The Rumour Mine: New Firemint and Sega games at GDC 2011, Star Wars on shaky ground

Expect the next two weeks to be packed with sizzling hot rumours, because the miner is working overtime ahead of Game Developers Conference.

iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad are hot commodities this year with everyone and their mother working on a game for Apple's range of devices. That means publishers you know and love, as well as developers that will be dabbling in iOS gaming for the first time.

I'm most excited, though, for those developers that have been with iPhone from the start. What cool games are they working on?

Firemint revealing a brand new game in March

Flight Control and Real Racing developer Firemint has set the bar high for iPhone and iPod touch gaming, which makes word of a brand new game from this talented group exciting indeed.

While there's surely anxiety at the dev house down under about the debut of a new title, I'm confident that the reception will be overwhelmingly positive.

As tempting as it is to dish the details, there's something to be said for surprises. Come Game Developers Conference when Firemint unveils its newest game, you can be sure that it's something you'll want to play.

To be clear, it's not a sequel, it's not a licensed game - any guesses?

THQ Wireless's grip on the Star Wars license shaky

After a string of disappointing games - Star Wars: Battle for Hoth, Star Wars Cantina, Star Wars: Trench Run, and the recent Star Wars Imperial Academy - it looks like THQ Wireless may not have as tight a grip on the Star Wars franchise as previously believed.

While it's important to recognise that THQ Wireless has succeeded in selling a lot of copies of Star Wars-licensed games, there's no debate about their inferior quality. LucasArts knows it and sources close to the company have confessed that it's not pleased with the quality.

Who can blame it? One of the most recognisable brands on the planet has been soiled by a rudimentary tower defence game and an alternate reality game that plays more like a digital toy.

There's enough money and motive that good Star Wars game ought to get made for iPhone. Unfortunately, that's yet to happen, and unless THQ Wireless starts shaping up LucasArts may very well end up making it happen - with a different publishing partner.

Sega to announce iPhone and iPod touch racing game at GDC 2011

Outrun, Crazy Taxi, Sega All-Stars - what's the mysterious racing game that Sega is announcing at Game Developers Conference at the start of March?

Please, please, please let it be a new Sega Rally.

If you couldn't figure it out, I haven't actually been able to glean any specifics on the title - only that it's a racing game and it'll be revealed the week of GDC, which starts on February 28th.

Rather than wishing for your personal favourite - Sega Rally - hope for something of exemplary quality. While Sonic The Hedgehog 4, Episode 1 (hey, where's that second episode?), Chu Chu Rocket!, and Kingdom Conquest were of good stock, we could do without the crap Genesis emulations. Here's hoping it's not the latter.