So, John Romero eh? Former bigwig at id launches yet another game development house, Slipgate Ironworks this time (charmingly spelled slipg8 in the URL, and featuring all the usual sombre language), and it's news. I love this industry - we're about one step short of Hello and OK magazine chasing down famous developers at their weddings and sons christenings to get the exclusive snaps.

Romero, Molyneux, CliffyB, Wright (not ours, the other one)... there are a handful of chaps (mainly chaps) and brands (Atari, anyone?) who generate headlines anytime they see fit to put themselves in front of The Great Masses. They also get an infinite amount of lives - Romero is remembered fondly for inventing the Deathmatch (we're told) alongside some of the most iconic games of id's heyday, but can anyone else over the age of about 20 tell me what else he's famous for? Come on, I'll give you a hint - he was going to make us all his bitch(es) at one stage. Not remember? The name "Daikatana" ring any bells? Ohh yeah, I thought so. You had hoped never to hear that name again...

And yet after a stint with Midway Mr Romero is back, developing an MMORPG ("or something," as these vague fashion icons of the gaming world aren't big on specifics... why should they, after all he's hiring a new big team who will presumably fill in the details).

Atari is another good example of this. How many iterations of the company have we been through now? And ohh look, they're dropping all their game prices and bailing water at a frantic rate.

Again.

Will this industry never learn? If a developer or a company has a few hits and then it all turns sour there's a good chance that it may remain sour. No, let us not pray for another eleventh hour saviour for Atari, and let's not pour our hopes into Mr I Will Make You My Bitch. You had your day in the sun, and then you gave us that game.