After talk of a fresh instalment to the colourful Katamari Damacy series emerged from the Namco Bandai stable last week, the Japanese company has now confirmed that the game is not only definitely on the way, but that it is expected to release in the US by the end of the year.

No European date has yet been mentioned – and considering that the fact that We Love Katamari, the most recent console instalment of the series, took nearly six months to make its way across the Atlantic, the UK could still be in for a wait.

Beautiful Katamari will boast 720p visuals and online multiplayer on both the PS3 and the 360. There has also been talk of downloadable content. The official website can be viewed online here.

Original series creator Keita Takahashi will not be involved with the project following his statement last year claiming he believed the series should be bought to a close. As a result, Jun Moriwaki, the co-lead designer on PSP title Me & My Katamari, steps in as lead designer for this new game.