It seems that video game developers and publishers, after a bit of an hiatus, are beginning to “re-open support” to Apple’s operating system, Blizzard reveals that a beta for StarCraft II is in the advance stages of development and that they do plan to release the beta next month on Mac operating systems.

A Q&A panel on the Battle.net gives Apple owners hope: “We are currently working on a Mac version of the beta and hope to release it sometime in April,” the post states. “Hang in there.”

Though it’s currently planned for release on both PC and Mac platforms, only PC owners have been able to take part in the game’s beta, which began about a month ago. The beta is expected to end in late spring, making the two month gap for a Mac release a pretty substantial chunk of available time.

It’s pretty safe to say that Universal Media Discs are a dead content format. However, during Sony’s development session at GDC, the company said that they have no plans to abandon its optical disc format. The session was about the marketplace advantages and befits that exist on all PlayStation platforms.

When discussing its portable platform, the company said its UMD format is “alive and well” and that all retail games will continue to be available on Universal Media Discs and digitally from the PlayStation Network. The company also revealed the life-to-date sales of the PSP, revealing that since it’s North American release, sales have reached 17 million total units stateside.

[UMD Format "Alive And Well" via IGN]

Though developers can quickly integrate the technology into their games, the upcoming Medal of Honor reboot won’t take advantage of Sony’s motion tech. According to Medal of Honor creative director, Richard Farrelly, the upcoming Medal of Honor reboot will not feature “PlayStation Move” capability.

“We had a look at it, but we decided that it needed to have a meaningful application for us to use it – which it didn’t this time. We rule out anything that risks feeling like a gimmick,” Farrelly explained.

Last night, Move was announced as the proper name for the PlayStation motion controller after months of speculation. It’s was announced that it uses a combination of wand-style controlling devices and the PlayStation Eye camera to track movement. Move will launch at a “sub $100″ price tag — with three featured bundles — this fall.

Throughout its development, Sony didn’t say much about its motion controller device. However, during the companies development programing presentation at the Game Developers Conference, the PlayStation-maker released mountains of details about the upcoming device, a device entitled “Move”.

Fully titled “PlayStation Move”, Move uses a combination of wand-style controlling devices and the PlayStation Eye camera to track movement. ”It allows you to immerse yourself into the action with incredible precision, rather than simply playing a game,” said Sony Vice President, Peter Dille. Dille also says that the device can recognize both “fast and subtle” movements.

“We’re paving a path from the Wii household to the PS3 household,” he continued. “We’re planning to design games that target all genres and audiences, including core gamers, and we’re treating this like a virtual platform launch. This will be our biggest effort of the year.” In conjunction with the Eye, Move will launch at a “sub $100″ price tag — with three featured bundles — this fall.

Intended to compete with the popular Star Trek massive multiplayer online title, Bigpoint, a browser games portal, revealed its plans release a tactical space combat MMO based on the Battlestar Galactica series, Battlestar Galactica Online. The game, which will be introduced at the Game Developers Conference this week, is set to be released worldwide in August or September.

The Unity co-developed MMO will be the first title inspired by a blockbuster franchise to be developed on Unity technology, offering a game with state of the art graphics that can be played directly on an Internet browser; this independent engine makes it possible to produce real-time 3D applications without having to download a client.

“Battlestar Galactica has a huge and passionate fan base. We are proud to be able to publish such an internationally famous title as one of our online games. For the first time ever, we’re relying completely on Unity in order to offer our users fantastic game graphics right in their browsers,” explains Heiko Hubertz, founder of Bigpoint.

Though gaming support on the operating system could be considered as dead, Valve has announced that its Steam, gaming digital downloading service, will be headed to Apple’s Mac operating systems as soon as next month, which is April. Taping into a market that has been long ignored by, mostly, every gaming front.

The launch of Steam on Macs will bring with it Mac-friendly versions of Valve’s latest releases, including “Left 4 Dead 2,” “Team Fortress 2,” “Counter-Strike,” “Portal,” and the “Half-Life”, to the Mac. However, the most important feature of the program is the new “Steam Play” feature which allows PC and Mac users to play games with or against each other online.

“Steamworks for the Mac supports all of the Steamworks APIs, and we have added a new feature, called Steam Play, which allows customers who purchase the product for the Mac or Windows to play on the other platform free of charge,” explained Valve’s director of business development, Jason Holtman. “For example, Steam Play, in combination with the Steam Cloud, allows a gamer playing on their work PC to go home and pick up playing the same game at the same point on their home Mac.”

People, for obvious reasons, stated Microsoft’s platform as the development lead for Bayonetta; we later gained conformation from its developer, sparking a bit of frustration with fans. As a reason of repentance, Platinum Games have announced that their next title, Vanquish will feature Sony’s platform as the development lead.

“We’re leading development on PS3,” said director Shinji Mikami. “Obviously each console has its own unique requirements and limitations, but we feel if we can create a good enough presentation on PS3, we’ll be off to a good start.” Mikami also revealed that development started out on PC, although when asked if it was coming to that platform, Mikami said PS3 and 360 were “the main idea right now”.

To many, the previous installment into the series was a bit of a disappointment. However, it seems that Zipper Interactive is fixing to atone for the mistakes of developer Slant Six, who developed Confrontation. Because Sony have announced that Zipper Interactive are developing the next installment into the SOCOM series, SOCOM 4.

According to the PlayStation Europe Blog, the game takes place within South East Asia, where “a revolutionary army has seized control of a country bordering one of the world’s most vital waterways; threatening to disrupt the global economy.” Players will assume the role of the commander of a five-man squad of NATO commandos dispatched to prevent international trade from being disrupted. Their mission will only last six days, a time limit that Sony says will add urgency into the campaign.

As we come to expect from the series, this installment will have an extensive multiplayer component, allowing for 32-player matches. That said, Zipper Interactive are aiming for a fall released date, revealed community manager, Jeremy Dunham when responding to a fans question. “Yep. Coming out in the fall,” he said.

They’re currently at the tip of an industry controversy; respectively because of the companies Infinity Ward crisis. However, during this fiasco, Activision revealed that Sledgehammer Games, a newly formed studio led by former Visceral Games executives, will be developing a new Call of Duty title that will “extend the franchise into the action-adventure genre.”

Exactly what the publisher meant by this, they didn’t say. However, it did confirm that there will be another Call of Duty title in 2011, but it’s unclear if the title is Sledgehammer’s, or another Infinity Ward title. That said, there was also conformation that Treyarch will be handling the development Call of Duty 2010, rumored to be set either during the Cold War or Vietnam War.

“2010 will be another important year for the Call of Duty franchise,” stated Mike Griffith, President and CEO of Activision Publishing. “In addition to continued catalog sales, new downloadable content from Infinity Ward and a new Call of Duty release, we are excited about the opportunity to bring the franchise to new geographies, genres and players.”

Though the developer recently released the industry fastest grossing title, Infinity Ward still lost two company heads; even though the company was considered as “intangible”. However, these loses aren’t economically related. According to big brother company Activision, Infinity Ward’s Jason West and Vince Zampella were simultaneously left go due to “breaches of contract”.

However, Activision doesn’t believe that these loses will “have a material impact on the company.” But, on the contrary, industry analyst Ben Schachter believes that their dismissing could have a dramatic affect Activision’s stock prices and the upcoming downloadable content for Modern Warfare 2.

“We expect the very vocal gaming press to put the story front and center,” Schachter said in a note this morning, reports GameSpot.

He then went on to point out that “disruptions at Infinity Ward could, however, affect quality/timing of the downloadable content (DLC) for Modern Warfare 2 (which we estimate could contribute $0.03 -$0.04 in 2010 earnings per share). However, it is unclear at this point what the extent of the impact, if any, on the DLC will be.”

The two technical parted ways when Team Ninja Head Tomonobu Itagaki left two years ago, however since then, Itagaki and Tecmo have been tussling in court; Itagaki claims that Tecmo owns him $1.4 million in unpaid bonuses. But, the courts won’t be settling this agreement. Because Tecmo and Itagaki have finally reached to an agreement.

“I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your great help and words of encouragement which have been extended to me so far. I can’t hardly wait for the day of announcing my newest work in progress to you all, but I promise you now that I will deliver to you an enjoyable game with depth that surpasses all the games I created before, and is worthy of being world-class entertainment,” said Itagaki in a statement given to 1UP.

This settlement marks the end of a long and successful partnership, but as you can tell from Itagaki’s statements, he’s planning to announce new title under his new development studio, Tokyo Vikings. Meanwhile, Tecmo and Team Ninja have revealed on series’ established by Itagaki, including Ninja Gaiden and the upcoming Dead or Alive title.

It’s hard to say that something has “out done” the original without some kind of proof, something without a doubt proofing that the successor is better than the original. Throughout the review process, I considered searching for this. Then I stopped and realized that I needed no evidence; this sequel is proof on its own. That’s why I pride myself by saying that BioWare have outdone themselves with Mass Effect 2. By them doing so, they’ve fulfilled the promises of the original while continuing to push the boundaries of what we can expect from a modern-day role-playing game.

Intended to capture a darker and more serious tone, Mass Effect 2 begins with an attack on the SSV Normandy, leaving it destroyed and Shepard, series protagonist, missing in action. However, thanks to some “unexplainable” events, Shepard returns. This time under the influence of a controversial pro-human organization called Cerberus. You see, human colonies have been disappearing across the galaxy and The Illusive Man, the watchful eyes of Cerberus, needs you to find and eliminated the forces behind these disappearances. However, Shepard can’t do this alone; he’ll need a squad.

In total there are eleven squad members, each with their own past experiences and specialization. However their most important attribute are their motivations; their motivations add a level of engagement to the Mass Effect 2 experience. For example, Thane, a Drell assassin, has chosen to fight alongside you in his final hours. Just by this example alone, you can understand him; him wanting to pass on in a positive light and the absolution of his sins. Its human characteristics like these that build a bond between the player and the character, an aspect present throughout the Mass Effect 2 experience.

Another engaging aspect of Mass Effect 2 is the improved combat and control systems. Though the controls are relatively the same, BioWare added more options to the control interface with better squad commands and a smoother cover system, addressing complaints of the original. These improvements have drastically changed the control and combat systems, making for a more streamlined, action-packed experienced. However, these systems need work; they are choppy and poorly mixed into combat. Add in some collision issues, and you add for a bad combination; in other words, prepare for a bit of bedlam.

