With Mortal Kombat: Deception still two months from release, it comes as quite a surprise that we are reporting on the first news of Mortal Kombat 7! According to a statement by Midway Games CEO David Zucker at the RBC Capital Markets North American Technology Conference in California, the next chapter in the series is underway. From the webcast:

We’re making Mortal Kombat 7. We’ll have a PS3 SKU and an Xbox 2 SKU and we’ll have a wireless SKU.

If any new developments surface we'll keep you updated. You can hear the webcast for yourself by clicking here.

PS2 IGN has posted three new biography videos from Midway's upcoming fighting game, Mortal Kombat: Deception! These videos feature the returning characters of Jade, Scorpion, and Sub-Zero! The Jade video also offers us our first glimpse of her game profile:

Longtime ally of the Edenian crown, Jade witnessed the arrival of the Dragon King and raced to Edenia to inform her queen of Kitana's fate. She arrived too late, however, for Tanya had already imprisoned Queen Sindel. She freed Sindel and the two escaped to Outworld.

The Jade video also features John Vogel discussing her evolution as a character. The Scorpion video also features Sal Divita discussing Scorpion (who he played in Mortal Kombat Mythologies), and the Sub-Zero video features John Turk discussing the character, who he played in both Mythologies and Mortal Kombat 3-Trilogy.

To download or view the videos (in Quicktime format for IGN Insiders, or Windows Media for non-Insiders), click here.

Our thanks to forum user DMitch for the heads up on this breaking news story!

Hot on the heels of IGN's coverage of the Mortal Kombat: Deception Limited Editions, Midway has issued a press release officially announcing the existence of the Limited Editions! From the press release:

Midway Games Inc. (NYSE: MWY), a leading software industry publisher and developer, today announced that special, Limited Editions of Mortal Kombat: Deception will be available when the latest iteration of Midway's best-selling fighting franchise ships to stores nationwide, scheduled for October 4, 2004. With more than 20 million copies sold worldwide, Mortal Kombat continues to be one of the most popular videogame franchises of all-time and Mortal Kombat: Deception will be the first 3D fighter to feature online gameplay for both the PlayStation ®2 computer entertainment system and the Xbox ® video game system from Microsoft.

The Mortal Kombat: Deception Limited Edition will feature distinctive packaging available in five unique box covers. The Mortal Kombat: Deception Premium Pack, available only on the PlayStation ®2, will feature exclusive premium box packaging featuring Sub-Zero.
The Mortal Kombat: Deception Kollector's Edition, available only on Xbox®, will be available in four unique collectible box covers featuring: Baraka, Mileena, Raiden and Scorpion. The Limited Edition sets have a suggested retail price of $59.95 and will include the following:

• An arcade-perfect, playable of the original

Mortal Kombat ®videogame

Over 40 minutes of bonus DVD video content featuring a "History of Mortal Kombat" movie that chronicles the origins of the franchise through the release of

Mortal Kombat: Deception, along with exclusive biographical videos for each of the 25 characters in the game.

A serialized, embossed metal Kollector's Card created exclusively for the Limited Edition sets; there will be five unique cards in total (each of a different MK character), corresponding to the respective packaging.

The full text of the press release can be found here.

Midway has sent out a release today, announcing a new line-up and new look for their upcoming compilation game, Midway Arcade Treasures 2! From the release:

Midway Games Inc., a leading software industry publisher and developer, today announced the updated game list for Midway Arcade Treasures 2, a compilation of twenty of your all-time favorite arcade classics all found on one disk. In addition to the updated line-up, Midway also unveiled the new "look" for its Midway Arcade Treasures brand packaging (see Midway Web site information below).

The sequel to the successful Midway Arcade Treasures (2003), Midway Arcade Treasures 2 is scheduled to ship October 11, 2004, for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the Xbox® video game system from Microsoft and the Nintendo GameCube™ with a suggested retail price of $19.99. The revised line-up will consist of the following classic titles:

• A.P.B.™
• Arch Rivals™
• Championship Sprint™
• Cyberball 2072™
• Gauntlet® 2
• Hard Drivin'®
• Kozmik Kroozr'™
• Mortal Kombat® 3
• Mortal Kombat® II
• NARC®
• Pit Fighter™
• Primal Rage®
• Rampage World Tour®
• Spy Hunter® 2
• Timber™
• Total Carnage™
• Wacko™
• Wizard of Wor™
• Xenophobe®
• Xybots™

This release confirms that Mortal Kombat 1, which was shown as part of Midway Arcade Treasures 2 at E3, has since been dropped from the line-up.

Midway has also made the box art for all three versions available to view:

Midway Games has updated their official website for Mortal Kombat: Deception! Once past the age verification on the main page, the features of the site include:

• Hi-res images of Mileena, Baraka, and Sub-Zero!
• Renders for Shujinko (hover your mouse over the fourth circle on the left) and Tanya (hover the mouse over the fourth circle on the right)!
• Screenshots featuring Shujinko, Baraka, and Ermac in action!
• Images of the Sky Temple, Netherbelly, and Dark Prison (complete with imprisoned Stryker!)
• Both the E3 trailer and the most recent trailer (originally seen on GameSpot) available to view and download!
• Links to preorder the game!
• Mentions of new characters in site's meta tags including Onaga, Dairou, and Havik.

The website also tells which stores will get which version of the X-Box Kollector's Edition: GameStop will have the Baraka cover, Wal-Mart will have the Raiden cover, EB Games will have the Scorpion cover, and Toys R Us and GameCrazy will have the Mileena cover. All copies of the PS2 Premium Pack will have Sub-Zero on the cover.

To see the updated MK: Deception website in all of its glory, click here.

Our thanks to network site owner Murdoink of MK Warehouse for the heads-up on this news story!