RockYou has signed a development agreement with John Romero's Loot Drop to fund and publish the new studio’s first title.

Ex-id Software's John Romero, known for DOOM & Quake, has been working on a secret MMO project ever since he left Midway, where he was working on Gauntlet. While details are still slim, it seems he finally revealed his company name, with a huge nod to the original Quake, Slipgate Ironworks. The jobs section reveals they are looking for a Senior 3D Artist, a Mid-Level Tools Programmer, a Concept Artist, and a Senior Game Designer (thanks Blues). Slipgate is the device Quake monsters used to "slip" into our dimension.

Famed developer John Romero sort of vanished the past few month after his quiet departure from Midway, where he was working on Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows. Not until several weeks after the fact did it become known that he had left, and hasn't been heard from since. Today Romero posted a small update in his personal blog, stating that he is "co-founder of a new game company in the bay area and am much better off in many ways than I was at Midway." No name for the new development studio was given, nor for the new project that Romero is working on, except "When news of my new game somehow gets out, I think everyone will be a bit shocked." To be continued ...

A post on his own website confirms rumors which surfaced yesterday about Romero no longer working at Midway. "Hey guys, I can definitely confirm that I have left Midway - I've been gone for about 3 weeks and Rhaluka and I have been traveling around and having fun together (a sort of honeymoon without going to tropical destinations). Midway says that development of Gauntlet hasn't been impacted by my departure and is scheduled to ship this fall. I can't say anything more about the situation and hope you all understand. I'm currently looking at lots of exciting developments right now and it'll be a couple months before I can announce my next destination."

Game Pioneer is an affordable solution for modern game-matching and offers proven performance using new technologies. Game Pioneer boasts robust server support, an easy-to-use software development kit for licensees, proven performance and a thriving web-based community. Mac and Windows versions are to be released by mid 2005.

A few weeks ago Hip Interactive revealed that it signed an agreement to develop games based on cult horror director George A. Romero's work. Today Hip informs us that UK developer Kuju Entertainment has been tagged to work on the first, yet unnamed, game, which is scheduled for release next fiscal year ending March 31, 2006.

Hip Interactive Corp. today announced that Hip Games signed an agreement with Living Dead Productions Limited to produce a George A. Romero series of video games on all current and upcoming platforms.