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Five bucks scores you new maps and weapons.

New premium content is now available for Ubisoft’s Dark Messiah. For 400 Microsoft Points (US$5), you can gain access to new weapons, classes and multiplayer maps. We know you’re excited!

Dashboard description: Extend your quest on Dark Messiah of Might and Magic - Elements with new maps, classes and weapons from Xbox Live Marketplace. Use these new weapons to crush your opponents. According to your character’s type, either Undead or Human, you can use exclusive powerful weapons such as bows, swords, or staffs. Also included, two new classes for the single player mode: Paladin He will subsequently use his powerful Charm and Shrinking spells to gain the upper hand. Warlock The Warlock will seek to weaken his enemies from a distance with his spells before moving in for the kill using his sword.

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Weekend warriors rejoice.

In its March playlist update for Halo 3, Bungie has tweaked some matchmaking eccentricities, fixed some multiplayer map glitches and introduced two new double-experience weekend playlists.

The first weekend Double XP playlist went live at noon today and runs through noon PDT on March 10. The second runs March 20 - March 23. Here’s a full breakdown by Bungie community guru Luke Smith:

- Grifball, the game created by Burnie Burns of Red vs. Blue will be an unranked, weekend-long social playlist awarding DoubleXP to winning teams. We’ve slightly adjusted some of the rules for Grifball (unlimited round times make for unlimited griefing potential), but kept the game’s core intact. You’ll be able to go in with party configurations ranging from one to eight people. This playlist will be available from Thursday, March 6 at NOON until March 10 at NOON(all times Pacific Standard). I apparently forgot to mention that the Grifball hopper is being treated like a Tournament hopper — a hopper where there will be prizes. Tournament prizes.

- Beginning March 20 at NOON will be the return of Team SWAT in the Social, DoubleXP variety. Team SWAT is an old Halo 2 gametype where players have no shields, increased body health and do not have the luxury of radar. This eight-player maximum hopper will be completely Team Slayer focused with the SWAT ruleset. This weekend playlist will be available from March 20 at NOON until March 23 at NOON (all times Pacific).

In addition to sucking the next two weekends away from Halo 3 players’ friends and loved ones, Bungie made some changes to the Heroic DLC multiplayer variant, splitting it into DLC Slayer (4v4) and DLC Objective (6v6) with a mix of various gametypes on the DLC maps. Slayer options include Team Snipers, Team Rockets, Team BRs, Team Duel and Team Duals. Objective variants include Multi Flag CTF, Multi Flag BR, One Flag, Assault, Neutral Bomb Assault and Team King.

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Upcoming action game to hit PS3, 360 and PCs next year.

Earlier today, SouthPeak Games announced that Edge of Twilight, Fuzzyeyes’ upcoming action title that uses Unreal Engine 3, will be released in 2009 for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. Set in a steampunk inspired world where day and night no longer exist, players take on the role of Lex, a bounty hunter trapped between the conflict of two different civilizations.

“We are very excited to help bring Fuzzyeyes’ creative vision to life. The team spent a lot of time developing a comprehensive story to give the universe a history and purpose, which can change based on the players’ interaction within the world,” said Melanie Mroz, CEO of SouthPeak. Wei-Yao Lu, CEO of Fuzzyeyes, agreed, stating

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First of five different covers.

Electronic Arts Inc. today announced that former University of Arkansas running back and two time All-American recipient, Darren McFadden, will appear on the front cover of NCAA® Football 09 for the Xbox 360™ video game entertainment system, scheduled for release on July 15, 2008. This year, the packaging for each of the NCAA Football 09 console platforms will feature an exclusive cover athlete. Following McFadden on the Xbox 360 package front will be three other cover athletes from different regions throughout the county to appear on the box art for NCAA Football 09 on the PlayStation® 2 and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment systems, and the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system.

During McFadden’s three year career at the University of Arkansas, the two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up earned three First Team All-SEC selections, was named the SEC coaches and Associated Press “Offensive Player of the Year”, received the 2007 Walter Camp Award, and was the first Sophomore to receive the Doak Walker Award for the best college Running Back two years in row. McFadden holds multiple University of Arkansas records, the most notable being the Razorback’s all-time leading rusher with 4,485 yards in only 37 career games.

