Gamers interested in trying out ArenaNet’s massively multiplayer online role-playing game Guild Wars 2 can apply to join the March-dated beta today, the developer has announced.

Gamers can sign up for the beta now and cross their fingers about getting in.

Eager gamers will need to act rather quickly if they wish to have a chance for a spot in the trial, as the beta sign-up page will close this Friday, February 24, at 1 p.m. EDT.

Players will need to submit their PC hardware specifications to ArenaNet when applying for a spot in the beta and must sign a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) if granted access to the trial. ArenaNet will notify applicants via email if they have been chosen to participate in the beta.

The sign-up page is currently experiencing technical trouble, but the developer said it is aware of the issues and is working to resolve them.

The Guild Wars 2 beta will begin in March, with the full game expected to be released during 2012. The team at ArenaNet has a small group working on a console version of the game, but no announcements have been made concerning Guild Wars 2 arriving outside of the PC.

Guild Wars 2 puts players into a persistent fantasy word that is driven by a range of dynamic events. When Guild Wars 2 launches later this year it will cost a fee up front but will not require a monthly paid subscription to continue playing.

For more on Guild Wars 2, check out GameSpot’s latest preview and coverage of developer discussions from Comic-Con 2011 and PAX 2011.

The PlayStation Vita officially launches in North America, Europe, Latin America, Australasia, the Middle East, and Africa today. To mark the worldwide rollout of the handheld, Sony’s senior vice president of PlayStation brand marketing Guy Longworth spoke with GameSpot to make a last-minute push for the system launch and answer questions about the First Edition Bundle, customer adoption of the system’s 3G features, the decision to use proprietary memory cards for the Vita, and more.

Gamers around the world can finally get hands-on with the Vita.

GameSpot: What are you looking at to determine if the international launch is a success?

Guy Longworth: PlayStation Vita is a long-term platform for us, so we’re in this for the long term. We see it as a 5- to 10-year platform, and we’ll look at the success on a by-market and then at a total international level in 12 and 18 and 24 months’ time to see how we’re doing. Obviously we want to get off to a good start, but we’re in this for the long term, and we think that the value proposition that was put together is really going to resonate with core gamers and casual gamers over time. So it’s a long-term play for us.

GS: You took a novel tack to launching hardware, with the First Edition Bundle allowing some gamers to get their hands on the hardware a week early. How has the First Edition Bundle promotion gone so far?

GL: It went great. We sold out our prelaunch bundles, so we’re excited about that. We got a great response to it.

GS: What are the strongest sellers out of the gate from the First Edition Bundle week?

GL: The best-selling so far is Uncharted: Golden Abyss. It’s been warmly received, and that really doesn’t surprise us given the popularity of that franchise with our core consumers. There are a number of others that appear to be doing well: Little Deviants, Hot Shots Golf, Mod Nation Racers… It’s very early days, but Uncharted is top of the charts so far.

Nathan Drake’s first portable outing is proving the most popular Vita game at launch.

GS: You were quoted in a Eurogamer interview saying Naughty Dog would be making games for PS Vita, but their community manager has since publicly stated they had no plans for that. Can you straighten this out?

GL: I think I was slightly misquoted. I was asked the question which studios will be making games for Vita, and my answer to that question was, “A lot of our studios.” I might have said “all” by mistake–that’s not impossible. But a large number of our studios are currently making Vita games is the fact of the matter. Naughty Dog currently aren’t. So if I caused any confusion, I’m sorry about that.

GS: What was the thinking behind going with proprietary memory cards and the pricing behind them?

GL: There are many different types of memory out there, and what we have is a very high-end piece of flash memory that comes in an extraordinarily small size. What we’re trying to do is make sure that the gamer has the best possible experience and the proprietary memory we think gives gamers the best possible experience because we can very much control that memory and make sure it’s the highest possible quality.

GS: How is the postlaunch software lineup shaping up?

GL: We’ve got an incredible lineup of first- and third-party games this year. At launch we’ve got 26 titles, and there are currently over 100 titles in development worldwide, meaning we’re going to have compelling content right throughout the year. You’re going to have a whole range of titles coming out, including Ruin, Little Big Planet, and then from third parties, all the big brands are going to be there: Street Fighter, Assassin’s Creed, BioShock, Mortal Kombat, and, of course, Call of Duty.

Sony is selling pricey proprietary memory cards for the Vita. This 32GB card sells for $100.

GS: Why aren’t PS One Classics or PS2 titles from the PlayStation Network available at launch?

GL: At the moment we’re very much focused on getting our new first-party lineup and third-party lineup out there and available for consumers. So that’s our focus right now.

GS: Is the Vita competing with the iPhone, Android, and tablets?

