Source: UK game-trade magazine MCV.

　　The official story: Electronic Arts did not respond to requests for comment.

　　What we heard: When EA announced the Godfather would not make the 2005 holiday season, its share price got severely whacked. The reason was that Wall Street expects the game, based on what many consider the best Mafia movie of all time, to be a monster hit for when it is released on the PC, PSP, Xbox, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 2.

　　So when MCV today claimed it could "exclusively reveal" that the Godfather would arrive in just over two months, many wannabe mobsters broke their vow of silence. But is it true? Probably, as MCV is the equivalent of Variety for the British game industry. It also has a history of breaking solid stories, such as VU Games' acquisition of Cold Winter developer Swordfish Studios last June.

　　In fact, the news might be even better for US gamers, as the MCV date is for the UK. Traditionally, EA releases its games slightly earlier in the US, and Yankee retailers like GameStop currently list the current-gen versions of Godfather with a Tuesday, March 21 release date. However, before you start making your Xbox 360 an offer it can't refuse, keep in mind the next-gen version of the game isn't set for release until later in the year. In fact, the official Godfather Web site doesn't even list the 360 under "Platforms Available." (Maybe it entered the witness protection program--ed.)

　　Bogus or not bogus?: Probably not bogus. Judging by GameSpot's recent Designer Diary, the game is close to being done.