NCAA Football 09 will unveil the all-new Break Away Animation Engine which allows gamers to break in and out of moves giving the user more direct control as well as instant influence and responsiveness on the field. At its core, NCAA Football 09 will focus on wide-open collegiate style gameplay featuring unique animations that you will only find on college football Saturdays. This style of gameplay will allow agile backs like McFadden to show off their break out speed and maneuverability in-game.

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Codemasters’s new shooter gunning for late 2008.

Codemasters has lifted the veil on its latest title, Damnation - a shooter from new studio Blue Omega Entertainment - pencilled in for release on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC at the end of the year.

Details of the project are relatively scarce, but early screens depict some eclectic art direction, pilfering western, industrial and neo-punk elements and putting them all into the digital blender. Powered by the Unreal 3 engine, Codemasters promises a ’shooter gone vertical’, taking place in vast levels that could take up to three hours to defeat. And, of course, there’ll be multiplayer elements smuggled into the mix as well.

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The Elect are coming.

Chair Entertainment has announced the first expansion to Undertow, an underwater shooter for the Xbox Live Arcade. Titled “Path of the Elect,” the download costs 400 Microsoft Points (US $5) and introduces a new playable race to the game. With the download, players get access to The Elect, a high-tech alien race, a five level campaign that continues the story laid out in Undertow, and four new multiplayer maps.

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There’s more co-op action for sale on Xbox Live.

Continuing its stubborn refusal to let Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 fall on the battlefield, Ubisoft announced a second round of cooperative-based downloadable content for the shooter, which celebrates its one-year U.S. release anniversary on Friday.

Co-op Collection 2 will be available for 400 MS points and includes a new co-op campaign, nine additional maps. The campaign picks up where the story in Co-op Collection 1 left off, and the new maps include 7 “inspired by classic” Ghost Recon maps and two that are brand-new.

Here’s a full breakdown of all the content included in Co-op Collection 2:

CO-OP MAPS

New Co-op Campaign

Story: Rebel leader Manuel Suazo Azcona continues his quest to destabilize the governments of both El Salvador and neighboring Honduras despite the Ghosts’ efforts to disrupt his organization. As the vice begins to tighten on the rebels, more key players begin to fall out and defect. Using the information from the defectors, the Ghosts need to release Azcona’s stranglehold on the country by taking out his supply points and escorting relief trucks into the area. Finally, the Ghosts will need to infiltrate Azcona’s compound and take him out, ending the rebellion once and for all.

Bridges - (Ghost Recon: Island Thunder)

Mission Briefing: We’ve been contacted by an enemy defector with intel on Azcona’s plans. It appears he has since been captured, but not before dumping his laptop in the jungle. Find that laptop, save our turncoat, and extract ASAP - he won’t last long.

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GAME and Gamestation offering 500 Microsoft Points for 360 pre-orders.

In a fit of unbridled generosity, UK retailer GAME is offering 500 Microsoft Points to anyone pre-ordering Grand Theft Auto IV for Xbox 360.

It’s a similar offer to the one that recently accompanied Lost Odyssey’s release in the UK – only this time the title in question is an undeniable must-buy. There’re a number of different purchase options for those wanting to get their hands on Rockstar’s latest – and perhaps greatest – instalment in the series come April 29. These range from the vanilla boxed affair to a more elaborate bundle comprising of a branded duffel bag, CD soundtrack and Rockstar keychain.

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Showtime’s conflicted serial killer coming to a platform near you.

Tomorrow, Showtime Networks and Marc Ecko Entertainment will announce that they have partnered up to create an all-new videogame based on the popular award-winning show, Dexter. Though a specific development team has yet to be named, Ecko Entertainment has said that it will work closely with Showtime to keep the game as faithful to the television show as possible.

“Dexter is the extremely rare TV show with enough layers of action and tension to translate perfectly into a compelling videogame,” said Marc Fernandez, Vice President of Marc Ecko Entertainment. “Our game designers, writers, and artists are going to give Dexter’s morally complex world the kind of interactivity that gamers will love.”

