Round-Up: Rag Doll Steam, Shaq On 2K6, Chaos Field Licensed

Today's round-up includes news on a famed cover athlete for NBA 2K6, a new non-Valve game to debut on its Steam digital download network, and a rare new Gamecube title to hit the States, courtesy O~3, as well as the latest product news and Gamasutra job postings. - Take-Two Games has announced that Shaquille O'Neal, center for the Miami Heat, will adorn the cover of NBA 2K6. In addition to being featured on the game box, O'Neal has helped create new animations and gameplay for the title, which will release this fall for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Xbox 360. "NBA 2K6 will be the best basketball game on the virtual court, and it's no secret I like to play with the best - and that's 2K Sports," O'Neal commented, post-compensation. - The second non-Valve game (after SiN Episodes) to be announced for its Steam delivery service has been revealed: Rag Doll Kung Fu, a project by Lionhead artist Mark Healey, will be rolled out at an unspecified date within the next month. "Mark is a game industry veteran who developed Rag Doll Kung Fu in his spare time," read an announcement on the Steam service announcing the upcoming release. "He initially showed the game off in the Experimental Game area of the Game Developers Conference earlier this year, where it stood out among a crowd of great looking games." A trailer for the title is available on Steam's site. - O~3 Entertainment, publisher of the Behemoth's Alien Hominid, has announced a new shooter lined up for U.S. release this holiday season. The company has licensed Chaos Field, a 2D space shooter, for publishing in America. Chaos Field was originally developed for the Naomi arcade board, then ported to the Dreamcast and later the PlayStation 2 and GameCube in Japan. O~3 has secured the rights to the GameCube version specifically. "Our philosophy is to make the hottest Japanese arcade games available to players in North America," said O~3 president Chris Jenilek, "and Chaos Field is just the first of many more to follow." - Also updated today: product news including Alias' announcement of the shipping of Maya 7, Luxology's release of its SIGGRAPH presentation, and the latest Gamasutra jobs from companies including Activision/Z-Axis, Firaxis Games, Iron Lore Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment America, Splash Damage, and Ternary Software.