This is what brings me to the technical aspect of Mass Effect 2. Taking note of the criticisms from the original, BioWare has improved on Mass Effect in almost every way. However, the most notable complaint of the original were its technical and presentational issues. That in mind, I’m happy to report that there are no major technical issues to speak of; this is a much smoother experience when compared to the original. But, thanks to the games excellent presentational style, it’s able to seamlessly makes up for any technical mishaps that may happen — there maybe some unseen glitches present.

However, the technical and presentational aspects aren’t the only things that have improved. BioWare also streamlined the games inventory and skill management systems. Though these systems may seem a bit dumbed down from the original, they divert the attention away from content management and onto visceral combat –- visceral combat being very important in this installment. In other words, you’ll don’t have to worry about the armor your teammates equipped with anymore, and seeing that content selection is slim, it shouldn’t take you more than a few moments to get your squad prepped for action.

Closing Statement:

Though there maybe some questionable missteps, planet scanning being a prefect example of one, Mass Effect 2 is the share-product of a developer lessening to the criticisms of the fans and innovating on them. As I said at the beginning of the review, I pride myself by saying that BioWare have outdone themselves with this sequel and, if you have been paying attention, you’ll know that is a game that was only achievable thanks impart to the collective criticisms of its fans. In other words, I can’t wait to see what the final installment in the series is to bring to the table.

Final Score: 9.4

It’s likely the most anticipated game of this year, but how much space does it take up on a Blu-Ray disc? Apparently, alot! Tim Moss, Director of Technology at Sony Santa Monica, revealed the monstrous amount of space that God of War III will take up on a Blu-Ray disc.

In a tweet placed this morning, Moss states “#GOW3 35GB of goodness. Thank heavens for Dual Layer Blu-Rays”. That in mind, it’s great to see a developer using the disc space being used so wisely, seeing that a discs total capacity is about 50 gigabits of space. Everytime we hear news about God of War III, it seems to get better and better.

[TheLostGamer]

Harmonix, the original Guitar Hero developers, were trade by Activision in 2006. However, since then, Harmonix have developed the Rock Band series, a series that has produced heavy competition for Activision in the music game genre. Now, almost four years later, Bobby Kotick, Activision CEO, says that letting go of Harmonix was a mistake.

“We had always known them as sort of somewhat a failed developer of music games. They always had really great ideas but nothing that was really commercially viable until Guitar Hero. And [we thought], it’s a good piece of software, and if we gave it to [Activision-owned Tony Hawk development studio] Neversoft, they’d knock the ball out of the park with this,” he said — according to Kotaku.

“We really didn’t even think, ‘Hey we should go to Boston, and meet these Harmonix guys and see what they’re up to.’ And, of course, if we had gone up, I think the world of Guitar Hero would have been rewritten. It would be a lot different today. And it would probably be a profitable opportunity for both of us and an opportunity where you’d have even more innovation in the category.”

“A lot of times when you get caught up in the financial details of the business, it makes you overlook what’s really important, which is who’s passionate, who’s committed, who’s inspired and where’s the next idea going to come from,” he continued.

There’s no doubt that Final Fantasy XIII is a massive game; however, its developers don’t have any plans when it comes to adding to the experience. When being question about the games downloadable content, FFXIII’s producer and director revealed that they don’t have any plans for downloadable content.

“Regarding the DLC content, we feel that the final product is 100% enjoyable…it’s the complete package,” says Final Fantasy XIII producer, Yoshinori Kitase, and director, Motomu Toriyama in a joint statement — in a chat with the European PlayStation Blog.” So we’re not planning any DLC at this time.”

They also commented on recent rumours that content cuts from Final Fantasy XIII will be added as downloadable content.

“In regard to the rumoured cut content, we feel it was taken out of context,” explained Kitase and Toriyama. “There are a lot of ideas that are brought to the table, and then the team takes the best ideas out of those, and the final product is polished that way. There was content that were ‘ideas’ that didn’t make the final content, but the team isn’t looking to release that as downloadable content.”

That said, it’s understandable if Square doesn’t want to talk about downloadable content at this time. But, if there really isn’t going to be downloadable content, there’s going to be a lot of disappointed players. However, then again, Square could be messing with us — I just hope they are.

Though there were hopes for a PC version post-console release, Microsoft shattered any question of their being a PC version. According to Strategy Informer, a Microsoft spokesperson told them that Alan Wake will no longer have a PC version; something that its developers, Remedy Entertainment, were camera shy to talk about since the version’s suspending.

“Some games are more suited for the intimacy of the PC, and others are best played from the couch in front of a larger TV screen,” explained the Microsoft spokesperson.

“We ultimately realized that the most compelling way to experience “Alan Wake” was on the Xbox 360 platform, so we focused on making it an Xbox 360 exclusive. Both Microsoft and Remedy have long histories in PC game development. This decision was about matching this specific game to the right platform.”

Though I’m not necessary “pissed” by this announcement, Lionhead boss Peter Molyneux revealed that Fable III won’t have a traditional health indicator, or a heads-up display. Instead, Fable III will use the environment to show how close you are to death. “Look at the screen!” Molyneux gushed during an X10 preview event. “It’s completely clean!”

But, what does this mean for the other menus and gauges? “The 2-D parts of Fable I and Fable II were rubbish,” Molyneux responded. “That’s why people didn’t change their clothes, or change their weapons.” In Fable III, he said, he’s looking to make that character-customization “part of the game”.

Amid the festivities at Microsoft’s X10 event, developer Capcom announced the official release date for the highly anticipated sequel, Dead Rising 2. The company announced that the sequel will be hitting the market on August 31st in North America; slating Dead Rising 2 for release a month before the holiday season begins.

The company also announced a “downloadable prologue” entitled Dead Rising 2: CASE ZERO — something the developer plans to release exclusively on Microsoft’s platform. The downloadable prologue will introduce players to the games main protagonist, Chuck Greene and provide a link between the original game and the events that await.

There’s no question that Dragon Age was one of the best releases of 2009; it won many awards, and has an average review score of 91. And to add to the excitement, BioWare has just announced that Dragon Age: Origins has sold over 3.2 million units worldwide, granting Dragon Age triple platinum status.

“This is a tremendous start for the Dragon Age franchise and we are extremely pleased with the great reception the game has already received from critics and fans worldwide,” said BioWare’s Dr. Ray Muzyka in reponse to the news.

“Our team is dedicated to crafting high quality, engaging new adventures and stories in the world of Ferelden for our fans!,” he continued in excitement. The upcoming expansion pack, Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening is set to launch on March 16, 2010.

Recovering from an debilitating first half, the New Orleans Saints marched down the field, both offensively and defensively, giving them the victory over the Indianapolis Colts; winning the teams its first Super Bowl championship, as predicted by the Madden NFL Super Bowl simulation.

“We played for so much more than ourselves. We played for our city. We played for the entire Gulf Coast region. We played for ‘Who Dat’ nation,” said Drew Brees, Saints Quarterback and Super Bowl MVP. “The city was 85 percent under water, most of the population moved to other cities, and none of them knew if they’d ever come back. It’s just an amazing feeling.”

However, the simulation predicted that there would be “offensive fireworks” from both sides of the field but, as you could tell, Super Bowl XLIV was pretty much one sided, for the most part. But, on the other hand, the simulation was right about Drew Brees taking home the MVP title.

“I’ve never even thrown for six touchdowns in ‘Madden,’” Brees told ESPN after throwing six touchdowns in real life against the Lions. “I’ve had people throw six touchdowns on me, but I’ve never thrown that many in ‘Madden.’ Fans tell me that my ‘Madden‘ character is all souped-up in the game, and it’s pretty crazy to sit there and see how cool the graphics look, but I guess I’m just not very good at playing as myself.”

EA Madden NFL 2010

Though there are mixed feelings, Modern Warfare is known to deliver an action-packed experience; in other words, they’ve set a new kind of standard in action delivery. When being interviewed by IGN, senior vice president and head of Visceral Games, Nick Earl offered some details to the anticipated sequel.

“I can tell you that we’re a little more focused on action horror as opposed to survival horror. We just created a really beautiful sequence that we’re showing internally — we haven’t showed it externally yet, but we will get it out there soon — that I think speaks to the high voltage nature of the game,” he said.

“Some really strong action sequences that I think are on par with the level that we’re seeing in the Modern Warfare series and with the level that we’re seeing in Uncharted. Just beautiful, visual imagery and very electric action,” he continued. Earl then stated that Dead Space 2 would see further polish, making the experience “jaw-dropping in terms of scale and scope”.

Madden NFL is virtually everywhere, it’s even on the iPhone; and, now it’s coming to Facebook. Peter Moore, president of EA Sports, revealed that they’re planning a Facebook installment of the Madden NFL franchise. “We have to make ‘Madden’ more accessible,” Moore said. “You’ll see us on Facebook going forward.”

A Facebook version of Madden would deliver a “simpler experience” as its the console counterparts, relayed Moore. That said, when asking about a release date, David Tinson, a spokesman for EA Sports, told Bloomberg that an official announcement, or release date hasn’t been decided, yet.

Update: Electronic Arts released THE REAL Super Bowl advertisement.

Those expecting to “Go to Hell” during the Super Bowl maybe be a bit upset. In an attempted to make the Super Bowl viewing experience as “family-friendly” as possible, CBS has rejected the Dante’s Inferno “Go to Hell” Super Bowl advertisement. However, Electronic Arts, its publisher, were told to revise the commercial so that it reads “Hell Awaits”, instead.

Electronic Art had brought the “Go to Hell” tagline to use in several marketing strategies. However, “It was deemed too provocative,” said Paulo Ribeiro when talking about the commercials verdict. “The final verdict has yet to be rendered, but it is unlikely that we will get [it by game day].”

The Super Bowl advertisement will cap off a breakthrough marketing campaign crafted for Dante’s Inferno; this will be Electronic Arts’ first ad during the Super Bowl.

“Even within the spectrum of live sports events, the Super Bowl stands apart, almost as a national holiday,” said Frank Gibeau, president at EA. “The Super Bowl is a bull’s-eye in terms of cross-over to our core demographic and the reach is outstanding. Not only does it draw 100 million viewers, but most people watch the Super Bowl live, a rarity in the world of DVRs.”

Prepare your HDD because, just like many other games on the system, Heavy Rain requires an install; respectively to help eliminate in-game hiccups. According to JustPushPlay, Heavy Rain’s installation will set you back exactly 4.5 gigabytes of space, however exactly how long the install will take, is still a mystery.

Andare all’Inferno. Translation: Go to Hell! In the newest trailers for the highly anticipated title, Dante’s Inferno, it showcases Dante’s wicked-fast moves as he slashes and slaughters, massacres and mangles the devil’s demons through Hell’s nine circles. Equipped with Death’s Scythe, Dante must save his love Beatrice, and in so doing, facing his own demons.