A favorite show among several editors at the IGN offices, and winner of our award for Best Television Show of 2007, Dexter tells the story of title character Dexter Morgan — a blood spatter expert in the Miami police department who moonlights as a serial killer who hunts down and dispatches other murderers.

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The critically acclaimed television series debuts for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

Today Ubisoft, one of the world’s largest video game publishers, in collaboration with ABC Entertainment and ABC Studios, announced that LOST: Via Domus is available on store shelves for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system and Windows-based PC. Based on the award-winning television series, LOST: Via Domus allows players to experience an untold adventure of Lost in an immersive, interactive world. The game is rated T for Teen and has an MSRP of $59.99 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and $29.99 for Windows.

Lost is a remarkably captivating television program that has built a
loyal set of avid viewers, said Tony Key, senior vice president of
sales and marketing at Ubisoft. It was a natural progression to bring
the Lost universe to a video game and we are thrilled to allow fans a
new way to immerse themselves in the story of the island and the
survivors of Oceanic flight 815.

After many months of collaboration with Ubisoft and the series
producers, we are excited to bring such a truly unique gaming experience
to the marketplace, said Bruce Gersh, senior vice president, business
development, ABC Entertainment and ABC Studios. Through the gameplay,
fans of the series will have an abundance of opportunities to dive
deeper into the mysteries and intrigues of the series.

Lost series executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse said,
Playing the game, you really feel like youre on the island. The
graphics are fantastic, and the game gives players a chance to explore
on their own the places and mysteries of the island that theyve seen
for the last three years on the show.

About the Game

As a passenger of Oceanic flight 815, you survived the crash and find
yourself on an uncharted island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. As you
begin to unravel mysteries of the island, you begin to discover secrets
of your own. You will have to understand your past mistakes in order to
survive and find your way home…

Play as a survivor of Oceanic Flight 815: Confront your dark
past, seek your redemption, and ultimately find a way home.

Authentic Lost experience: Explore familiar locations, unravel
mysteries and interact with the main characters from the show.

Survive the challenges that the island throws at you: Solve
puzzles, outsmart enemies, battle the smoke monster and overcome many
other challenges to survive the island and come out alive.

About Lost

Season 4 of Lost stars Naveen Andrews as Sayid, Henry Ian Cusick as
Desmond, Emilie de Ravin as Claire, Michael Emerson as Ben, Matthew Fox
as Jack, Jorge Garcia as Hurley, Josh Holloway as Sawyer, Daniel Dae Kim
as Jin, Yunjin Kim as Sun, Evangeline Lilly as Kate, Elizabeth Mitchell
as Juliet, Terry OQuinn as Locke and Harold Perrineau as Michael.

Lost was created by Jeffrey Lieber and J.J. Abrams & Damon Lindelof.
Abrams, Lindelof, Bryan Burk, Jack Bender and Carlton Cuse serve as
executive producers. Lost, which is filmed entirely on location in
Hawaii and premiered on September 22, 2004, is from ABC Studios.

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D3 details two game types, multiplayer customization and leaderboards on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network.

Game Types - Dark Sector’s multiplayer is broken up into two distinct game types: Infection and Epidemic.

Infection - The Infection game type is a match between Hayden and the Lasrian military. One player assumes the role of Hayden while all others (up to nine) assume the roles of Lasrian Troopers. Hayden is considered the infected target, and it is up to the Troopers to bring him down. Once Hayden is brought down (”finished”), the Trooper responsible becomes infected and a new round begins. A match will run until either time expires, or a set number of points are reached. The ultimate goal of an Infection match is to have the most number of points when the match is over. Points are granted to Troopers by either stunning Hayden, finishing Hayden, or assisting in bring Hayden down and points are awarded to Hayden by killing Troopers (Troopers can lose points by committing suicide).

As a Trooper, the player will be armed with either an assault rifle or a shotgun, have a couple grenades, and one proximity mine. Troopers can only attack Hayden, and so they can either work together (communicating via a shared chat channel) or go solo. In order to bring Hayden down, they must inflict a set amount damage which will stun him, and then, while he is stunned, perform a “finisher.” The Trooper that performs the “finisher” becomes infected and plays as Hayden in the next round.

