In a conference call with Midway Games yesterday afternoon, it was learned that the online capabilities for Mortal Kombat 6/Deception will be only for the Playstation 2 and Xbox consoles. No mention was made that the Gamecube version would be playable online. With the system's lack of an official network service or network device, it isn't all that surprising. It's not clear if the next installment of the series will even be on the Gamecube system. As confirmed through our sources within Midway and in this conference call, the decision to make Gamecube titles will be on a case per case basis in the future. Gamecube is currently making only a small percentage of sales for the company.

On a lighter note, ceo David Zucker announced that Mortal Kombat 6/Deception has secured two magazine covers here in the U.S. and another four in Europe. As noted in a previous update, we have learned that one of the magazines will be PSM in April, with the other remaining a mystery at this time. Last, it is now known that the next installment will see the return of a Konquest mode, new puzzle and board games, and interactive stages that will effect the outcome of the fight itself.

Midway Games released its fourth quarter and full year 2003 results in a press release issued today. Of interest to us, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance for the Playstation 2 remained one of the top selling games from the quarter. Also, Midway provided the following 2004 outlook:

The Company expects to release seven major titles in 2004 including: The Suffering, NBA Ballers, MLB SlugFest: Loaded, Psi Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy, Narc, Area 51, and Mortal Kombat VI. In addition to these major title releases, the Company expects to ship several other products in 2004 including value-priced games and PC games. "Our 2004 lineup is indicative of our new strategy of focusing on content for more mature gamers, over-the-top sports games and games that financially leverage existing Midway franchises and brands. We are eagerly awaiting the launch of our next two major products, The Suffering and NBA Ballers, as we believe these titles are the first to reflect Midway's new approach to developing and marketing games," commented Mr. Zucker.

To read the press release in its entirety, and read more information on Midway's financial position, click here.

While this should not be considered absolute proof, there is evidence of a Mortal Kombat Kompilation disc on the gaming site, GigEx.com. And though these usually change, the article gives the compilation a release date of Dec. 14, 2004.

Coupled with the upcoming Midway TV Games by JAKKS TV Games, 2004 is looking to be the year of Classic Kombat! Click here to read the full article.

Thanks to MK Online forum user MENTHOL for the news.

We at Mortal Kombat Online are proud to announce that the Mortal Kombat Warehouse and the Unofficial Mortal Kombat 3 Movie Page have joined the Mortal Kombat Online Network! The Mortal Kombat Warehouse is the net's leading source of MK-related media, including sprites, music, and movies! The Unofficial Mortal Kombat 3 Movie Page is the net's leading source of information concerning the next MK movie. If it's confirmed, it's reported here.

The webmasters of these two sites, Murdoink and Potent-Seed of MK Warehouse and Shinnokxz of the Unofficial MK 3 Movie Page, have worked hard to bring these quality sites to the community. Please join us in welcoming them to the Mortal Kombat Online Network!

JAKKS TV Games, the company responsible for the Namco TV Games and Atari TV Games plug-and-play consoles within a controller, has announced that they have inked a deal with Midway Games to create a multiple-game console based on classic Midway games, including Mortal Kombat! From the press release:

MALIBU, Calif., Feb. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (Nasdaq: JAKK) announced today that the Company has signed a worldwide licensing agreement with Midway to produce a version of JAKKS' TV Games(TM) based on classic Midway(R) titles. TV Games is a plug and play gaming system that contains multiple classic games in one single controller.

Midway TV Games will feature top-selling Midway games, including Mortal Kombat(R), Spy Hunter(R), Rampage(R), Joust(R), Defender(R) I & II, Robotron:2084(R), Marble Madness(R), Smash TV(TM), Super Sprint(TM) and Paperboy(R). All that is needed are batteries and a TV -- No videogame consoles and no gaming cartridges are required. Simply plug TV Games into the A/V jacks of any standard television set, turn on and play. The lightweight, compact, all-inclusive controller, houses a combination of videogames with all of the hardware built right into the controller. This technology allows gaming fans to enjoy a number of videogames with just one single purchase.

To our knowledge, this is the first ever released Midway compilation which included any Mortal Kombat game. According to the press release, the Midway TV Games console will debut at the International Toy Fair 2004, and retail for $20.

To read the press release in its entirety, click here.