I’m sure that there were some frustrating moments throughout the development of the iPad, but at least we can all agree on one thing; there’s alot of potential in the device. That said, the vice president of Epic Games, Mark Rein weighed in on Apple’s newest device and… apparently, he’s “really impressed”.

“The quality of the materials is outstanding. The screen is amazing and the super-sized apps were fantastic,” he told Kotaku. “Everything seems to perform really well on the iPad and I was blown away by the iWork apps – I thought bringing those to iPad was a brilliant move by Apple!”

However, just like most of us, Rein is still on the fence — on rather he should invest in an iPad 1.0. “Apple has done a great job at constantly improving the user experience on Mac and iPhone so I can only imagine where this platform can go in the future,” Rein added, practically guaranteeing at least one iPad 2.0 in his future.

Movies based on anything within the gaming industry are notorious for being bad. However, BioWare, Mass Effect series creator, has insured us that, if there’s going to be a film, they’ll make sure that it’s in the “right hands”. And that, for some time now, Hollywood has been keen on garbing the Mass Effect movie license.

“Obviously we have a tremendous amount of interest from people in Hollywood to make a major motion picture about ‘Mass Effect,’” BioWare’s Casey Hudson told MTV. “The most important thing for us is, we don’t just want to see a movie get made. We want to see a great movie get made, if it’s going to get done at all.”

However, back in ‘08, Avi Arad, known for some awesome comic-book adaptations, optioned the film rights for Mass Effect. But, since then, we’ve heard anything. “We’re just looking at our options there, but waiting to make sure we have something really right before we do it,” Hudson told MTV.

Have you ever sucked at a game? And whatever you did, or do, you continued to suck? (Yeah, me too.) But, there’s a theory behind the madness. In a study published in The Journal of the Cerebral Cortex, it revealed that the size of your brain can actually have an affect on your gaming skills.

Scientists at the University of Illinois have studied specific parts of the Striatum, a collection of tissues deep inside your cerebral cortex, and it revealed that brain size can influence a gamers ability to “refine his or her motor skills, learn new procedures, develop useful strategies and adapt to a quickly changing environments,” or in other words, playing games.

“This is the first time that we’ve been able to take a real world task like a video game and show that the size of specific brain regions is predictive of performance and learning rates on this video game,” said Kirk Erickson, professor of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh and the author on the study.

“Playing a game which requires very fast deployment of visual attention and motor movement could prime a strategy of speed over accuracy,” explained Nelson, “while playing a game which emphasizes a slower, more thoughtful pace could prime the opposite pattern. The main point is that different kinds of video games engage different cognitive and perceptual skills, and there are measurable differences in their effects, even in the short term.”

However, it does not work in reverse; you can’t play a bunch of video games and grow those structures in your brain — you’re stuck with the equipment you’re given from birth.

Despite having previously stated that trilogy’s exclusiveness is “in the question”, the Mass Effect series lead project director, Casey Hudson revealed that the trilogy, just like how it started, will finish on Microsoft’s platform. When questioned about the trilogy going multi-platform, Hudson had a couple of choice words:

“You get the Xbox 360 or your PC, but the Xbox 360 is the one that’s going to run out of time at some point, and you create your character and play through an entire trilogy on that platform,” Hudson told GameZone.

As early last week, Hudson did revealed that he’s expecting a “short turnaround” with the development of third installment into the trilogy, meaning that after the release of Mass Effect 2, development should begin shortly after. Be that as it may, this news still confirms a multi-platform Mass Effect 3; it doesn’t detract from there being one.

I know what you’re thinking; BioWare has done it again, announcing additional content before they release a game. However, hear me out, and you’ll actually like what I have to say. Anyway, BioWare today announced an in-game portal in which players will be updated through downloadable content and breaking news.

The Cerberus Network (as its called) is activated exclusively by original purchasers of Mass Effect 2 through a single-use unlock code that comes included in retail and digital versions of the game. However, for players who do not buy the game new, The Cerberus Network can be unlocked through a one-time, in-game purchase of a new activation code.

Players who access The Cerberus Network will receive the first DLC pack on January 26th (launch day in North America) featuring new missions and in-game items. Included in this pack is a mission that introduces Zaeed, a rugged and deadly gun-for-hire who is recruited to join Commander Shepard’s mission to save mankind.

Rockstar has received a larger amount of heat because of the recent in-house work condition accusations, which is something that Rockstar has declined to comment about. However, its employees/ex-employees have been very candid on the matter. According to Joystiq, a former employee told to them that the in-house conflict has affected the development of Max Payne.

When discussing Max Payne’s release, the former employee revealed that Rockstar had planned on releasing Max Payne “August 2010″, but they aren’t sure if that will still happen. “The game’s story just went through another total re-write earlier this month (the third that I am aware of in the past two years) and that [means] the team would have to have all of the content done by April or May to make that August release date,” said the source.

The source also reports of an “enforced crunch mode through to the end of the project”, meaning “14 – 16 hour work days, six or seven days a week” for developers, with a canceled two-week vacation time over the holidays. However, Rockstar has, unsurprising, declined to comment on anything, once again. Max Payne 3 is due to release later this year, however, that release target is still in the question.

Netflix plans to continue its domination of the video streaming market with its newest partnership, introducing its steaming service onto the Wii. According to Netflix, the program is scheduled to release onto Nintendo’s platform this spring, and it will require consumers to reserve a disc in-order to participate (they also must have an account, of course).

“Our research shows that 86 percent of all U.S. Wii consoles are located in the living room,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “The Wii console is the social hub around which friends and family members gather to play games and have fun. Soon both new and longtime Wii owners will enjoy the benefits of Netflix – and a variety of informational and entertainment options – by being Netflix members and connecting their consoles to the Internet.”

The partnership between the two companies will extend the reach of Netflix, thanks in-part to the mainstream popularity of the Wii. The Netflx program will be available on the platform this spring and, to enable the streaming, consumers will need an instant-streaming disc, which is currently available at no additional cost to subscribers via the Netflix’s website.

Rebellion has a great reputation, developing a huge variety of hit games. However, as of lately, the companies quality has been lacking, with it producing such lackluster titles as Rogue Warrior. Now, Rebellion has announced that its Derby facility, who developed Rogue Warrior, will be undergoing restructuring.

“We are very excited about the expansion of our Oxford offices, the home of Aliens vs. Predator. Recruitment is ongoing both in Oxford and in Runcorn,” said Jason Kingsley, CEO and Creative Director of Rebellion.

“However, growth is sometimes painful, never more so than in the current climate and we have had to take a long hard look at how we operate our studio network. Strategically we have decided to review the need for the Derby facilities, and consultation with staff at Derby is ongoing,” he continued.

Rumors of Derby’s closure emerged this morning, but it’s unclear if the studio will close. “No-one has been made redundant by Rebellion in more than a decade, and the Derby studio is very much still open while we conduct the review. We are currently undergoing a process of consultancy with our staff to get their ideas, and establish the best possible future for the Derby studio,” stated Kingsley. The studio plans to make a detailed announcement in the coming weeks.

When you think about racing video games, one of the first games that come to mind would be Midnight Club. However, when conducting an investigation of Rockstar San Diego — because of the recent work condition accusations — anonymous sources (within the company, of course) spoke about Midnight Club’s future.

“Jay Panek and Mark Garone, people who were at the company for over 10 years, were fired in 2009 after the completion of Midnight Club: LA … other major people quit, as they lost hope in the company after the handling of MC:LA and didn’t want to work on Red Dead Redemption,” reported one source.

When questioned about the possibility of there being another title, a second source relayed to Joystiq that “there was going to be another”. But, soon after the team got the news, they had been outsourced. However, at the time, a small development team were still developing the title. Then, after a while, nothing happen. So anything could, and would, happen to the Midnight Club series at this point, seeing that Take-Two, its big brother, wants something soon.

Alien vs. Predator has received an amazing amount of press, because of the overwhelming amount of violence throughout the game. However, Rebellion, it’s developer, have refused to edit AvP for any country, including Australia. In a recent interview, Rebellion Studios’ Martin Kennedy and Alex Moore openly spoke about Alien vs. Predator being banned.

“It’s just red-tape standing in the way. There’s no logical reason why Australia couldn’t have an 18 rating. People who want the game will get [it] imported, it’s not going to hurt us. If anything it’s been a bit of decent publicity,” Kennedy said. “We’re not going to water down the game for countries that can’t treat adults like adults,” added Moore.

Moore even to compared Australia’s government to the past situations within Germany, in where Germany went on a banning spree. “Germany’s always one of those places that we’ve known it was going to be difficult because the first one [game] got banned in Germany as well,” Moore continued. Alien vs. Predator is due out early this year.

Microsoft has done it again, delivering content on its platform before anyone else can receive it. However, unsurprisingly, there are two sides to this pandemic; one supporting Microsoft, and the other against Microsoft dishing out money for exclusives. That said, Microsoft has responded to the “non-supporters”, who are non-supportive of them with their current downloadable content deal.

“I think about it like a sports team, when you sign a star athlete for your team… when you sign that free agent, I think it makes your team better. At the end of the day, we want to turn as many people as possible into Xbox 360 fans,” said Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg when asked about the business of getting exclusive content with ArsTechnica.

“…on top of that, to take the biggest game of last year, and be the exclusive place you can get that downloadable content first, I think that’s a big deal. That’s a big reason you’d want to buy an Xbox 360 instead of another console, “he continued. “So we think from a business standpoint that’s part of the reason more people are buying the Xbox 360, more people are on Xbox Live, it’s part of the reason more people are buying Modern Warfare 2—more than two to one our box vs. the PS3.”

BioWare has revealed that it has already started “building” the third Mass Effect title, even though the second hasn’t hit the market yet. Talking vaguely about the final chapter in the trilogy, project manager Casey Hudson spoke about the upcoming installment into the Mass Effect trilogy at the Consumer Electronics Show.

“We are already at work on Mass Effect 3,” he told IGN. “Building the first bits of the story, putting that together.” However, he did reveal that, simultaneously, BioWare would also be working on the downloadable content for Mass Effect 2 extending the life and replay value of the sequel.

“There will be great downloadable content throughout the time that Mass Effect 2 is out there while people are waiting for the third one. You’ll always have great stuff. New adventures to play. New things to do,” he continued. With that in mind, he continued to taking about the final chapter into the Mass Effect trilogy, Mass Effect 3.

