OK, I'm seriously out of time and brainjuice, but over at Gamasutra, we've just posted the complete set of my Japan-related game articles that I wrote over the past 10 days - traveling back to the States now.

The final report is an interview with Q Games' Dylan Cuthbert (Star Fox DS), who "...discusses a number of fascinating topics, including his company's work with both Nintendo and Sony, defeating the 'salaryman' ethic, and how foreign developers operate in Japan."

Particularly interesting: "Q Games was working with Sony in its early years "developing technology for an online MMO", including much use of generative landscapes and fractal-style constructed worlds... Cuthbert and compatriots immediately responded to a technology comparison with Will Wright's Spore, noting: "We developed a lot of that same technology." However, after Sony decided they wanted the tech to make a platform shift to PlayStation 2, Cuthbert decided to decline the offer and halt the project."