The Rumour Mine: Dante's Inferno iPhone 4, UFC Undisputed 2010, and Dirt Moto Racing 2

Some rumours are predictable.

Word of Dirt Moto Racing 2 this week, for example, is essentially a no-brainer. It's not much of a leap to suppose that developer Revolution Interactive will be turning its attention to a new game now that Aqua Moto Racing 2 has been released. A follow up to its other racing series makes complete sense.

Other rumours, though, catch you by surprise. Discussion about potentially porting action game Dante's Inferno to iPhone 4 wasn't something that I would have predicted.

Not only is it unusual that EA would release the game only for iPhone 4, but it's surprising that it's even porting the game to another device at all. That's what makes good rumours and this job so much fun.

Dirt Moto Racing 2 fuelling up for iPhone and iPod touch

Now that Aqua Moto Racing 2 is out of the gate, independent developer Revolution Interactive has started work on its next project: Dirt Moto Racing 2.

It doesn't come as any surprise that the studio would turn toward refining its landlocked series after the excellent job it did on its jet ski racing franchise.

In fact, Dirt Moto Racing is in greater need for an overhaul. As well as it was received last summer, its controls feel loose by today's standards and the feature set desperately needs expansion.

Thankfully, that's precisely what Revolution has in mind. Online multiplayer looks like it's on the cards, aided by integration with OpenFeint for leaderboards and achievements.

The sequel is also getting a tune up in the controls department, not to mention the visuals. No word on whether the game will support the iPhone 4 Retina display.

As for a release date, Dirt Moto Racing 2 won't be out any earlier than November; although, an early 2011 is entirely possible.

EA deliberating on iPhone 4 port of PSP action game Dante's Inferno

There's a growing wave of handheld and console games finding their way onto iPhone and iPod touch - just look at the recent appearance of role-playing game Crimson Gem Saga - which makes EA's consideration of an iPhone 4 port of religious hack 'n' slash game Dante's Inferno seem reasonable.

While the console versions fared decently, EA was underwhelmed by the sales of the PSP release. That's where talk of an iPhone 4 port comes into the picture. Due to the game's snazzy graphics, an iPhone 4-specific port makes the process easier for EA, even if it risks cutting out a large chunk of gamers holding older handsets.

Of course, a redesigned control scheme is a must, but for the most part the game will stick to the PSP version in terms of content. EA hopes that the game can find the audience it was unable to reach on PSP.

THQ working on iPhone version of UFC Undisputed 2010

Great gameplay has defined UFC Undisputed 2010 on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and if THQ follows suit on iPhone and iPod touch it'll define that version too.

The mixed martial arts game has been one of the few success stories out of THQ during the last couple of years and it's easy to see why. Even if you're not into UFC, you should be able to appreciate the craftsmanship that went into the game's design, and I can only hope that same ethos runs through the iPhone development team.

UFC Undisputed 2010 on iPhone won't compare with the recently announced PSP version, which is said to pack in a ton of fighters and features. Instead, THQ Wireless will be stripping back a lot of the frills to deliver just the core experience at a fraction of the price.

I'm fine with paring down some features, but when the game comes to the App Store later this year it better have awesome gameplay to counter a lack of multiplayer.