As October got going, 3 was still wowing the industry, while introduced a new cheaper 40GB model PS3. Early October's biggest shock, however, was provided by parting company with Microsoft, in an ownership sense. Bungie was acquired by as part of a deal forged several years ago, but in an unprecedented move, Microsoft have once again granted the developer their independence.

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Sony also purchased game specialist Evolution, while voiced their disappointment with the PlayStation 3. The Orange Box's release on would later turn out to include more than a few technical glitches. Acquisition talk continued in October, when snapped up Bioware-Pandemic in one of the year's biggest deals.

As we reached the middle of the month we heard voices of descent coming from Rare, questioning Microsoft's marketing spend. were also it emerged, valued at a whopping 10 trillion Yen, though this would later fall as stock shortages emerged.

PS3 were also on the up after Sony's price-cutting, reports emerging that sales were up 178%. Crossing the Atlantic and the PS3 was also getting a price boost stateside while we learned that Seth Green would be making a guest appearance in Mass Effect.

As we entered the final week of the month, EA revealed their unified platform dream. Take Two, meanwhile, were busy blaming Sony for the summer's Manhunt 2 leak. Chris Taylor on the other hand, was going all 'Peter Molyneux' on us, promising an emotional new game. Sony were also granted 'forgiveness' in the Manchester Cathedral row.

The month concluded with hope flickering for Peter Jackson's Halo film, while veteran game maker urged developers to craft riskier titles. A frenetic season was now looming large, as we moved into...

November

November opened with still battling in a court case over the quality of the Unreal Engine, the latter claiming the former failed to deliver them a fully functioning middleware solution, causing the of Too Human. Meanwhile, in Japan, the PS3 was finally beginning to turn things around.

Actor Daniel Craig admitted his concern over Activision's games, while in America one troubled teen tried to have his parents murdered over a PlayStation ban. Presumably, the boy in question would also be rather impressed by Sony's new look PS2, also revealed in November.

As the month pushed on, could be found talking up their 'true' next-gen credentials. Nintendo, on the other hand, were still deluding themselves about Wii stock levels - with Christmas fast approaching. Your humble reporter wasn't worrying about that, of course, he was too busy getting drunk at the Guitar Hero III launch party.

As we hit the middle of November, Bungie assured us that they remained committed to the Halo series, despite parting company from Microsoft. Tesco, meanwhile, could be found accidentally dishing out 360's for 35 pounds. Despite the onrush of Christmas, acquisition season showed no sign of abating, snapping up TT Games - makers of - for a rumoured 100 million GBP.

As we raced into the second half of the month, were asking us to insult them, with Singapore's media censors deciding that wasn't too saucy for release after all. Sony's return to form was also progressing well in the wake of the third-quarter's price-cutting, the company also halving the cost of dev kit costs - further encouraging developers. was selling by the bucket load, too, despite some reviews being unimpressed by the game.

As the end of November approached, the surrounding Manhunt 2 refused to abate. Even the PS3 was selling like hot cakes (in Japan). The previously embattled PLC's fortunes seemingly heading further in the right direction as the Dubai government opted to buy a large share.

Crysis 2 was confirmed, while cunning police forces used the to capture several hardened criminals. The month concluded with yet more controversy, this time surrounding GameSpot, who appeared to sack an editor after a negative review of precipitated the apparent pulling of several large ads. This rumoured course of events would later be denied.

December

With the evenings now well and truly drawn-in, Christmas was all but upon us. The season's major releases had already been hailed as some of the best ever, with several prominent titles not only living up to the hype but even, whisper it, truly kicking-off the 'next-gen' revolution. 4, Assassin's Creed, Halo 3, BioShock, III and plenty of other titles offering pleasure a-plenty. While gamers were enjoying the season's riches, then, the most far-reaching news of the month came with word that Activision and Blizzard are to merge in 2008, creating the world's biggest gaming firm.

Jack Tretton was also speaking candidly about the PS3's first year on the market, while festive game buyers were warned about the 10 most dangerous titles stateside. The remainder of the month would see us immersed in the hangovers and indulgences of the season, while Nintendo admitted that they could have lost up to 1 billion USD in revenue because of their inability to deliver enough Wii stock. Fils-Aime even admitted his disappointment, while desperate parents could be found spending ludicrous sums on eBay to get the season's must-have console.

We hope you've enjoyed this look back over events of 2007. Stay-tuned to our website in 2008 for all the latest news, reviews, previews, interviews, videos and more - on all the most important game releases.

By Luke Guttridge