Sure, there will be whispering about Microsoft's successor to the 360, and maybe what Sony plans to do with the PS4, and even the unthinkable might happen and Nintendo lets slip with a nugget of more info about the Wii U. I not sure I believe any of this, but I welcome anyone who wants to whisper rumors of half-glimpsed developer version of new hardware into my eager ears.
Oh, and the IndustryGamers site will be merging with GamesIndustry.biz to create GamesIndustry International, the world's largest game industry news and analysis site. That should go live on Monday... check it out, especially on your mobile phone (where it will automatically format into a nice friendly mobile version).
Me, I'll be busy during GDC conducting interviews, chasing down rumors, listening to talks, and hopefully seeing a lot of friends. I'll try to post some news and tidbits every day if I can... there will be plenty of posting heading to the new GamesIndustry International site, so keep an eye there (it'll be at the gamesindustry.biz URL with a whole new look). See you in the halls!