“I think the exciting thing in the final chapter of the series is going to be just seeing where everything goes that we started,” said Casey, remaining vague. “With Mass Effect and now Mass Effect 2, you’ll see when you play it, all of these threads keep going. And not only that, all of the choices you’ve made too. You made choices in Mass Effect and you’ll see those in Mass Effect 2. And it just cascades. And people will see that by the time you finish Mass Effect 2, you’ll know that it’s your universe — everything is the way you set it out — and that all of these things get to come to fruition and some kind of ending in the final chapter.”

Sony had a very impressive 2009; however, Microsoft is seeking to gain 2010. That said, with expectations set very high on both fronts, Microsoft has added Fable III to the list of games that it will be releasing this year — something that we did see coming, seeing that Lionhead announced the game late-last year.

According to Microsoft’s CES press release, the company is looking to fill its gaming holiday release schedule with highly anticipated titles, such as Halo: Reach and Fable III. “Our holiday line-up of games includes the highly anticipated Fable III, followed by Halo Reach,” read the press release. With that in mind, Fable III is scheduled to release this holiday season on the Xbox 360.

Alan Wake is most likely one of the most anticipated titles of this year, with it nearing development completion, Microsoft revealed during the Consumer Electronics Show that Alan Wake will indeed have “downloadable episodes” after its release — something that was previously mentioned in an interview.

“We have talked about it, and with our episode-based structure, it would be very logical,” Alan Wake creator and writer Sam Lake told Kotaku. “But nothing has been decided on the matter, and right now, we are fully focused on polishing the game and shipping it. After that, let’s see.”

After an humiliating attempt with Bionic Commando, it seems that Capcom wants DONE with western developers altogether. In a Q&A session held earlier this week, the company’s president Haruhiro Tsujimoto revealed that he wasn’t happy with the collaborations they’ve done here in the west, and that, from now on, new IPs will be developed in-house, in Japan.

“Our experience with Bionic Commando has demonstrated the difficulty of outsourcing the development of new title to overseas companies”, he said. “Nevertheless, we cannot develop a sufficient number of titles without using the resources of these companies. This is why we plan to continue using these alliances.”

“We are considering ways to separate the roles of activities in Japan and overseas. We plan to develop new titles primarily in Japan. Overseas companies may be used mostly to develop titles for existing game series with well-established characters and universal themes. Overseas companies will also handle certain parts and/or lineups of such games.”

We can understand why he’s disappointed; Bionic Commando wasn’t a huge success. However, before his statement, he did mention that collaborating with western developers is hard work because of the lack of communication throughout the development process. But, as I was stating, I don’t think that Bionic Commando was a failure because of poor development. It was because of poor advertisement on Capcom’s part.

Within the past couple of years, Ubisoft has centered itself as a comparable developer/publisher. That said, wanting to expand its reach, the publisher revealed its ambitions to develop a Japanese role-playing game, much like the Final Fantasy series. When be interviewed Famitsu, Ubisoft’s Alain Corre spoke about the companies general ambitions within the role-playing genre.

“People often say that Japan is packed with hardcore gamers, and it’s important to understand what it is they’re looking for,” Corre said in the Famitsu interview. “Our mission is to create hit games on the same level as Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. We’d like to see everyone in Japan root for us. Perhaps someday our efforts will result in a major hit on the level of a Dragon Quest.”

“We have never made any RPGs, a genre Japanese people love,” he continued. “We’ve made shooters, strategy, sports, action, and adventure games, but not any RPGs yet. Still, we’re open to all possibilities. If we can get a quality team of RPG-oriented developers, I’d love to release one. If we have a chance to work with Japanese creators, then I’m sure we can make a game that appeals to the Japanese audience.”

Corre also made it known that they’re “currently investing in Japanese development studios”, and that they’ll be revealing more about those projects “in a year’s time.” With that said, could this have to do anything with “Project Eden”, Ubisoft’s collaboration with Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s Q Entertainment? Well… it’s anyone’s guest.

With the upcoming year vastly approaching us, we’ll like to thank all of our dedicated users for their support during this unforgettable year within the gaming industry. That said, we bid you farewell until 2010, but you’ll always remain in our minds; with all the respect in world, we wish you, and your families, a safe and enjoyable holiday season.

Nintendo fans left out of the Dark Void foray, rejoice! Because Capcom hasn’t forgotten about us. Capcom has revealed its plans for a downloadable prequel, that’s before the events of Dark Void, exclusively on DSiWare entitled Dark Void Zero. And, much like Mega Man 9, Dark Void Zero is being made with an 8-bit aesthetic in mind.

Feeding on the 8-bit nostalgia, Dark Void Zero will feature an original soundtrack, and evokes players to “blow” into the DSi microphone before playing the game – this will happen every time the player boots-up the game. Expected to release in January, Dark Void Zero will cost 500 DSi points and requires a DSi to play.

Japanese role-playing games don’t command the respect that they once had. But, why is that? BioWare, a leader in Western RPG development, believes that Japanese role-playing games don’t innovate, meaning that “lack of evolution” is the reason for the JRPG decline, in both sales and quality.

“The fall of the JRPG in large part is due to a lack of evolution, a lack of progression,” BioWare co-founder Greg Zeschuk told Destructoid last week. “They kept delivering the same thing over and over. They make the dressing better, they look prettier, but it’s still the same experience”.

“My favorite thing, it’s funny when you still see it, but the joke of some of the dialogue systems where it asks, ‘do you wanna do this or this,’ and you say no. ‘Do you wanna do this or this?’ No. ‘Do you wanna do this or this?’ No. Lemme think — you want me to say ‘yes.’ And that, unfortunately, really characterized the JRPG.”

“We have big debates on whether GTA is an RPG, for example”, he adds. “It’s got all the elements, it just doesn’t have the numbers. And what gamers here want is that higher depth, that higher integration of features…Mass Effect 2 is in some ways a continuation of that evolution.”

When in a convosation, Australia is a topic that every developer hates to talk about — mainly because their games, if violent, get banned within a split scond in Australia. But, not Rebellion. Because Australia’s Classification Review Board has reversed their decision to ban Aliens vs. Predator in Australia, with no content to be changed or removed.

Being developed by Rebellion Games, the game was original ruled as to violent due to “various types of violence, including explicit decapitation and dismemberment, as well as locational damage, such as stabbing through the chest, mouth, throat, or eyes.”

However, following the announcement of the ban, Rebellion made a statement claiming it would not release a “sanitized or cut-down version for territories where adults are not considered by their governments to be able to make their own entertainment choices.” Rebellion is developing Aliens vs. Predator for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.

High Moon Studios have drawn inspiration from Epic’s Gears of War series in the development of Transformers: War of Cybertron, the newest Tranformers game — the developer stated this when announcing the game. However, when speaking to Transformers World 2005, High Moon’s Matt Tieger clearify what they really meant by Gears being a inspiration.

Pondering the reasons behind the Gears motifs, Tieger stated that it could be that they’re using the same exact engine as Gears of War, the Unreal Engine. Also, it could be that Transformers: War of Cybertron is a “third-person” action game. But, he did mention that there are some notable differences.

“One, we are not a cover-based shooter (you think Megatron would take cover?) Two, transform anywhere. Three, special abilities add an additional layer of strategic depth. Four, finally, Transformers has always been a team based property and each character has unique abilities so teamwork becomes pivotal,”he continued.

Following its announcement, Capcom polled the fans asking them if they wanted the Resident Evil 5: Alternative Edition content in hard-disc form or in a downloadable form. That said, excluding the “Wesker’s Mansion” mission – the first episode – Capcom announced the second episode of downloadable content for Resident Evil 5, “Desperate Escape”.

Desperate Escape, slated to release in March, features series characters Jill Valentine and Josh Stone as they attempt to escape a Tri-cell facility, as well as hordes of zombies. The Desperate Escape downloadable content takes place at the end of Resident Evil 5, as Jill and Josh race to help Chris and Sheva against Albert Wesker.

Desperate Escape will be available on March 3 for Xbox 360 and March 4 for PlayStation 3.

Ever since its announcement, fans have been asking for the introduction of the original Left 4 Dead 1 survivors with the new Left 4 Dead 2 cast. That said, Valve today announced the first piece of downloadable content for Left 4 Dead 2, which will feature the introduction of the two survivor casts.

Due out next spring, The Passing will take place between the Dead Center and the Dark Carnival campaigns within Left 4 Dead 2. Set in a small town within rural Georgia, players will assume the role of the L4D2 survivors as they meet up with the L4D1 survivors.

However, that’s not all. The Passing will also include new arenas for Survival, Versus and Scavenge, which will introduce a new co-operative challenge mode of play. As well as, a new “uncommon common” zombie class, melee weapon, and firearm. With that said, The Passing is targeted for release in early spring for the PC and Xbox 360. Pricing will be announced closer to launch.

Activision plans to reboot its very promising True Crime franchise with a new iteration entitled True Crime. In development over at ModNation Racers developer United Front Games, True Crime follows the story of detective Wei Shen as he infiltrates one of Hong Kong’s most notorious crime syndicates, the Triads.

Set in Hong Kong, True Crime takes gamers through a wide variety of story missions and sandbox activities. The game also introduces handfuls of intriguing characters for gamers to interact with as they navigate through a truly unique and dangerous city.

“As our Spike TV VGA reveal trailer shows, we are dedicated to creating both an exceptional open-world gameplay experience through our combat, free-running, shooting and driving mechanics, as well as a rich story with memorable recurring characters. We want players to feel like an undercover cop experiencing the moral dilemmas and life and death situations of the HK underworld,” said Stephen van der Mescht, Executive Producer at United Front Games. True Crime is in development for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.

When they announced that a new Star Wars title would be shown, the prime suspect was automatically a sequel to The Force Unleashed – mainly because the game sold a total of 5.7 million copies. That said, surly enough, the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed sequel was revealed during the “most important moment for gaming”, the Spike 2009 Video Game Awards.

According to the games official website, the game is expected to release in 2010. However, no platforms were made explicit in the trailer. The Force Unleashed II trailer features voiceovers from both Darth Vader and Yoda, who are, in the trailer, in a conversation with Galen “Starkiller” Marek, the main character from the first game. Enjoy!

During the 2009 Video Game Awards, The Joker took the stage to announced the sequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham Asylum 2. Boasting itself as “the sequel [that we] didn’t see coming”, Arkham Asylum 2 is being development at Rocksteady Studios, who’s the developer of the first title.

Featuring crime-ridden city streets, the trailers depicts The Joker in a convoluted state – caused by the ending events of Arkham Asylum. The trailer didn’t go into much detail about the game, but it did quarry at the moving of the Asylum. But, other then that, the trailer didn’t reveal anything else.

