We have a really fantastic year ahead of us... a year that's going to include games like Bionic Commando, Resident Evil 5, Street Fighter IV is going to be making its arcade debut next week in Japan. We've got a new game that we're working on in the US called Dark Void...

Shack: It's nice to have a PlayStation Network username, but right now the features associated with it (messaging, etc.) can't be accessed within games. Will this functionality be implemented in the future? If so, what's the timeline on this?

Eric Lempel: We are looking at a number of enhancements related to accessing some of the XMB features during gameplay, including messaging your friends. While there's no timeline to announce at this point, we've heard loud and clear from consumers that in-game XMB access is one of the most requested PS3 enhancements.

GameSpot: Why offer downloadable Xbox games when they're already backwards compatible?

Aaron Greenberg: We've always said we felt like online and digital distribution was the future of this business and I think this is the next step in that evolution, to be able for the first time ever to allow people to digitally download and own full retail games. We've never done that before. Frankly, I think with the exception of Halo, almost all these titles are next to impossible to find at retail anymore, so we're making them very available to consumers who would like to purchase them.

GS: So the work you've done on backwards compatibility is the basis for the Xbox Original releases?

AG: Exactly. You basically download the bits of the game and they have to have passed all our backward compatibility certification and testing. We're only going to make available the ones that we know perform extremely well and have a high quality, if that gives you an idea of some of the titles you may see. To start, I think we have a good lineup. To be able to download them, own them, and if you delete them you can download them again, it's very similar to how Live Arcade games work.

GS: So there won't be enhanced content or added online play in Xbox Originals?

AG: No. What we're basically doing is taking the games as they were originally created and maintaining that. We want to preserve the integrity of what that original game experience was like. If they have online multiplayer, it's there. Whatever functionality was built into that original game is what people will get.

GS: We know about Xbox Originals and the Family timer controls. What else will be included in the December 4 update?

AG: At this point we haven't gotten into any of the other details. Just like any other update, there will be changes to the dashboard and the blades, cosmetic stuff. We always have fine-tuning of playback of movies and music. But at this point, we're going to wait closer until that date, probably the last week of November is when we'll do a lot of show-and-tell with everyone in the media so people can see what they're getting. The reason why we do that mainly is because the team is still finalizing and testing a lot of the functionality. There are always a couple of things that are on the bubble.

PALGN: Will Uncharted feature any multiplayer?

EW: No multiplayer, it's kind of selfish at least on my part I actually enjoy these single player adventures and while multiplayer is fun from time to time, I guess i'm an aging gamer. I can't stand getting onto Xbox Live or whatever and having some twelve year old punk crack it at my idea. To hook up with your friends, well we're all busy and it's hard to coordinate times to play together. So we really just wanted to cater to that individual who wants to sit down on their couch, turn down the lights, turn up the stereo and fall deep into the game and immerse themselves.

PALGN: So Naughty Dog is finished with Crash Bandicoot now?

EW: Yeah, we have to be. Unless we go back to Universal and pay them a lot of money to work on the game that we created then we're done with Crash Bandicoot. Unfortunately I love the character to death and those games have a special place in my heart, in fact CTR is the one game that i'll continue playing for years to come.

PALGN: Is it disappointing to see other developers work on Crash Bandicoot?

EW: Yes, a little bit. It's, I don't know if you want to quote me on this, It's a little bit like watching your daughter do porn (heck yes we want to quote you - Ed).

PALGN: The story is a little bit different with Jak though as Sony own the IP, do you want to continue the Jak franchise?

EW: Yes, it's certainly something that a lot of Naughty Dog staff still feel very passionate about. We were sort of getting creatively tapped out. We spent our last five years on the franchise and we definitely needed this break. But I fully expect we'll be doing some Jak and Daxter in the future, I don't know when but yeah.

PALGN: Because Insomniac did such a good job with Ratchet and Clank...

EW: Oh yeah definitely that inspired us. I think it's fantastic and I have played it and it is fantastic. I'd really like to do Jak and Daxter but i'd like to do something very different, I wouldn't want to just do something we did on the PlayStation 2 I'd like to do something really special.

GameSpot UK: Why are you sick of Katamari Damacy?

Keita Takahashi: Wouldn't you be?

GS UK: What is the objective of the game in Noby Noby Boy?

KT: I can't tell you yet. It's confidential... Do you think you need objectives? What objectives would be good? What do you think?

GS UK: Why did you decide to make it a PlayStation 3 exclusive?

KT: I definitely understand the idea behind games going multiplatform, however going multiplatform does mean extra effort. The reason I chose PlayStation 3 on this occasion is simply due to the specification of the hardware, and looking at the timeline I had in his mind with this idea. I thought the PS3 would best suit that schedule, and that's the reason.

GS UK: How do you think the games industry could improve?

KT: I think the sales price of the consoles has been too high lately. In an ideal world, I want to see only one major console being retailed on the market, and everyone actually making games for just one console, and bring the price of that console down from what the three currently cost right now.

At the moment, I feel that having three next-gen consoles is only as a result of having three different companies that want to maximize their potential and their profits, and I think we should start working together to decrease the power of the market leaders.

GS UK: You say in 10 to 20 years, you said maybe none of us will be able to play games. Do you think the apocalypse is coming?

KT: How things are going at the moment, it certainly won't be surprising if something drastic like that happens suddenly. There might be the possibility of the apocalypse.