GL: What’s happened is these new devices have introduced a whole bunch of people to gaming who haven’t been in gaming before. That’s good news. The pie is growing. In terms of the experiences that people get from an iPhone, an Android device, or a tablet, it’s a relatively casual experience, a limited gaming experience for gamers. With PlayStation Vita, what you have is an incredibly immersive gaming experience given the functionality of the product, the franchises and games coming out. And it’s really like having a home console in your pocket; it’s like having a PlayStation 3 and taking it with you. The experience the PS Vita offers is night and day from the experiences you can get on a tablet, an Android phone, or an iPhone.

GS: How has the 3G adoption been?

GL: We wouldn’t disclose that at this stage. We’re in the very early stages of launch. But we’re very encouraged by the reaction we’ve had with people looking at the 3G version. I think they realize by taking 3G, it means you can basically play wherever you want to, whenever you want to, and be connected the whole time. And not just through the games but also to your social media with the apps we have like Facebook and Twitter. Consumers are going to look at that and realize that it’s something that makes a lot of sense to have now, and also for the future. I think it really future-proofs them in terms of some of the things that will come down the line in terms of gaming experiences that will be possible through 3G, to be able to play online with your friends. We think gamers are understanding that, but we’ll wait and see what happens.

GS: The PSP came out in 2005, so it’s nearing seven years old, and its successor is launching. Should we expect it to be phased out soon, or do you see it as having a lot of life left in it?

GL: Well, the PSP is still a great entry-level device for people who want a handheld gaming experience. PS Vita is a revolutionary game-changing experience. It’s very different. I think for a period of time both will live comfortably next to each other in the same way PS3 and PS2 have lived comfortably together for a period of time. It’s an entry point for people into the PlayStation handheld experience at a relatively modest entry price with a wide range of content, so we expect it to be around for a period of time.

It has been more than four years since the last Brain Age game hit store shelves, but today, Nintendo revealed during a Nintendo Direct video presentation that a new title in the series is in development for the 3DS.

The demonized Dr. Kawashima in the new Brain Age game for the 3DS.

Company president Satoru Iwata announced today that three years ago, Japanese professor Dr. Kawashima–whose research was the basis for the original Brain Age games–came to the executive with a new method of brain training aimed at combating “information addiction.”

“Since we now rely so much on [various electronic devices], we might have stopped using our brains so much, or lost our restraint, our ability to control ourselves and be patient,” Iwata said, explaining Dr. Kawashima’s vision.

While included in past Brain Age games, concentration and working memory skills will be stressed in the new game. According to Iwata, the design of the new Brain Age game is best suited for those seeking to keep their brains young, and for those who need help concentrating while studying.

The new Brain Age title for the 3DS will also include Oni-Tore lessons, during which the onscreen face of Dr. Kawashima will morph into a demon (pictured above). Brain Age for the 3DS is due out this summer in Japan. Nintendo did not provide a release window outside of the island nation for the game.

Gamers eager to get their hands on Japanese role-playing game Xenoblade Chronicles now have a specific date to circle on their calendars: April 6.

Xenoblade’s fan-chosen box art.

Previously, the Wii-exclusive Xenoblade Chronicles was expected to arrive in North America sometime in April. In addition to announcing the game’s release date, Nintendo revealed the title’s cover art (at right), which was put up to a fan vote.

Xenoblade Chronicles is set in a fantasy universe where the robotic army of the Mechonis seeks to conquer the flesh-and-blood Bionis. With the help of two companions, players will traverse the world attempting to discover the truth behind a magic sword called the Monado.

Fans of Japanese role-playing games have enjoyed good news today, as not only was Xenoblade Chronicles dated for North America, but Nintendo also announced that The Last Story will arrive this summer on the Wii. Western releases of both titles were long in question.

Xenoblade Chronicles has already been released in Japan, Europe, and Australia. For more on the role-playing game, check out GameSpot’s review.

Sega, Namco Bandai, and Capcom are teaming up for a 3DS project, Nintendo revealed this morning during a Nintendo Direct video presentation led by company president Satoru Iwata.

Capcom + Namco Bandai + Sega = ?

Details are thin concerning the mystery 3DS project, but a teaser website for the effort is now live, which shows a gloved human hand punching in the number sequence 0, 3, 2, 7, 6, 0 on a keypad.

The site also displays a note with Japanese writing and indicates that Namco Bandai toy maker subsidiary Banpresto is involved with the project in some form.

During its video presentations today, Nintendo revealed several news nuggets, including word that The Last Story will land in North America this year and Mario Tennis Open will be served up the 3DS on May 20.

MotorStorm RC is gassing up in preparation for a March 6 launch on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita, Sony announced today in a post on the PlayStation Blog.

Presumably these RC cars’ batteries will last longer than 10 minutes.

