The Island of Dr. Moreau is a haunting novel about a man’s twisted vision to turn beasts into humans. If anyone can find something charming about that theme it’s the creator of Mega Man and Resident Evil!

Keiji Inafune announces his first game after leaving Capcom: The Island of Dr. Momo. A mobile title for iOS and Android platforms, Dr. Momo stars a mad scientist who splices cute animals together in order to create the epitome of adorableness. A social/casual game might not be what fans were necessarily hoping for from Inafune, but I think the combination of cute things and a freemium pay scheme could be very dangerous in his hands. [andriasang]   

Walmart reveals that it will rollback restrictions on data sharing from its United States stores. For the past decade the country’s largest retailer has refused to release sales numbers -- to the frustration of market watchers, video-game and otherwise. Now firms like Nielson Co. and NPD can use these statistics to find out what's selling at Walmart, Sam’s Club, and other stores under the corporation’s control. [Gamasutra via Advertising Age]

Rift's developer outlines the cost of gold farming. Trion Worlds General Manager Scott Hartsman told Gamasutra that the cash-for-virtual-gold market hurts developers when dealers sell their clients' credit information. Companies like Visa and MasterCard charge developers when these transactions result in fraud. "Those fines are money that should be going into making games better, and instead they're going into fighting the fact that people are jerks in the world," Hartsman said. For more information, you can read Gamasutra's feature on video-game economies as well as one Bitmobber’s take on the human costs of the practice. [Gamasutra]

Australia plans to introduce an R18+ classification for video games pending federal government approval. In the past, companies would have to tone down M-rated games to meet a MA15+ restriction or risk having the title banned from the country. While the attorney general of New South Wales abstained from voting, the censorship officials who represent Australia’s other states and territories agreed in principal to establish the rating. The adult classification should go into effect by the end of the year. [GameSpot]