It's Wednesday and that means a brand, spanking new Humpdate is ready to tickle your ears and caress your brain.

This week we used a new feature in our recording software that actually allows us to time our topics. What? You mean the Humpdate will actually be shorter than an hour, like we promised?!

Yes! Clocking in at a smidge over 45 minutes, it's just the right amount of time to hit the major topics of the first half of the gaming-news week.

And, can we say, for a month that is known for being traditionally void of news, it was a wild week in gaming news. Itakagi hates Tecmo. Critics hate Konami. The ESA hates everyone! This is what happens when idle hands and minds are left with little to do in the month of June.

Topics after the jump...

What's on tap this episode? Well, let us tell you:

Tecmo president Yoshimi Yasuda tells Team Ninja director Tomonobu Itagaki that, if he doesn't like it, quit or sue. Left in the wake: Questions about the future of Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive and where Itagaki will go.

. Revelations about Perry's ultra-conservative leanings and his feelings about mature-rated video games spark questions. Questions spark nasty remarks from the ESA -- because NOBODY QUESTIONS THE ESA!

. Take that, Konami overloards... I mean "protectors."

. Yay!

. Boo!

. Someone remind us exactly why games are $60?

Thank you to K Rock XP, LeftyBrown, and Mike From the Site for leaving comments on iTunes.

Stay tuned, because more GameHounds is heading your way on Saturday with GameHounds Episode 19.