Early access to the demo was just the begging, Visceral Games have announced the Divine Edition of Dante’s Inferno, an exclusive version of Dante’s Inferno for the PlayStation 3. And to make it all better, the Divine Edition comes jam packed with extra content for no additional cost.

When the game releases on February 9th, PlayStation 3 owners will be able to purchase the Divine Edition which includes developer commentaries, a Wayne Barlowe digital art book, the soundtrack to the game and a digital version of the complete Longfellow translation of Dante Alighieri’s Inferno all for the price of $59.99. Mean while, 360 owners will be stuck with the normal and special editions of the game.

“We are thrilled to offer an exclusive game pack for PlayStation 3 gamers. The PlayStation platform has a long history of delivering AAA action/adventure games,” said Jonathan Knight, Executive Producer for Dante’s Inferno. “Adding Dante’s Inferno to that rich catalog is very exciting for the team. And with the demo now available on the PlayStation Network, players can finally get a taste of what awaits them in the full game on Feb 9th.”

Almost nothing has been said about the production of the Gears of War movie; everything said about the movie, so far, is either speculation or PR “contribution”. That said, the Gear of War movie producer, Wyck Godfrey recently sat down to discuss the challenges of translating the popular video game series into a movie.

Revealing that he didn’t take kindly to the already to explored environment within the Gears of War video games, Godfrey told Making Of that the Gears of War movie will center around the events of “Emergence Day”, 14 years before the original Gears of War – “Emergence Day” wasn’t explored fully within the video games’ storyline.

“The hard part is to make [Gears of War] into something that doesn’t feel like a world torn asunder and people just in battle,” Godfrey tells Making Of. “I think we really want to focus on the idea of a world that’s running well and then it’s Emergence Day.”

Two weeks after its release, Electronic Arts made it known that they did indeed plan on doing a sequel; stating that “the sequels already under construction”. With that in mind, in the past couple of months, we’ve been scenting the presents of Dead Space 2, thanks in part to clues placed around the internet.

Electronic Arts announced today that Dead Space 2 is indeed in development, and that we should expect it to release sometime next year – which isn’t a surprise seeing that an inkblot teased at its annnoucement late last week.

In the sequel, our hero, Isaac Clarke, makes a return from the first game. But, this time, he’ll be armed with new tools allowing him to gruesomely slice and dismember his enemies. However, survival isn’t the only thing that’s on Isaac’s mind – “this time, he calls the shots”.

“We’re thrilled to jump back into the series, making the next chapter in Isaac’s journey. The infection continues to spread throughout space and our hero Isaac Clarke is the only person able to contain it. There are still loads of necromorphs that need killing!” said Steve Papoutsis, Executive Producer of Dead Space 2. “In Dead Space 2, not everything is exactly as it seems. Expect plot twists that will surprise you and a huge cast of twisted, disgusting monsters that are sure to scare the daylights out of you.”

When first announced at this years E3 expo, people were quick to recognize Quantum Theory as the counter-exclusive to the Gears of War series, a 360 exclusive series. However, exclusiveness no longer plays a factor when it comes to Quantum Theory. Because Tecmo revealed today that Quantum Theory will also be headed to the Xbox 360.

Previously a Plsystation 3 exclusive, the game is being developed on an unnamed PC-based engine that’s designed to make multiplatform development easier, much like the crystal engine used in Final Fantasy XIII’s development. However, no other news was released about the 360 version. Quantum Theory is now scheduled to arrive in the Spring of 2010 on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Though many wouldn’t have thought that, after completing Dead Space, a sequel would be on the horizon. A cryptic inkblot has appeared on the Dead Space Twitter account, created recently, pushing the possibility of a sequel – which has been in speculation for awhile now.

The image contains representations of many of the first game’s creatures, and the symbols are actually Unitology, a fictional religion in the Dead Space universe, and it reads “the nightmare is over but it will not end”. That said, whether or not the inkblot means anything is anyone’s guest. However, it’s just good to see some signs of hope.

Afghanistan is at the center of the media’s attention when it comes to politics. However, today, it seems that the topic has shifted from politics onto video games. Today, Electronic Arts announced a newly revamped Medal of Honor – simply entitled Medal of Honor – taking place within the present-day war-torn setting.

Inspired by real events, Medal of Honor reveals “the mission[s] of today’s most elite soldier” – his will, his mindset and his uncompromising professionalism. You see, the development team, composed of both EA Los Angeles and DICE, have been working closely with Tier 1 Operators from the US Special Operations Community to create the most authentic modern war experience, ever.

“EA has always been an advocate for telling the soldiers’ story. The new Medal of Honor follows that tradition. We felt it was important to tell the story of today’s war and today’s elite soldiers via today’s most relevant medium – videogames,” said Sean Decker, VP and General Manager of EALA. With that said, tune in to Video Game Awards on December 12  for a world-premier first-look at the new Medal of Honor, which is expected to release in fall of 2010.

A month before the release of God of War III, players will have the chance to enter the “gates of hell” with Dante’s Inferno, the video game adaptation of Dante Alighieri’s epic poem. But, until then, players will have the chance to sample the Dante’s Inferno in the form of a demo, set to release this month.

That said, Electronic Arts today announced that PlayStation 3 gamers will be able to pick up the Dante’s Inferno Gates to Hell demo on December 10, with the Xbox Live edition landing on December 24. But, even though there’s a PSP version, EA said that the demo will only be available on consoles.

The demo allows players to “experience fast-paced hack-n-slash combat as they fend off waves of enemies before taking on the ultimate battle against Death.” Upon the defeat of Death, Dante will be armed with Death’s scythe and a powerful holy-cross. Then, he tears open the Gates of Hell – thus the name.

Dante’s Inferno is slated to launch in North America for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PSP on February 9, 2010. However, the demo will only be available for the PS3 and 360.

Last week, Rockstar narrowed the release target of Red Dead Redemption to April and teased at a new trailer. That said, today, Rockstar San Diego released the new trailer entitled “My Name Is John Marston” for Red Dead Redemption, giving a more pacific release target then April, “April 27, 2010″.

Red Dead Redemption is a Western epic set at the turn of the 20th century when the lawless and chaotic badlands began to give way to the expanding reach of government and the spread of the Industrial Age. At the center of all of this maddest is John Marston, a former outlaw caught up in the uncertain times.

Earlier this year, the 12 year-long development soap opera that was Duke Nukem Forever’s development cycle came to an end, marked by the laying off of almost its entire development team at 3D Realm. However, today, rumors point to there being a new installment in the works, teased by the Facebook account for our catchphrase-spouting hero himself, Duke Nukem, reports GameSpot.

The account, created last week, seems to be a viral marketing campaign for Duke Nukem. Which, after posting the status “Duke Nukem doesn’t stay down for long”, released this screenshot (pictured above) – picturing a helmeted soldier shooting a rifle at a towering monster inside a sports stadium, a picturesque scene from the leaked Duke Nukem Forever footage.

Unfortunately, there’s little chance that our catchphrase-spouting protagonist will be blasting aliens anytime soon. You see, the Duke Nukem license is currently at the center of a heated legal dispute between 3D Realms parent Apogee Software, who retains ownership of the Duke Nukem IP, and Take-Two Interactive, which lays claim to Duke Nukem Forever’s publishing rights.

A month after rumors pointed at its development, Ubisoft has made it official. The French publisher announced today that in May, the same exact month that the Prince of Persia movie will be hitting theaters, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands will be releasing on both consoles and handhelds.

Also, in the Press Release, the publisher revealed that The Forgotten Sands storyline will return to the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time storyline, which means it follows the original storyline. The Forgotten Sands will also feature “many of the fan-favorite elements from the original series as well as new gameplay innovations”.

That said, the release date wasn’t chosen at random. Like I stated before, the release time-frame is in directly conjunction with the upcoming movie, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time – based on the game with the same name. Can anyone smell a movie tie-in? Be that as it may, Prince Of Persia: The Forgotten Sands is expected to hit both consoles and handhelds in May 2010.

When I was growing up, never would I of though that the word billion would be used when talking about video game sales. But, nonetheless, here we are. That said, as much as I hate the management over at Activision, Activision’s Call of Duty series has ranked in a total of $3 Billion in retail sales worldwide, according to The NPD Group, Charttrack, GfK and internal Activision estimates.

“Call Of Duty has become one of the greatest entertainment franchises of all time. If you consider the number of hours our audiences are engaged in playing Call of Duty games, it is likely to be one of the most viewed of all entertainment experiences in modern history,” said Activision CEO, Bobby Kotick.

It’s obvious that Activision and Kotick have struck gold; alot of it. However, knowing Activision, we can expect more from the Call of Duty series.

BioWare’s known for impressive and engaging RPGs. However, the genre been seemingly non-existent this console generation; there are only a few out in the market right now. One of the many unnoticed problems of this console generation, BioWare has set out to fill this void with its “dark heroic fantasy” Dragon Age: Origins, the spiritual successor to the highly praised Baldurs Gate franchise on the PC. That said, unsurprisingly, Dragon Age surpasses all expectations; pushing the breaking point and scale of any previous RPG. In fact, Dragon Age could even be considered as the greatest RPG ever conceived.

In Dragon Age, you play as a newly mended Grey Warden, warriors tasked with fighting off the advancing Darkspawn in the time of “The Blight”, a catastrophic event in which Darkspawn try and take over the world causing years of darkness and chaos. However, the Grey Wardens have seen better days; their influence, as well as their numbers, are weak. Then, in this time of great weakness within the Wardens, push comes to shovel. Now, your character finds themselves building up an army in time for the impending Blight; done by pulling in debts from the other races and other factions within Ferelden, the setting for this adventure.

But, that’s only apart of the story. Dragon Age’s story also branches of into multiple segments; thanks in part to NPC dialogue tree, made famous in BioWare’s Mass Effect series, and the character creation system. However, with the dialog system, it’s not as obvious as to how your discussions effect your progression towards good, or evil. You see, since you cannot physically see the see the outcomes of your discussions, you’ll have to read and layout your options before picking your answers. This adds interesting aspect but, the moments when there’s only one outcome, are where the dialogue system trends to drags on.

That said, you’ll have three races (human, elf, dwarf) and three classes (warrior, mage and rouge) to pick from when customizing your character. Pick carefully because this decides how the world views and treats your character. Along with, which one of the six origin stories you’ll be to explore as that character. This is the biggest problem with the origin story aspect. After playing though a portion of the game, your characters origin story starts feeling like an afterthought, ie. The people of Ferelden don’t favor elves but, after awhile, it’s like people don’t care about who, or what, you are. This isn’t a major problem; it’s just that it adds an unrealistic feeling to the Dragon Age experience.

