We here at Mortal Kombat Online have been working for the past six years to bring the latest news and information from the world of Mortal Kombat, from the news sites such as GameSpot and IGN to the halls of Midway Games itself. We're now proud to kick off a new feature here at MK Online: Developer Diaries. Developer Diaries is, in short, a look at the development of the Mortal Kombat games through the eyes and words of the very people who created it. We are happy to kick off Developer Diaries with a six-part look at the development of Midway's upcoming action-adventure game, Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks!

We're starting our series with an entry from MK: Shaolin Monks producer Shaun Himmerick, as he describes the circumstances that led up to the game being given a green light for development. New installments of Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks: Developer Diaries will be appearing every two weeks. Join us as we look at the beginnings and production of this new game from the eyes of the Mortal Kombat development team!

The second entry in our Developer Diaries series is now online! In this entry, Shaun Himmerick discusses the ins and outs of the environments in MKSM, plus answers a few users' comments for a bonus quickie!

NEW - August 1st - The third entry in our Developer Diaries series is now online! In this entry, Shaun again replies to fans' comments and questions, plus goes into detail about the challenges of bringing the characters to life!

NEW - August 8th - The fourth entry in the series is now online! This time, after answering fans' concerns and questions, Shaun goes into detail about Ko-op mode... revealing the trials of making it and the rewards of playing it!

NEW - August 24th - The fifth entry in the series is now online! Shaun delves into the bloody world of the finishing moves... from the Fatalities all the way to the aptly-named Brutalities!

NEW - September 9th - The final entry in the series is now online! Shaun discusses the final days of working on MK:SM. We thank you for joining us in this look at the development of MK: Shaolin Monks through the eyes of those who created it!

To see the main Developer Diary index, click here.