The people behind the Ghostbusters: The Videogame and the upcoming Marvel titles, Thor and Captain America games, as well as the upcoming Def Jam Rapstar have released a full-featured foundation engine that is cross-platform compatible and allows for rapid development of video games:

Terminal Reality announced today an incredible listing of upcoming titles that are using the powerful and versatile Infernal Engine to bring them to life. Games as different as Def Jam Rapstar, Disney’s family-pleasing Guilty Party, and Wipeout: The Game are just some of the titles using the Infernal Engine’s unique, cross-platform technology to deliver their various experiences. The complete line-up of notable titles includes (in order of release date):

• Wipeout: The Game (Wii) – currently available
• Disney’s Guilty Party (Wii) – August 26, 2010
• Def Jam Rapstar (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii) – October 5, 2010
• The Force Unleashed II (Wii) – October 26, 2010
• The Grinder (Xbox360, PS3) – October 2011
• Thor (Wii, PSP) – May 2011
• Captain America (Wii, PSP) – TBA 2011

In addition, Terminal Reality, the development studio – best known for their work on the hit title, Ghostbusters: The Videogame – is currently putting finishing touches on the groundbreaking Def Jam Rapstar, due out October 5. Def Jam Rapstar is all about Hip-Hop and the music that makes it great. Aspiring emcees spit bars with the best in the history of Rap, both past and present, as they try to prove that no one else can fade them on the mic. The game features custom, proprietary voice recognition technology that keeps tabs on lyrical accuracy, because you can’t respect a fraud.

Can’t wait to see some office mates pull out Wu-Tang’s “C.R.E.A.M.” in the upcoming Def Jam Rapstar in October 5th.

[ Links: Terminal Reality, Infernal Engine ]

Despite announcing that Skype will debut group video calls for Windows users earlier today, Skype also announced that they will not be delivering a Skype application for the upcoming Microsoft 7 Phone platform, due for release later this year.

Things aren’t looking good for fans of Skype and the next generation of Windows Mobile software, that is expected to land later this year. Skype has announced that it has stopped developing for the coming OS.

This is really no surprise given that in February Skype pulled its Windows Mobile VoIP application for WinMo. Skype is focusing on developing for the iPhone, Symbian, and Android OS.

Say it ain’t so Skype.

[ Links: Slashphone, Skype Blogs ]

Adobe has announced that Adobe AIR, synonymous with desktop application development and applications like Twitterriffic [ site here ] or Skimmer [ site here ] will be bringing their ability to run on almost any OS – currently Mac OS X, Linux and Windows are now supported – and coming to the mobile smartphone market. Many popular applications are already deployed via the Adobe AIR runtime, an Adobe Flash based runtime that runs on most desktop OS machines already. So this is a very good thing for developers and customers alike.

Twenty-four of the largest phone operators have banded together to challenge the dominance of mobile app stores, such as that operated by Apple. The Wholesale Applications Community, as it is known, aims to make it easier for developers to build and sell apps “irrespective of device or technology”.

As well as the 24 network operators, the work is also supported by hardware manufacturers such as LG Electronics, Samsung and Sony Ericsson, as well as industry body the GSM association.

On top of the ability of the upcoming Adobe Flash CS5 to publish applications to the Apple iPhone; this sounds like a great time to be a developer of if you’ve already fallen in love with some Adobe AIR apps already.

Over at Adobe TV, there’s a video of Adobe AIR running on Android already up – [ view here ]

[ Links: Adobe, Mobile Firms Unite to Offer Apps, AIR Coming to Android/Mobile Devices ]

GM Bailouts was a huge article last year stretching into this year. GM is embracing the future by doing something that will hopefully make the bailout history and allow them avoid being in that position again and allow GM to compete in the very near future.

GM will expand its in-house electric vehicle development capabilities by becoming the first major U.S. automaker to design and manufacture electric motors, a core technology for hybrids and electric vehicles.

By doing so, GM will lower costs and improve performance, quality, reliability and manufacturability of electric motors by controlling design, materials selection and production processes. The first GM-designed and built electric motors are scheduled to debut in 2013 in next-generation, rear-wheel-drive Two-mode Hybrid technology.

“Electric motor innovation supported the first wave of automotive growth a century ago with the electric starter, which eliminated the need for a hand crank, and revolutionized automotive travel for the customer,” said Tom Stephens, GM vice chairman, Global Product Operations. “We think the electrification of today’s automobiles will be just as revolutionary and just as beneficial to our customers. Electric motors will play a huge role in that.”

Bravo General Motors. You seem to be stepping in the right direction for your future. Can’t wait to see an 100% all-American electric vehicle built.

[ Links: General Motors, GM Media - Electrical Motors Announcement ]

Before you jump to conclusions, it’s not that IBM will no longer manufacture that precious little chip that powers your Sony PlayStation 3, but the Sony, Toshiba and IBM co-developed processor will not see the previously announced 32 SPE processor ever happen now. Not by IBM at least. And previously, Toshiba bought out Sony’s stake in the Cell CPU foundry [ article here ] almost two years ago.

IBM’s most recent development in the Cell Processor’s design is the PoweXCell 8i, which is featured in the second most powerful supercomputer in the world; Roadrunner.

However, this is where Cell will end for IBM. The company’s Vice President David Turek, told German website Heise Online that the planned 32 SPE Cell processor will not be made.

Fret not… the PlayStation3 processor will still live on. And if Sony wants to use a variation of the Cell in the PlayStation4, I’m sure IBM can be convinced with a few briefcases of money. But it does make you wonder what else will happen for this “wonder” chip. Seems to me like it’s finally starting to lose to the faster, more efficient (to program for at least) CPU plus GPU combination.

[ PlayStation University ] [ Heise Online ] [ IBM ]