Even though there are some substantial differences between the PC and console versions, BioWare has created a combat system that mirrors that of the PC. This system works in one of two ways; fighting in real-time, and micromanaging. However, micromanaging isn’t the preferred battle preference on consoles; the console versions are geared more towards action, which is opposite to the PCs more tactical approach. Meaning that, there’s really no need for micromanagement on consoles – you can play though all the game without micromanaging. However, when you’re facing 15+ enemies, micromanaging is the prefect way for you to insure a clean victory. Be that as it may, the most notable difference between the versions are there presentations.

But, don’t get me wrong, Dragon Age is a gorgeous game. It’s just that, on consoles, the graphics can’t hold a candle to that of the PCs; the colors look washed out and foggy. Also, in the time it told me to play through Dragon Age, I noticed that the game was plagued with many annoying little glitches that, while not breaking the game, put a damper on the overall experience, ie. there’s a glitch in which a character’s lips move while no words came out. However, it isn’t all bad with presentation. Character animations, while stiff at some points, are smooth and well done, and the art style is very eye catching.

Closing Statement:

Dragon Age is one of those titles that can easily take hours out of your life, which, surprisingly, isn’t a bad thing because you won’t want them back. That, along with the fact that BioWare has chosen to introduce downloadable content, proves that Dragon Age is something that you do not want to miss. But, even though I did have a lot of fun playing Dragon Age, there’s just to many glitches that took away from the overall experience. However, if you can get past them, this is the game for you. In addition, never has a game been fully worth the $60; Dragon Age’s quality surpasses that.

Final Score: 9.1

When a game sells as much as Modern Warfare 2 there must be millions of people wondering when they’ll be able get there hands on some Modern Warfare 2 downloadable content. Nonetheless, Infinity Ward’s Robert Bowling has replied to the age old question.

“DLC is planned fir the wonderfully vauge timeframe of Spring,” says Bowling on his Twitter feed. That said, with all the anticipation for the downloadable content, that’s too long of a wait for one piece of downloadable content.

For years, Rockstar have been keen on reminding its investors of the money-making potential of its Red Dead Revolver franchise. Back in February, the publisher announced Red Dead Redemption, the sequel to its first western shoot ‘em up. However, since the announcement, Redemption has been pushed into 2010; with no announcement of its new release date. But, that’s all about change.

With a lot of heavy hitters, hitting within the first quarter of 2010, Rockstar has announced that Red Dead Redemption will release on both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in April, that’s within the exact same time-frame. However, if that wasn’t enough, the publisher also announced that a new trailer will premiere on December 1 for Red Dead Redemption.

“The team at San Diego have massively exceeded our expectations with the sheer depth of experiences in Red Dead Redemption,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “The seamless combination of breathtaking beauty and intense action, all woven together with strong plotlines in a massive vibrant, rural environment is mind-blowing. We think this game helps to push the limits of what an open-world gaming experience can be.”

Ubisoft plans to ship James Cameron’s Avatar on December 1st. But, undoubtedly, the publishers heaviest holiday hitter of this year is Assassin’s Creed II, which shipped last week. That said, according to the company’s internal estimate, Assassin’s Creed II sold over 1.6 million units worldwide during its first week; that’s 32 percent faster than the original in terms of sales timing.

“We’ve made improvements to every aspect of the game. We’ve plunged ourselves into the stunning history of the Italian Renaissance so that we can offer fans a unique, varied and innovative Assassin’s Creed experience,” said Patrice Desilets, creative director at Ubisoft, when announcing the game back in April. Assassin’s Creed II is now available on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

One the most important selling points of the PlayStation 3 is its no additional charge for online play feature. However, reports have been surfacing about a two-layered subscription model for the PlayStation Network – much like the levels of Xbox Live, but fundamentally different.

During a presentation, emphasizing Sony’s plans to make its video game business profitable, Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Kaz Hirai confirmed the company’s plans for a “premium level” of subscription for PSN. “We will be building upon our current free [PSN] service offering with premium content and services to start the subscription model,” Hirai told the attendees.

As reassurance against PlayStation 3 owners pay-to-play fears, Hirai reassured owners that the current level of service will remain free of charge.

“SCE will further increase sales by offering users new entertainment through the combination of hardware, software, peripheral, and PlayStation Network,” Hirai said in a statement given to CVG. “Especially in the online area, we are studying the possibility of introducing a subscription model, offering premium content and services, in addition to the current free services.

If you’ve played the original, you’ll known that Kane & Lynch: Dead Men was an entertaining but rough-edged game (it was littered with controversy, most notable the firing of Jeff Gerstman). But, with all the hope in the world, maybe they can address these issues in the sequel, Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days.

Square-Enix Europe have announced today that Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days will be releasing sometime next year on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. The sequel “is a raw and brutal crime shooter designed to take players on an even more intense story experience, following two of gaming’s most disturbed criminals, through the gritty Shanghai underworld.”

However, they aren’t calling Kane and Lynch 2 a sequel. They’re calling it “[a game] inspired by documentary filmmakers and the user-generated era,” meaning that it could be a game played documentary style, or something like that. Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days will be released under the Eidos games label  in 2010.

Pandemic Studios were known for their excellent properties; most notability the the Star Wars: Battlefront series. However, sadly, it was revealed this morning that the studio would be closing its doors for good, something that comes as a huge surprise seeing Pandemic Studios were one of Electronic Arts’ major developers.

That said, EA has since confirmed that it did send out the order to terminate Pandemic. But, don’t worry, EA hasn’t complete gotten rid of the team. According to the publisher, the “core IP team” has been moved to their Los Angeles office, including Andrew Goldman, formerly the studio’s CEO; Josh Resnick, formerly the studios president; and Greg Borrud, vice president of product development.

“Today we informed employees at Pandemic that development on all the Pandemic franchises is being consolidated at EALA. As a result, we are eliminating roughly 200 positions at Pandemic,” said EA vice president of corporate communications, Jeff Brown. “That said, EA is very committed to the Pandemic brand, and a core team of Pandemic developers will be developing existing franchises and other projects at EALA.”

Modern Warfare 2 has surpassed sales expectations, selling an estimated 4.7 million units within the first 24 hours; that’s an estimated $310 million in profit within 24 hours. As it turns out, people have been rushing onto Xbox Live to play Modern Warfare 2, respectively, with their friends; pushing the amount of online users to “record breaking heights”.

In a post on his Twitter account, Xbox Live’s Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb said that, “Over TWO MILLION people [were] connected to the [online] service at once”, something that has never been done before on any online platform; setting a new record for most concurrent users for the service.

During the latest episode of GamerTrailers TV, BioWare revealed The Illusive Man, the head of Cerberus. They’ve, also, released new information about Mass Effect 2, revealing a new squad member that goes by the name of Mordin, Garrus’ introduction phase into Mass Effect 2, and the Vanguard class, a new character class.

But, first, The Illusive Man. Commander Shepard is now working for Cerberus, meaning that The Illusive Man is Shepard’s new boss. However, him and Shepard have this “love/hate relationship” – Shepard is putting up with The Illusive Man because he needs information from Cerberus to piece together the mystery taking place within Mass Effect 2.

In addition, BioWare also revealed the Vanguard class, which is home to a new “Charge Ability”; the higher the level of your character, the more abilities can be added into the Charge Ability, like slow motion (please view the view from a more in-dept look at this new class).

They’ve also revealed Garrus’ introduction phase: you’ll meet up with Garrus during a gang war on Omega, one of the many planets in the Mass Effect universe. However, last, but not least, Mordin, a smart-mouth and witty new squad member (expect more details soon). With that said, you can view the GameTrailers TV episode for even more details about the game.

Final Fantasy XIII will be hitting North American stores on March 9th, announced its developer Square Enix today – just so that you guys know, that’s the same exact month that God of War III will be hitting stores, meaning that March is going to be an amazing month for gaming.

Along with this announcement, Square Enix have also released a new video for the game showcasing the new battle system, the Paradigm system; just for fans to get a better understanding for the new system. Final Fantasy XIII will release on both the Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 March of next year, the Japanese will be getting the game on December 17th.

This holiday season is a huge one for video games; with games selling a number of millions within weeks or, even, a day. However, there are a good number of “underdogs” within this holiday season, who sadly have little public awareness – therefore, they’re producers of low sales. But, it seems that these two underdogs (Brutal Legend and DJ Hero) are, actually, doing very will for their first month on the market.

Released on both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, Brutal Legend sold over 215,000 units in the month of October, compared with DJ Hero’s 122,300 units on the 360, PS3, Wii, and PlayStation 2 within the same month. Which is, somewhat, a surprise seeing that, one, they’re both holiday underdogs and, two, DJ Hero’s prices range from $100-$200, $200 being the games “Renegade Edition” – the highest edition.

OCTOBER US SALES:

1. Brutal Legend (360) – 150,000 units
2. Brutal Legend (PS3) – 66,000 units
3. DJ Hero (360) – 62,000 units
4. DJ Hero (PS3) – 39,000 units
5. DJ Hero (Wii) – 19,000 units
6. DJ Hero (PS2) – 3,300 units

[Thanks to GameSpot]

Much like what we’ve seen with Dead Space, a survival horror title, Dante’s Inferno, a game based on a “definitive view of the afterlife”, will be getting the animated treatment in the form of a animated feature; this is no new announcement, Electronic Arts announced the animated feature along time ago, however, this is the first trailer.

Tracking Dante’s decent into hell, the upcoming animated feature follows his pursuit to retain the soul of his beloved, Beatrice. In which, Dante encounters “many gruesome forms of evil” that dwell within circles of hell. This animated feature will release in February 2010, the same month that Dante’s Inferno is unleashed upon the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and the Sony PSP. Enjoy the very entertaining trailer.

Activision’s Modern Warfare 2 has become the biggest launch title in entertainment history; something that comes as no surprise, seeing that Activision is the worlds biggest video game publisher because of the Call of Duty franchise.

In its first day, the game sold an estimated 4.7 million copies in North America and in the UK, reports internal Activision estimates, with estimated sell-through sales of $310 million in North America and the UK alone in the first 24 hours. Meaning that, this could mean that Modern Warfare 2 did sell the recent estimated 7 million copies worldwide on day one - this report only covers the UK and North America sales, not the entire planet’s day one sale of the game.

“The Call of Dutyfranchise has become a cultural phenomenon showing the power of video games as an entertainment medium,” said Mike Griffith, CEO, Activision. “The shattering of these entertainment records is a testament to the compelling, cinematic and uniquely engaging experience that the Call of Duty brand delivers. Modern Warfare 2 has taken interactive experience to unprecedented heights setting a new standard for entertainment.”