As Hayden, the player has no allies, but is armed with a Tekna 9mm, the Glaive, all three Evolutionary Powers, and any weapons dropped by the Troopers or lying around the various maps. Hayden also has access to the elements fire, ice, and electricity (depending on the level) to use against the attacking Troopers.

Epidemic - The Epidemic game type is a team based match between the Lasrian military, and the Agency. Players are divided into two teams where (on each team) one player assumes the role of Hayden, and all others assume the roles of Troopers. Matches end based on a time limit, or point total, and rounds end whenever a Hayden is brought down. Team points are awarded whenever an opposing team brings down the other team’s Hayden, and individual points are awarded to players based on kills and assists (players can also lose points by committing suicide). Players can only communicate with other players in the same team, and can only attack players on the opposing team. Both the Troopers and the Haydens retain the same functionality they have in the Infection game type.

In both game types, players will respawn at designated spawn points when they are killed.

Multiplayer Customization

On the X360, MP games can either be played using Xbox Live, or System Link. On the PS3, MP games can either be played on the PlayStation Network, or LAN.

Each multiplayer game type supports up to ten players and has access to five different maps. The maps are unique in size, detail (such as weather effects), and layout. For example, the map called the Deck promotes a more close combat oriented play style, whereas the Court promotes a more team-based play style with its symmetrical layout and numerous opportunities to surround opposition. Multiplayer games can also be customized in terms of time limit, number of players, score limit, and the existence of bots.

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Capcom’s RPG-styled shooter hits Xbox Live on March 5.

Help save the solar system this week when Rocketmen: Axis of Evil touches down on Xbox Live Arcade this Wednesday, March 5 at 9:00 a.m. GMT (1:00 a.m. PST).

Join Rocketmen Nick Sion, Alec Mink and the Alliance of Free Planets in their white-knuckled struggle to free the solar system from the tyrannical grip of the Legion of Terra in this RPG styled shooter.

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PS3 owners may cry at their more traditional price tag.

With Devil May Cry now only a couple of weeks from release, some eagle-eyed shoppers have spotted that it looks to be coming to the Xbox 360 for the bargain sum of £29.99, while the PS3 version is still set to retail at the more traditional rate of £39.99.

The price of the Xbox 360 version brings it in line with the cost of games Stateside, with American retailer Best Buy offering the game for both the 360 and PS3 at $59.99 – which roughly translates as £30. However, the PS3 price-tag is more reflective of the typical prices UK dwelling gamers have to pay for their wares.

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A full playable demo of FIFA Street 3 for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 is now available for download.

A full playable demo of FIFA Street 3 for the Xbox 360 and the PLAYSTATION3 is now available for download. The PS3 downloadable demo is available at the PLAYSTATION Store and the Xbox 360 downloadable demo is available on Xbox Live Marketplace today. Play as Brazil or England in the Samba arena and discover a street soccer arcade experience that turns the game’s global soccer icons into stylized action heroes and a simplified control system that enables you to easily perform over-the-top trick moves.

FIFA Street 3 brings the game’s biggest stars to life in a hyper-real world where environments pulsate to the music in exotic locations around the world. Featuring over 250 of the world’s best players representing 18 of the top international teams, each player has been rendered into a stylized caricature with heroic qualities. Decked out in authentic training kits, every player boasts their own, distinctive style of play with unique abilities to match.

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There can be only one.

Gamers love cult movies. It was only a matter of time before the ’80s classic The Highlander made its way to the videogame realm. The tale of immortals who lop one another’s heads off is coming to PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 this year courtesy of Eidos.

In Highlander: The Game, you play as Owen MacLeod, ancestor of the feature film’s Connor MacLeod. Born in Gaul more than two millennia ago, Owen is the son of a tribal chieftain. As is the popular trend of the times, Owen’s village is invaded and he becomes prisoner of the mighty Roman Empire. Forced into gladiatorial combat in Pompeii, Owen gets himself killed. Good news for Owen: he’s immortal. Rising from the dead, Owen begins a journey through the centuries, learning to become an incredible fighter (and lopper of immortal heads).

