(Editor's Note: What with controversies last week, the gaming industry's Batmobile might've lost its wheel - while the Joker got away - but that doesn't mean this sleigh ride will be stopping any time soon.)

G'day Christmas shoppers! This week in the gaming industry, we get to see the birth of a new umbrella corporation (sans the bio-engineered zombies) and a whole slew of issues to settle. QuickJump QuickPeek 24 is here to pop open a bottle of eggnog and more updates!

Outspoken movie director Michael Bay, who is behind the blockbuster movie Transformers, recently related his theory that Microsoft wants both the HD DVD and Blu-ray formats to fail, saying the war is just a diversion to create confusion. Now he adds in his site that he doesn't care about the war at all (since he can play both formats in his screening room anyway) but that the Blu-ray format suits his films better. This comment also got a reply from Amir, a "retired HD DVD insider." Read more in the full article.

Movie director Michael Bay, known for the recent successes of The Transformers and Bad Boys II, has been very vocal when it comes to the on-going format war between HD DVD and Blu-ray. 

His latest "theory" about this is nothing short of controversial. According to him, Microsoft is not really for the HD DVD format. Bay reasoned the current format war is nothing but a diversion to create confusion among consumers. More on this after the jump!

Now that we're in the movie-to-game mood in the meantime, here's one for turning tables: news coming in from Hollywood has Lionsgate's movie adaptation of Eidos Interactive's Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, PC) starring no other than Bruce Willis of Die Hard fame and Billy Bob Thornton of Pushing Tin and Armageddon fame.

Eidos and IO Interactive's latest franchise seems to be picking up much hype in Tinsel Town, but will it match up to that of Eidos' own Lara Croft Tomb Raider? Find out in the full article.

More Covenant pwnage coming your way today. This Halo 3 leaked video from the Epsilon test shows us of the Phantom drop ship deploying its passengers onto a hapless victim down below. What's the catch? Well, the hunter becomes the hunted, apparently. And that big hulking Phantom ship gets shot down in a blazing explosion. "ASSSPLODE!" as Strong Bad would put it.

We're treated to the glory of all those explosions, pretty lights, and of course, the sudden realization that even destroyed drop ships must eventually be reclaimed by gravity. Nice physics on that too. But of course, you'd have to see the Halo 3 vid yourself - it's only less than a minute anyways. Can Michael Bay do something like this? Well, Bungie Studios surely isn't lacking in the asplode department. September 25, here we come!

Paramount and DreamWorks recent decision to release their movies exclusively on the HD DVD format renewed the format war. The announcement even had Michael Bay steamed up.

The unexpected move, as the New York Times reveals, may have more to it than meets the eye though. According to Times, two unnamed Viacom executives revealed that the two studios together will be getting US$ 150 million in financial incentives.

The financial incentives will consist of revenues that will come from cash and promotional guarantees. Microsoft, one of the lead supporters for the HD DVD format, commented however, that they "provided no financial incentives to Paramount or DreamWorks whatsoever."

One interesting detail from the terms of exclusivity deal with the format may suggest that this blow to Blu-ray is only temporary: Paramount will only be HD DVD exclusive for 18 months. Only time will tell whether the format war will see its conclusion or whether the recent development just delayed the outcome.

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot today reaffirmed at the Edinburgh Interactive Festival that his company is intent on entering the film industry and has made big strides towards the attainment of that goal.

Guillemot calls the move as the next logical step for the French-based firm, saying that it's the best way to take advantage of the next-generation of technology. "We will start making movies not because we want to, but because this is what we have to do," he declared.

Ubisoft is already one of the biggest and most reputable game publishers in the business, and they still plan to expand on a global basis with the creation of big investments in North America and Asia. The company has set up a CGI studio in Montreal, Canada recently and is looking at China as the venue of its next stronghold. The company hires about 500 people a year.

No mention of the upcoming Prince of Persia movie was made, but it was reiterated that an Assassin's Creed flick was a very feasible project. "Prince of Persia" will be produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Michael Bay.

Guillemot says that Ubisoft knows exactly what it takes to come up big in the entertainment industry, and he enumerates them as "AAA blockbuster titles, a family portfolio, and capitalizing on the Internet."

  

With several days left before the new Transformers flick hits town, QJ.NET caught up with Activision Producer Callum Godfrey for an exclusive interview regarding their Transformers: The Game project. Callum reveals what's in store for the next-generation consoles as well as some of the things they've accomplished that he's really proud of.

Callum faces more QJ questions after the jump. Transform and roll out the full article!

To protect or destroy? That is the question.

Is it nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outraged humans, or to crush them daintily beneath steel-covered feet?

Personally, we're going with the feet thing. Humans snap with a resounding crunch, you know, so it'll be interesting to see how they'd play that out in the game.

Speaking of which, we've got the latest trailer for Activision's Transformers: The Game for you. It plays pretty much like one of Michael Bay's movie trailers, so expect a lot of random destruction, Optimus Prime with a blade, and a flying kick from the new Bumblebee. Enjoy!