Krome studios' Ty the Tasmanian Tiger franchise has done remarkably well despite some gaming critics' whining about the general mediocrity of the gameplay and characters. This just goes to show you two very important things: 1) Game editors' opinions don't mean squat and 2) there's no keeping a lovable Aussie mascot down.

Up until now, Krome studios has used EA as their publisher, relying on the games giant to kick out copies to the masses here in the U.S. Whether the deal ran out or one of the parties cancelled it prematurely we're not sure, but the end result is that Krome has shacked up with EA's biggest rival, Activision.

Already hard at work on Ty 3, which notches up the multiplayer features, gives the overall engine a few upgrades, and brings back the cast from the previous two games to confront the otherworldly menace of an invading army of aliens called the Quinkan.

"We are very excited about the new found partnership with Krome Studios," droned Activision Value General Manager Dave Oxford. "The partnership between Activision Value, with its dedication to providing customers with great games and Krome Studios which produces award winning content, should result in great gains for both companies."

"We are pleased to have found such a fantastic and enthusiastic partner in Activision," agrees CEO and Co-founder Robert Walsh. "TY the Tasmanian Tiger series is a well-known and loved property so having their support and prowess will help to further champion and heighten the awareness of our yellow furry hero in the marketplace."

We'll get some proper play time as soon as possible, and return with the results... well, sometime later, we suppose.