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.

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.

In the latest issue of the popular video gaming magazine, Game Informer, it has revealed a new Batman game entitled, Batman: Arkham Asylum. The game will be published by Eidos Inteactive and Rocksteady Studios, when you turn on to Rocksteady’s website it is currently sporting a Batman logo with a countdown. Here’s the games description from Game Informer magazine:

“This completely original title explores Gotham City’s darkest location, the infamous Arkham Asylum. But as a routine prison transfer goes wrong, the Joker sets his demented plan into action and Batman comes face to face with an army of his worst enemies. In a dark and gritty setting reminiscent of Bioshock (with a story co-written by Paul Dini), Arkham Asylum is setting the stage for a true-to-character Batman game.”

Is this the new Batman game base off the recently released movie The Dark Knight? Well, it isn’t apparently, it just happens to be that EA has all the rights to the Batman movie base games and this is just another Batman game. But, The Dark Knight fans shouldn’t worry about there not being a game, why you ask? Because there’s fact pointing to there being a video game base off the hit movie. But, until we have official word you’ll just have to wait on this game…

Update:

One of the members of the popular gaming forum NeoGAF has posted the first details for the game from the latest issue of Game Informer.  Here take a look:

Batman: Arkham Asylum

1 Player Action Game

Publisher: Eidos

Developer: Rocksteady Sudios

Release: 2009

• Clever choice of location moves the game away from an open world Spider-Man clone and more into the dark and gritty realm of The Chronicles of Riddick.
• Packed with Batman’s most dangerous archenemies Arkham Asylum boasts a brand new story reminiscent of the depth and twists of Bioshock.
• Story is written by Paul Dini (Batman: The Animated Series, Detective Comics).
• Wildstorm is crafting the authentic yet distinct new look for all the key characters.
• Gameplay places just as much focus on Batman’s role as a detective as his combat prowess.
• Game isn’t being rushed to tie in with any TV/Film marketing cycles.
• Game runs on Unreal Engine 3.
• Most of the game is played through an over-the-shoulder perspective.
• You’re going to see and get to fight against all the big super villains. Seen so far. Joker, Harley Quinn, Killer Croc, Zsasz, Penguin, Riddler, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze and others the magazine doesn’t want to spoil.
• Allies revealed so far are Commissioner Gordon who plays a big role and Barbara Gordon (aka Oracle) who is your radio contact in the game.
• Game opens with the Joker surrendering himself and subsequently taking over Arkham because of some secret the facility holds.
• Magazine teases that this game will be the ultimate Batman experience so the voice cast will reflect that (Think Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill).
• Arkham was chosen as a location because of its limitations including the fact that it’s an island prison. It’s a persistent location so you can visit any location at anytime including Batman’s secret on site Bat Cave etc. Don’t think that just because this is an island prison there will only be small hallways. The developers have taken into account all the construction/destruction of the facility over the years so locals will vary.
• Eidos’ Batman license includes all 70 years of comic book fiction so they’re pulling from all of that.
  • COMBAT:
• Boss Battles won’t necessarily be a series of straight pugilistic fights. Each enemy represents a different side of Batman and not all of them can match his wide skill set. Some battles are focused on combat others will focus on gadgets some are similar to giant Zelda style bosses.
• Combat description in the magazine talks about Batman perched on a high ledge in a wide open room as he watches some of the Joker’s thugs rifle through drawers. Batman switches to investigation mode using a blue tinted visor that among other things lets Batman see his enemies through walls and identifies things like guns and knives. One thug is carrying a machine gun so Batman jumps of the ledge, spreads his cape and kicks him in the face. He then swipes his cape in a large arc to stun his other enemies and then goes to work on them with a stylish blend of punches, kicks, a knee to the face here a behind the back elbow there. Combat has a gymnastic flourish and is accomplished using only three buttons. Attack, Stun and Throw.
• Combat is only one element of the game so the developers didn’t want a bunch of button combos that you’d forget because you’ll be doing other things besides fighting.
• During battle a combo multiplier at the top of the screen will increase with every strike. Once the combo expires a colony of bats will swirl around Batman and then contribute to an experience bar on the left side of the screen. In an RPG like skill tree system players will be able to distribute points where they prefer. Think Combat moves, faster takedowns, or gadget upgrades like the ability to throw multiple batarangs at the same time.
• Gadgets are revealed by collecting items in secret rooms. You’ll need gadgets to survive as there are very tough enemies in the game that you can’t just go head to head with (Think Killer Croc, he’s 10 feet tall in the game and super tough)
• There are sections that involve sneaking but the developers call them Predatory gameplay sections as stealth tends to imply weakness, they prefer to think of it as picking off the weak people or people you wouldn’t last too long in direct fight with from strong positions. The example they give in the article is Batman creating distractions with bodies and victim’s yells and then stalking the guards as they go to inspect.
  • DETECTIVE:
• Developers have come up with a very “sexy” CSI style for forensic puzzles because Batman will always have the very latest gadgets.
• Investigative mode is the centerpiece in Batman’s arsenal. The visor can highlight points of interest and much like the Metroid Prime games will scan items into your database.
• They also mention another forensic gadget, a fingerprint tracker that allow Batman to follow trails of fingerprints.
  • OTHER:
• Magazine hints at the ability to play as the villains in the game. Not sure if this is inserted directly into the game or available as a second playthrough option.
• Magazine lists a few suggested reading items. Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, Batman: The Last Arkham, and Arkham Asylum: Living Hell.
  • GRAPHICS:
• Game is very gritty looking. The screens in the mag are all inside Arkham and show case a few hallways, The Riddler’s cell, A sewer etc. Lots of great lighting going on.
• Character redesigns are pretty good for the most part. Joker looks like classic Joker only with Heath Ledger style make up (long drawn on red lipstick etc.) he still has a the bright purple suit and bright green hair. Definitely more sinister looking than say the TAS Joker. Killer Croc is huge and looks more like Jim Lee’s Hush redesign as opposed to some of the more human renditions of him.
• Batman is in the Black and Grey costume. It looks more like armor however his gauntlets in particular look like the ones from TDK. Overall it looks very awesome.
• They show screens of fights and predator segments and all look very interesting and very Batman in scope. Lots of classic poses etc.
• You can control Batarangs from first person mode.

After playing almost four hours of Grand Theft Auto it’s about time we give you our impressions about the game.

If you did not know, Grand theft Auto IV follows the story of Niko Bellic, a veteran of the Bosnian war, who has came to America to follow the America dream (the high life, woman, cars and big houses) and that just the beginning.

At first the game feels as if you have seen it all before but, after 30 min you jabber to yourself then you come to reality and tell yourself that this more then just a brand new game it’s an whole new Grand Theft Auto.