But, the question still remains. How much did Modern Warfare 2 sell worldwide on day one?

Modern Warfare 2 is estimated to sell a total of 12 million units within the remaining year; that’s between the months of October and December. That said, this morning, it was revealed that Modern Warfare 2 sold over 1.23 million units in the UK in 24 hours.

According to GameSpot, using the UK sales estimation, Broadpoint AmTech analyst Ben Schachter stated that the overall first day sales of Modern Warfare 2 could total 7 million units worldwide. “While the two-times week-one tally for GTA IV may seem aggressive, the bottom line is that we believe current consensus estimates of around 12 million for the December quarter may end up being conservative,” he told analyst.

I’ll explain this for those that need help understanding it how he got the total. Seeing that most UK sales portion that of those in the United States, he did a rough estimation coming to the total of 7 million units sold worldwide on its first day. However, if this estimation is true, this would mean that Modern Warfare 2 is the fastest selling video game, period. Along with that, VGChartz are reporting that the game sold 7 million units worldwide on its first day.

A month before the release of God of War III, players will have the chance to enter the “gates of hell” with Dante’s Inferno, the video game adaptation of Dante Alighieri’s epic poem, The Divine Comedy. However, the public awareness of Dante’s Inferno is…  a little slim. That said, Electronic Arts has announced a public sample for Dante’s Inferno in the form of a demo; in which they plan to release in December.

Entitled the “Gates of Hell” demo, the demo allows players to “experience fast-paced hack-n-slash combat as they fend off waves of enemies before taking on the ultimate battle against Death.” Upon the defeat of Death, Dante will be armed with Death’s scythe and a powerful holy cross. Then, he tears open the Gates of Hell – thus the name.

“Our main goal from the start of this project has been to create a journey that will make gamers truly feel like they are going through hell,” said executive producer Jonathan Knight. “The demo will give everyone some insight into how we are treating the story and a taste of the gameplay. And with nine more circles of hell to explore once the game comes out in February, we are literally just scratching the surface.”

Dante’s Inferno is slated to launch in North America for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PSP on February 9, 2010. However, the demo will only be available for the PS3 and 360.

While we’re waiting the for release of Modern Warfare 2, Activision has confirmed that yet another Call of Duty title will be headed our way in 2010.

In a conference call, Activision president, Mike Griffith stated that, “In [calendar year] 2010, Activision Publishing is expected to release strong, innovative new titles,” and that “The diversified lineup will include titles based on the best selling franchises including Call of Duty, Guitar Hero, Shrek, [and] Spider-Man.”

With that said, it comes as no surprise that Activision would milk its most popular franchise, but, as for another World at War Call of Duty title, Activision hasn’t revealed any details about the next Call of Duty title, or if it’s a sequel to World at War.

Playing any wrestling game for a standard amount time feels like a chore; feeling like an eternity, when its only been a couple of hours. But, shockingly enough, I never felt that way when playing through WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010. I actually really, really enjoyed it. You see, year after year, THQ updates the series in a small fashion; adding new modes, or couple a of extra moves. However, never has the series felt this new.

This year’s SvR feels like a total overhaul, meaning that THQ and Yuke’s made improvements on everything. The most noted addition, the game’s Story Designer mode. In Story Designer mode, the player is given the creative freedom to create, or recreate any wresting television event/show they want. However, there isn’t any dialog for this mode. Instead, you’ll use text and animations to tell your story. The good news is, your story can be as long, or as short as you want it to be.

However, there’s one major limitation. Being only a limited amount animations, your story has to fit within the given animations, which is something that gets in that way of “true” story customization. Luckily, with the given animations, you can still create a large amount of creative stories. But, if you can’t seem to create the “prefect” story, the convenient “Road to Wrestlemania” mode returns from last year.

This year’s Road to Wrestlemania follows six well known WWE Superstars in their quest to became “imprinted into the WWE Hall of Fame”. These Road to Wrestlemania stories play out well, for the most part. However, these stories aren’t complex, they mainly hold back until the big show down at Wrestlemania. This is the main problem with the Road to Wrestlemania mode because, at some points, the events feel boring and slow; giving them an unbalanced feeling. But, overall this years Road to Wrestlemania is very good.

They’ve also the revamped Ceate-A-Superstar mode. In SvR 2010, the game finally receives 3D clothing, meaning that everything actually fits; there’s no more hovering clothing. Along with that, there’s also the all new point system, adding more options in key areas via a point bar. However, because of the point bar. It feels like the developers took a huge step backwards because the taxing on the points feels unfair; Yuke’s put a large amount of points on the most used accessories. But, where it really matters is character customization and, BOY!, is it good.

They’ve also added a Paint Tool; in association with the revamped Ceate-A-Superstar mode. With the Paint Tool, players can create, or recreate any logo or design they want. However, there’s a huge downside. You’ll need to be very skilled using the controller if you what to draw a logo free hand because it’s difficult to write anything; making a name like Adventure Dave look like “Advtue Daue”, or something like that. Personally, I don’t know why Yuke’s didn’t incorporate some kind of drawing aid. However, overall, Yuke’s has done a great job with the Paint Tool, and we can’t wait to see what they do next year.

Closing Statement:

Although I haven’t touch on gameplay, it’s obvious for me to state that not much has changed from the previous wresting titles; there’s a new grappling position, an expanded move gallery, and a one button counter system. However, I believe that presentation is SvR 2010 strongest quality; everything has been reinforced from past Smackdown vs. Raw titles. Don’t get me wrong, WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 has its many downsides, like poor hit detection, and in-game HUD glitches. But, it goes without saying that this years Smackdown vs Raw is very impressive; even going as far as to say that this is the best in the series.

Final Score: 8.9

In the few past week, rumors have been speculating at a public beta for Bad Company 2, however, the rumors weren’t clarified. That is until now. Exclusively for the PlayStation 3, starting November 19, PlayStation 3 gamers will be able to experience the unprecedented action, destruction, vehicular warfare, squad play and open sandbox environments that only Bad Company 2 can deliver in the form of a private multiplayer beta.

The Battlefield: Bad Company 2 multiplayer beta will feature the “Arica Harbor” map, where up to 24 players can compete in one of the game’s four intense multiplayer modes called “Rush”. The new map displays a superb balance of vehicle and infantry combat, as the American assault unit attacks the Russian army base with full force, advancing further through a beautiful desert town and towards the industrial area in a desperate attempt to overtake the Arica Harbor.

“This is an outstanding opportunity for PlayStation gamers to get early access to one of the most action-packed and polished shooters in the marketplace with Battlefield: Bad Company 2,” says Rob Dyer, SVP, Publisher Relations, SCEA. “We’re happy to help DICE achieve their superior level of multiplayer excellence in the game.”

Along with that, early next year, players worldwide will be able experience Bad Company 2 when DICE releases a multiplayer demo on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

With the impending release in a couple of months, BioWare have announced the collectors’ edition for their upcoming futuristic space adventure, Mass Effect 2.

Available on January 26 in North America alongside the standard edition, the Collectors’ Edition of Mass Effect 2 comes in a premium, tin case and includes the full version of the game, a 48-page hardcover “Art of Mass Effect 2” book, Issue 1 of the Mass Effect Redemption comic book, and a bonus DVD with behind-the-scenes and making-of videos.

In addition, the Mass Effect 2 Collectors’ Edition will include unique in-game weapons and armor that can only be obtained by purchasing this version.

“We’re really excited to roll out this Collectors’ Edition featuring so many unique items, including special Collectors’ Edition armor and weapons and content that will surprise Mass Effect fans,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, co-founder of BioWare. “The limited edition comic book and bonus DVD will really enhance and expand the overall Mass Effect 2 experience.”

No Doubt is suing Activision for un-permitted use of their avatars within Band Hero, and they’re seeking damages for their avatars being turned into “virtual karaoke players”.

The band argues that it “agreed to place avatars containing their name and likeness performing three No Doubt songs”. However, the band never allowed use of their avatars beyond their three songs within the game; Band Hero allows their use in more than 60 other songs – along with that, individual band members can be “isolated into solo performances of these cover songs and placed randomly in countless variations”.

“Activision has deceived and confused the public into believing that No Doubt authorized the use of its name and likeness for the Character Manipulation Feature of Band Hero and that No Doubt approves and endorses the appearance of its members individually performing songs that are wholly inappropriate and out of character for No Doubt,” reads the complaint. We’ve contacted Activision to get its side of the story.

With the recent speculation about a third Killzone, a dutch television shows’ commentator made it known that Guerrilla Games is indeed working on another Killzone on PlayStation 3; stating that a “the commentator said something remarkable”, reports dutch gaming site PSFocus.

Along with that, the VideoJug commentator also stated that fans could expect the sequel within the next two years – sometime within 2010-2011. “At this moment in the greatest secrecy worked on the sequel to Killzone 2. The release is expected in 2011, perhaps even in 2010,” said the commentator, translated by Google.

Personally, I would love to see another Killzone. Along with that, I would love to see a Killzone 3 with cooperative play. Sony has yet to comment on the rumors.

As rumors of another Prince of Persia game unspool, the official trailer for the movie adaption of “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” popped up on the internet. But, that’s not the only good news. The trailer is actually pretty good; it has a great mixture of humor and action, which makes for a great action movie experience.

The trailer, also, indicates that the film’s story will stick to that of the 2003 game Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, which centers on a magical dagger that can be used to speed up or slow downtime. The Sands of Time is due in theaters May 2010.

Heavy Rain is, undoubtedly, one of our most anticipated games of next year. However, like I stated so many times, fans need something for waiting so long, and for Heavy Rain being delayed so many times.

With that said, Quantic Dream head, David Cage, told G4 that “[they're] currently working on a demo” for Heavy Rain, and that “finding one scene that can convey what we are trying to achieve with Heavy Rain is something really difficult.”

“If we show an action scene, some players will think that this is what Heavy Rain is all about, and it is the same thing if we show an exploration scene,” he continued to tell G4. “The problem is that each scene of the game offers contextual game play, which is something very difficult to explain and convey in a single demo. Demos are often a double-edge thing: if you don’t release one, players may think that you have something to hide.”

As for a release date for the demo, it’s still unknown. But, here’s a question. Why don’t they just use the E3 demo? Heavy Rain is scheduled to launch early in 2010, exclusively for the PS3.

When the newly revamped Prince of Persia released, it easily began one of most impressive games this console generation. However, it left many of us wanting more. With that said, recent speculation has pointed to a sequel. And, with the trademarking for “Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands“, speculations has been raising, even more.

