UPDATE - Though there"s still no official word from Insomniac or Sony, the press release does claim the game will arrive "in stores" in Autumn of 2009. This definitely suggests a full disc-based title for this installment of the Ratchet and Clank series. The PlayStation.Blog teases that more details and a teaser trailer are coming soon, so we"ll let you know when they hit.

ORIGINAL STORY - The ending of Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty hinted strongly that the next Ratchet game is due this fall. While we naturally suspected the next game would be a full disc-based title, Joystiq reports that it"s looking to be another downloadable episode. Though details are scant at the moment, the next game is called A Crack in Time, and follows Ratchet"s adventures further as he tries to find Clank. Spoilers!

With the hint at the end of Quest for Booty, it seemed like Insomniac was content to switch off between their two big franchises. The year that brought Resistance 2 was a break from the Ratchet series, and so this year looked like a new Ratchet game as they take a break from Resistance. But, if the new Ratchet game this year is another small, downloadable title, there could be something else up Insomniac"s sleeves. We"ll keep you posted.