The Rumour Mine: PES 2011 iPhone, Dead Space iPad, and UK iPad sales

Even though iPad has yet to launch outside of the US, the hype has seemingly died down about the device itself. Now, it's the games that are getting all the buzz.

There's not a ton on the horizon - most publishers are still gauging how well the device is selling and whether they should spent money on developing big games - but Gameloft and EA plan on pushing hard in the coming months.

In fact, Dead Space is among several titles EA is looking to bring to iPad soon, while Gameloft will release N.O.V.A. 2 in the next few months.

So if shooting things in space is what you like to do, things are looking up.

UK stores Currys and PC World to carry iPad exclusively

Details about the UK launch of iPad are still fuzzy (all that has been officially announced is a nebulous late May release), but rumour has it that Currys and PC World will be the exclusive carriers of the device.

Of course, that's in addition to Apple retail fronts that will sell the company's own revolutionary product. The exclusivity applies to third-party retail stores, of which Currys and PC World will be the only ones to carry iPad.

It's not a permanent exclusive that's being discussed, but a timed one: Bitter Wallet claims that the stores will have a 60-day window.

A similar deal was struck in the US with major tech retailer Best Buy, so it's not out of the realm of possibility for Apple to take the same approach in the UK.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 coming to iPhone

EA dominates iPhone and iPod touch with its FIFA series, while Gameloft tries to cut into the action with Real Football, and Exient has a go with its X2 Football games.

With so many football games on the App Store, why not another?

That's apparently Konami's thinking as the publisher preps Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 for iPhone and iPod touch. The company has been quietly crafting the iPhone version, wisely biding its time with the release of 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. With that now available, Konami is looking to hit the pitch with an official announcement soon.

To be frank, Konami has the opportunity to do some good despite the glut of football games available. Tight controls could put PES 2011 leagues ahead of competing titles, which has apparently been the primary focus for the European development team.

Multiplayer - specifically online - would also be a strong selling point, but it doesn't look like that will be in the mix of features this first go-around.

Work is still underway on the game, but unlike previous console releases that have been scheduled for early autumn, anticipate PES 2011 on the App Store mid-summer to celebrate the World Cup.

EA considering new Dead Space on-rails shooter for iPad

Dead Space: Extraction didn't sell well at all on Wii, but it was a critically praised game nonetheless. EA knows it had the right approach for the wrong platform.

Enter iPad. With console sequel Dead Space 2 expected in March 2011, there's been discussion of a complementary handheld version. Specific platforms weren't revealed, but with the increasing popularity of iPad and the critical success of Dead Space: Extraction it wouldn't be a surprise to learn that EA is interested in trying a similar game on Apple's newest device.

In fact, EA had originally considered porting over Dead Space: Extraction to iPad (it may still do so for Xbox Live and PlayStation Network). It's more likely, however, that a new game is being built around the device. The on-rails approach is particularly interesting for iPad given that a third-person shooter might be more difficult to play.

Given that Dead Space is one of EA's biggest hardcore franchises, we're likely to hear something official during E3 in June.