Developed by series creator Evolution Studios, MotorStorm RC is a spin-off for the franchise, with the standard assortment of real-world vehicles replaced by remote-control counterparts. The game will deliver 16 different tracks set in four familiar environments, with many of the vehicle types from previous games making a return.

MotorStorm RC will be a “Pay once, Get both” game, so players need to buy only one version to gain access to the game on both the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita. However, Sony has not yet announced pricing for the game.

The different versions will be interoperable, but the PS3 version will also offer stereoscopic 3D, SimulView same-screen multiplayer support and a four-player split-screen mode. All progress made in one version of the game–lap times, unlockable content, and trophies–will be synchronized to the other, ensuring that players don’t need to repeat tasks in both versions. Features like the Pitwall, which lets players track challenges and friends’ activity, will also be accessible in both versions.

This is not the first Sony racing franchise to spawn an RC-based spin-off. Twisted Metal was treated to its own diminutive iteration in 2001′s Twisted Metal Small Brawl on the original PlayStation.

It has been a long road to release, but Polytron’s multidimensional platformer Fez is now one step closer to launching on the Xbox 360.

It’s time for Microsoft to give a tip o’ the hat to Fez.

A tweet from Polytron reveals that Fez has been submitted to Microsoft for certification, one of the last steps required before the game can be released.

When Fez was first announced in 2009, Polytron expected the title to be out in 2010. It missed that date and was later rescheduled for release in early 2012.

Fez has been nominated for two Independent Game Festival awards, including Technical Excellence and the Seumas McNally Grand Prize. The 2012 Independent Games Festival takes place March 5-9 in San Francisco as part of the annual Game Developers Conference.

A featured title in the documentary film Indie Game: The Movie, Fez is a platformer built entirely using Microsoft’s XNA tools. It takes the form of a 2D platformer but adds a third dimension and the ability to rotate the gameworld around playable character Gomez. The game also has a unique retro 8-bit pixel art style, along with a suitably retro soundtrack.

The Last Guardian needs help, and it’s getting it from God of War developer Sony Santa Monica, as well as Sony Worldwide Studios.

The Last Guardian is getting help from across the globe.

Speaking to
Wired, Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida confirmed that Team Ico has enlisted outside studios to help develop the PlayStation 3-exclusive action game.

“It’s not just Santa Monica,” he said. “We have great tech people in Worldwide Studios. We have a central tech group in the US and the UK so we are giving them whatever help they need. Technically, we have the best engineers in the US and Europe, so these teams are helping them, giving advice.”

Earlier this month, Yoshida provided a status update on The Last Guardian, saying development on the title has been “tough,” but the vision for the game has not changed, and the title is making “slow progress.”

Formally announced at the 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo, The Last Guardian tells a boy-and-his-dog tale, where the dog is a giant and feathered, yet seemingly amiable, beast. Team Ico has not been forthcoming with specific plot details, but gameplay will involve the boy manipulating his companion to navigate a variety of environmental puzzles.

The Last Story will be told in North America this summer, Nintendo confirmed this morning.

The Last Story lands on North American shores this year.

As part of its Nintendo Direct video presentation, Nintendo of America executive Reggie Fils-Aime revealed that Xseed Games will publish the Wii role-playing game in North America.

In June, Nintendo said that it had “no plans” to bring the game to North America. However, the game’s westward expansion began in November, when Nintendo announced that The Last Story would arrive in Europe on February 24.

[UPDATE] Xseed has confirmed that The Last Story will be out exclusively on the Wii this summer.

The latest game from Mistwalker and longtime Final Fantasy developer Hironobu Sakaguchi, The Last Story puts players in the shoes of Zael and a band of fellow mercenaries on a search for treasure. Set on Lazulis Island, the story follows Zael as he tries to find an escape from his mercenary past to become a true knight. Unique among RPGs, The Last Story features multiplayer modes in the form of co-op, deathmatch, and team deathmatch for up to six players.

The multitalented Mario is bringing another of his hobbies to 3DS owners, as Nintendo of America today announced that Mario Tennis Open will be released on May 20.

Mario will hold court May 20.

Nintendo confirmed the release date today as part of a Nintendo Direct presentation. The company’s European arm separately announced a May 25 release for the game in that region.

The latest arcade-style tennis game to feature the mascot will make use of its host hardware’s various features, allowing players to use the touch screen for shot selection and the system’s gyroscopic sensor to tilt the camera and look around the court. The game will also feature local wireless play for up to four players and, for the first time in the series, online singles or doubles matches.

This will be the first original Mario Tennis title since 2005′s Mario Tennis: Power Tour. However, in 2009, Nintendo rereleased the GameCube title Mario Power Tennis on the Wii with New Play Control support for the Wii Remote. As it did with those titles, Camelot Software Planning is handling development duties for Mario Tennis Open.