At the “The Sands of Time” trailer preview event at Bruckheimer Studios, the movie team left losses that Ubisoft is planning to announce a new Prince of Persia game spring of next year. However, as for details, they haven’t revealed anything about the new game; making it clear that it’s not their place to give out any details.

[Thanks to NeoSeeker]

This hasn’t been officially confirmed yet. After the recent speculation about Gran Turismo 5 featuring a track editor, Polyphony Digital has “confirmed” that the sequel will indeed feature a track editor; allowing players to edit and create tracks.

“Yes it will have a track editor. You will be able to rebuild a track from scratch or edit the tracks that are already put in Gran Turismo 5,” a Polyphony Digital spokesperson confirmed to Everything 4 Gamers. However, any other details about the track editor haven’t been revealed, but, hopefully, soon we’ll see some details.

They then when on to talk about the game receiving a “simultaneous release” worldwide. Responding: “Sorry, we can’t give out any of that information at the moment. You will just have to wait and see.”  We’ve contacted Sony to see if any of these details are true.

When it comes to video game stories, nothing can even come close to that of the God of War franchise; with its well written and intelligent story. However, many may argue that, story-wise, the franchise has explored everything within the world of Greek mythology leaving nothing for God of War III.

When being interview by GamePro, God of War III’s Director Stig Asmussen reassured fans that they’ve still have plenty to explore within the world of Greek mythology. “When we first started, we didn’t really set out to limit ourselves to Greek mythology or simply the story of Greek mythology. That’s why we created Kratos to build our own story around that. We didn’t want to just hold true to everything and to be too really realistic,” he told the magazine.

“We wanted to be able to visually and conceptually do anything we wanted. If we wanted to make a prison level, we made a prison level. If we wanted hostages in a ship, we can do that. We just have to put the Greek column on and some Greek trim in there so it kind of looks Greek, but beyond that, we can go anywhere we want.” God of War III releases in March 2010.

There’s going to be a Dead Space sequel, Electronic Arts even confirmed that there’s going to be another one – that isn’t Dead Space Extraction. And, according to Reuters, the Dead Space sequel is due to hit next year, evidence given by the “advanced state of preparations for Dead Space 2’s development”.

In a Halloween themed feature on horror video game sales, Reuters reported that the Dead Space sequel will be shipping next year. Sadly, there’s isn’t any other details, nor did EA respond happily to the news statement. ”This comment by the Reuters reporter is speculative,” an EA representative told GameSpot. “There is no announcement for a Dead Space sequel (or in this case, prequel) beyond Dead Space Extraction.”

As for the original, Dead Space was widely accepted by critics. However, that didn’t translate into high sales. According to the NPD Group, the game shifted just 9,200 units during its first week at retail in the US. Which, back in may, translated into 1.4 million units worldwide.

This is what happens when you receive a 25 kill streak in Modern Warfare 2, you’ll an enormous super weapons in which there’s no escape even for the person that releases it. Modern Warfare 2 releases on November 10. Enjoy!

[Nuke Your Opponents in Modern Warfare 2 Multiplayer [Spoilers] via Hot Blooded Gaming]

Spoiler Warning: Leaked footage of Modern Warfare 2 showcased a playable art of terrorism; in where the player would shoot innocent civilians in an airport. Activision has since explained the propose of the scene stating that it’s “designed to evoke the atrocities of terrorism”.

However, those that aren’t sure they can handle the scene, they’ve revealed that the scene is completely skippable. “At the beginning of the game, players encounter a mandatory ‘checkpoint’ in which they are warned that an upcoming segment may contain disturbing elements and they can choose not to engage in the gameplay that involves this scene,” an Activision spokesperson told IGN.

This means that players can “opt-out” of the level entirely – we won’t know for sure until MW2 releases in November . However, Activision has made it clear that “[this] is not representative of the overall gameplay experience in [MW2]“, meaning that this will be the only time you’ll be killing citizens in the game.

Today we’d like to offer you a glimpse into this world of despair with a trio of new screenshots from the Sony PSP version of EA and Visceral Games’ gruesome action-adventure, Dante’s Inferno. However, be warned; there’s are somethings better not seen.

If you aren’t happy with the current map selection for Brütal Legend’s Stage Battle multiplayer mode, I have some important news for you. Double Fine, the games developers, have announced Brütal Legend’s first episode of downloadable content entitled “Tears of the Hextadon“, which includes two new maps for the games Stage Battle mode.

In the first map, Circle of Tears, vile waters have carved a rough-hewn circular battlefield into a forsaken land that players must circumvent to destroy their opponent. In the second map, Death’s Fjord, players find themselves on an icy mountain pass with a dense cluster of fans that lie below, waiting to be harvested by those brave enough to capture them without cover from enemy attack. Also, all players who download the new map pack will receive a free axe, the Blade of Ormagöden.

“I play Brütal Legend online every night,” said Tim Schafer, President of Double Fine Productions. “And I need more maps! Circle of Tears is named after the crying of my vanquished foes on the battlefield, and Death’s Fjord is obviously a tribute to my Nordic ancestors, and their love of fan geysers and… Well, actually I just thought the name was cool. See you online!”

Tears of the Hextadon will be available on Xbox LIVE on November 3 for 400 MS Points and on PlayStation Network on November 5. And to up the anty, those that purchase the game via the PlayStation Network by November 19 will be able to download the content for free.

Naughty Dog released the first episode of Uncharted: Eye of Indra, the motion comic series following the early adventures of Nathan Drake – the main protagonist for Uncharted series – before the events of Drake Fortune, on PlayStation Store.

“We actually started [Among Thieves] game with an idea for a prequel story that we eventually cut,” said Lead Designer Neil Druckmann, when announcing Eye of Indra. “However, you’ll get to see that story fleshed out in the upcoming Uncharted Motion Comic.” Eye of Indra is a four-part motion comic series that’s available exclusively on the PlayStation Store for the price of “free”.

The very first chapter of Dragon Age Journeys, a free to play browser based game set in the Dragon Age world, entitled “The Deep Roads” is now available for download, EA announced today. In “The Deep Roads“, players will uncover a “dastardly plot that threatens to unleash a great evil that won’t stop until it destroys all living things”.

You can play Journeys here:  www.dragonagejourneys.com (we’ve been informed that it will be up and running at noon PST [3:00PM EST], sorry).

“Dragon Age Journeys sets the stage for Dragon Age: Origins,” said Mark Darrah, Executive Producer, Dragon Age: Origins. “The team has shown the Dragon Age Franchise in a bold new light and the release of this game allows a broad audience of players to discover our dark fantasy universe for the first time.”

Dragon Age Journeys is produced by a new browser-based production team at EA and an all-star team of independent development talent, with the goal of creating premium quality browser games. Dragon Age Journeys will features intense tactical combat, a compelling story and deep customization.

THQ today announced Metro 2033: The Last Refuge, a new first person shooter for Xbox 360 and PC, which is based on the best-selling Russian novel of the same name by Dmitry Glukhovsky. Developed by 4A Games, and built with the cutting edge, proprietary 4A Game Engine, Metro 2033 is set to deliver a gripping, atmospheric experience when it releases in 2010.

“Metro 2033 will plunge gamers into a terrifying vision of the future,” said Richard Williams, vice president of global brand management, THQ. “4A Games have worked closely with Dmitry Glukhovsky to deliver a unique game world, a compelling, cinematic story and an incredible, atmospheric experience to rival anything in the category.”

Metro 2033 is scheduled for release in early 2010 for the Xbox 360, and PC, which supports NVIDIA PhysX technology.

In perpetration for the latest GameTrailer TV episode, they’ve started to unveil some of the details that will be “broken out” during tomorrows episode, and you won’t believe what they’re revealing this time around.

Returning back into the presents of Rapture for another showing of BioShock 2, Geoff Keighley and crew are set to publicly unveil the newest Big Daddy model – other then the ones we’ve already seen. Along with that, they’ll also be joined by the game’s creative director to talk about the game’s moral choices, and how they shape its story.

But wait there’s more! GameTrailers TV will also, exclusively, unveil the first footage of a new Splicer. Along with, the debut of the game’s major villain, and a first look at a new location within the world of Rapture. This episode will debut on Thursday the 22nd. With that said, this latest episode is going to be awesome.

It shouldn’t came as any surprise that Quantic Dream would doing this after Heavy Rain’s nude scene controversy. In order to keep Heavy Rain from getting banned in other regions of the world, Quantic Dream is censoring the game, said the game’s exclusive producer.

In an interview pushing Heavy Rain towards the Japanese market, Guillaume de Fondaumiere told viewers that although Heavy Rain is designed for the mature audience, it may not be expected everywhere, and for that, the developer will be censoring it for those regions.

“We wanted to have pretty much the same game everywhere, be it Europe, in the United States, or in Japan, of course, with slight adaptions,” he said. “But I don’t think the changes we made will make a big difference; those are real modular things. We felt the need to adapt the content to the culture.”

Heavy Rain is scheduled to launch early in 2010, exclusively for the PlayStation 3.

Electronic Arts revealed today that the Need for Speed franchises has surpassed 100 Million units sold worldwide – making the Need for Speed franchise the best-selling racing brand in the gaming history. Along with that, the publisher also revealed that the franchise has generated a total of 2.7 billion in sales.

“Few video game franchises ever reach the 100M units mark, so this is a huge honor. We have millions of fans to thank for driving us to this milestone,” said Frank Gibeau, president, EA Games Label. “With the launch of Need for Speed Shift and the upcoming release of Need for Speed Nitro, we hope to continue to deliver the most entertaining, action-packed racing experiences.”

EA also noted that if Need for Speed boxes were laid out end-to-end, it would span 173,609 football fields. With that said, in all, the Need for Speed brand brought us 15 titles for over 14 platforms, which were released in 22 languages in more than 60 countries.

Update: The reports are incorrect. According to a picture taken of the magazine (click to view NSFW), Beyonetta didn’t actually get that “prefect score”. Instead, Beyonetta manage at total of 38 points out of 40 – 40 being the highest that any game can receive from the magazine.

Original: While we’re anticipating its release here in the United States, over in Japan, Famitsu has handed Bayonetta a “perfect score” – which isn’t a honor handed out freely by the magazine.

Until today, only eleven (well, now twelve) games have ever been given that honor by the magazine. So this kind of a big deal. However, within the last two years [2008-2009] three games have been given this honor, which leaves one to question the scoring by Famitsu.

[Famitsu Awards Bayonetta A Perfect Score via Kotaku]