There are few publishers today with a more impressive upcoming lineup than Microïds, but with release dates coming and going with no new information, the uncomfortable silence was growing louder by the week. Clearly there was plenty of talking behind the scenes, however, as today Microïds and Encore announced an exclusive partnership to publish the entire Microïds calalogue in North America.

The agreement between the companies includes Dracula 3: The Path of the Dragon, the first of four new titles, to be followed (not necessarily in order) by Sinking Island , Still Life 2 and Nostradamus . Along with the newer games, Encore also acquires the rights to all of Microïds' previous games, including Syberia and Amerzone.

If Encore is a name unknown in adventure circles, it's definitely not an inexperienced software publisher, having brought popular brands like Hoyle, Reader Rabbit, and Mavis Beacon to store shelves in the past.

The only downside of the deal is that each new release is now slated for some time in the "back half of 2008", so North American gamers anxiously awaiting these games will need to hold off a little while longer.