The story eventually lands us in a futuristic New York City, where Owen is being hunted by a mysterious all-powerful immortal. The only way Owen can defeat this nemesis is to find three missing stone fragments that, when placed together, grant the wielder immense power.

Not that Owen doesn’t have some serious power sans mystical stone. He is, after all, immortal and can only die if he loses his head. This allows for some interesting combat techniques. Owen can use his body as a conduit for electricity or fire, disarm enemies by purposefully impaling himself on their weapons, and survive great falls. Each time Owen chops the head off an immortal, he experiences The Quickening. Think of it as an mystical orgasm, where the knowledge and power of the victim is consumed by the slayer. Over the length of his journey, Owen learns new combat skills and uses a variety of swords. Expect to heft a claymore, katana and twin gladius as you cut your way from the heart of the Roman Empire to Times Square.

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The game is planned for release this year on 360 and PS3.

Fresh off its recent announcement that it won’t be losing its cash-printing Dragon Ball Z license after all, Atari announced today that it plans to publish a new game in the series for current-generation consoles.

Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit is in development now at Namco Bandai and is scheduled for release this year. The 3D game based on the DBZ anime universe (licensed in the U.S. by Navarre Corp.’s FUNimation division) promises “fierce online battles and radical 3D graphic effects” that will “blur the line between video game and iconic anime series.”

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ASA worried that TV spot condones violence.

The Advertising Standards Authority has ruled today that a TV spot for Stranglehold, Midway’s John Woo-scribed action game, can not be shown again in its current form.

The advert depicts a shoot-out from the game and provoked two complaints to the ASA, one viewer complaining that it “glorified violence and gun crime and that it was a dangerous incitement to susceptible people”, while the second contested whether it was “acceptable for transmission before 9pm, when young children were likely to see it.”

Picture Production Company, responsible for the spot, argued that the violence on display was “stylised, unrealistic and had a fantasy quality”, and that “there was no blood and gore as a result of the shooting.”

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More outfits, Folk and a quest are on the way.

Eric Fong, Folklore Associate Producer, announced on the official PlayStation Blog that a holiday-themed expansion pack will be available this week for download from the PlayStation Network. That may sound quite appealing, but the news gets even better: the pack is free!

Downloading the expansion will get you two new costumes for Ellen and Keats, both of which are intensely spirited to say the least. Keats will also have a new quest to participate in which has been titled “Holy Night Visitor.” To top things off, a new Folk can also be collected. Known as “Grab Bag,” this rather ferocious gift monster will clearly aid our heroes in battle.

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Game pulled from Xbox Live Arcade due to online bug.

The long awaited Xbox Live Arcade version of the classic Sensible World of Soccer made on all too brief appearance today, being pulled after only a few hours when it became clear an online game-killing bug had managed to slip its way through into the final code.

Expectations were running high for what remains one of the most fondly remembered football titles in the UK, and following a number of delays the latest hiccup comes as a big disappointment. The game disconnected players trying to compete online, and upon realising its error Codemasters Online Gaming stated that “…we are currently investigating the issue and will have a correctly functioning version of Sensible World of Soccer available soon.

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The blockbuster movie producer plans to create games based on original IPs.

Today MTV Games announced a partnership with movie producer Jerry Bruckheimer to build a game studio and create original videogames. The studio will set up shop in Bruckheimer’s offices in Santa Monica and plans to work on new IPs. Currently in its early planning stages, the studio does not yet have a name and the team isn’t ready to discuss any specific projects.

Bruckheimer has produced many successful films and television programs such as Armageddon, National Treasure, and C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation.

MTV and Bruckheimer’s team will collaborate during all phases of game development. There is always the possibility that the new studio’s creations could translate well to film or television.

This new initiative will serve as the third tier in MTV Games’ overall strategy. Tier one is to make music games (see Rock Band). Tier two is to support MTV properties with games (see Jackass). Bruckheimer’s games will take care of tier three: creating new IPs.

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