EA has opened the briefcase on Godfather 2, revealing that the sequel you can't refuse will ship for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC in February 2009.

EA also shed a bit more detail on the previously revealed "Don's View," which promises to kiss the gameplay with a touch of strategy. Here you'll build up, expand, and defend crime rings against rival families by hand picking "Made Men," and sending them out onto the streets to do your bidding. Godfather 2 will also include the previous game's BlackHand control scheme, promising "more visceral hand-to-hand brutality" this time around. As the old saying goes, if you want something done right, do it yourself.

Anthony Puzo (son of Godfather author Mario Puzo) is going to the mattresses with Paramount for neglecting to pay the Puzo estate the slice of profits from Godfather: The Game that they say they're owed. According to a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles yesterday, the family is claiming at least $1 million in damages.

Apparently, a deal was put in place in 1992 that Puzo would get a cut of Godfather audio-visual products due to the skimpy check a then-unknown Puzo got for signing over the rights to his book.

Hmm, that headline was kind of misleading, wasn't it? Let's try again. Godfather II has no RTS elements and an Academy Award-winning performance from Robert DeNiro. Godfather II: The Game will possess at least some RTS elements, in addition to the Grand Theft Vito gameplay you remember from the first game.

The tidbit came from EA CEO John Riccitiello who said "it's almost like you're in an RTS, controlling the strategy of the boroughs so you can see what's going on." EA Redwood Shores is apparently working on the game, presumably on their breaks from finishing up Dead Space. Riccitiello says that G II: TG is a title we'll be talking a lot about in the fall, let's hope we don't have to wait until then to hear more.

Just when you think you're out, they pull you back in. In a stockholder meeting yesterday Frank Gibeau, head of EA Games, said Godfather 2 is currently in development. Fredo Corleone better watch out. Although, he's still got time to make up his mind if going fishing is a smart idea, the game currently has no official announcement or release date.

We expect Godfather II to have a more expansive San Andreas feel to it compared to the original. Godfather II the film not only had many more locations than The Godfather, but it also had two different time periods. It may actually be cool if the developers allow you to play a character who skips back and forth through time working for Vito and Michael. An official announcement should explain much more in the coming months, but considering The Godfather for Wii was made by using a scaled down version of the PS3 game, it looks like all console owners will be able to enjoy the sequel.

Last night on G4's Attack of the Show, host Kevin Pereira held a debate between Major Nelson and 1UP's Andrew Pfister on the much-discussed topic of microtransactions. During the segment, entitled The Loop, Major Nelson pressed that it is "about choice," while Pfister spoke for the gaming community when he said that "it doesn't appear that anybody is in control of the situation." With the recent Godfather and Lumines debacles, we're inclined to agree.

Unfortunately, the segment's lead-in was awkward and the debate was way too short for either side to make an argument, but what we heard was engaging. Please, G4, give The Loop its own half-hour time slot; we'd watch it.

Continue reading for the video.

Electronic Arts has confirmed their release list for the remainder of the year, and according to studio president Paul Lee, "this is an extraordinary time to be a gamer."

EA Sports titles include 07 editions of NCAA Football, Madden NFL, NASCAR, NHL, Tiger Woods PGA Tour, and NBA Live, while the EA Sports Big label will deliver the third iteration of NFL Street. FIFA 07 has not been confirmed, but even though EA has already released two other FIFA games this year, plan on seeing the franchise's flagship title updated in Q4.

Next gen and portable versions of The Godfather are also due to arrive in September, followed by Need for Speed Carbon, Superman Returns, and shooters Battlefield 2142 and Crysis. How many of these games are on your list?

See also:

• World Cup keeps EA at top of sales charts
• EA's plan to rule Asia
• EA E3 lineup includes playable Wii, PS3 Madden

[via Pro-G]