Blizzard is letting everybody get a little taste of Diablo 3 this weekend by opening up Beta for everybody.

You can download the client and get ready for Diablo 3 open beta by clicking the link at the bottom.

Enjoy!

Diablo 3 will cost $60 and is available for Pre-order through Battle.net, Amazon and several other retailers. The Collector’s Edition has also been revealed for $100 which comes with behind the scenes Blu-ray/DVD, soundtrack, art book, in-game content and a fancy USB stick with Diablo 2 and its expansion.

As a bonus to World of Warcraft fans, Blizzard has also mentioned you can obtain Diablo 3 by purchasing a World of Warcraft annual pass.

Closed beta is still running with high demands, can’t wait until the full game is out.

Pre-order goodies for the upcoming FFXIII sequel for Japan has been revealed. But what’s in store for fans in the North American territories who are looking forward to reserve their copy of FFXIII-2? Not to worry, folks. The details are in!

Three retailers are currently handling the pre-orders and have different things to offer.

Amazon  - Omega Boss DLC

Originally a Japan-only DLC, fans who pre-order at Amazon will now be able to battle with the nostalgic Omega via a DLC. But wait. It doesn’t end there. If you manage to conquer Omega, you can make an ally out of him. Yup, he’ll be part of your team!

That’s a photo of it from FFV but Omega’s been around since and has been a recurring name/theme. As to how he’ll look in FFXIII-2… Wait and see!

GameStop – Serah Alternate Costume

No photos as of press time unfortunately. Hopefully it’ll be worth it though!

Bestbuy – “Final Fantasy XIII – Episode i-” Novella

Another Japan-exclusive which will be coming to American shores soon enough. It’s a hardbound novella which serves as the missing link between the first game and the upcoming sequel.

So, what are you getting then?

Final Fantasy XIII-2 will be out in Japan this December 15,2011 and January 31, 2012 for North America.

A faux account masquerading as the Japanese branch of Hudson Soft earlier mentioned the possibility of new Bloody Roar title, slated for 2012. This rather convincing and elaborate prank was later debunked just today, breaking hearts and crushing hopes of expecting fans of the fighting game.

A few days ago, an announcement from Hudson Soft’s twitter announced about the 2012 release of Bloody Roar 5. It would have been for the PS3 and XBox 360. Following the revelation, more twitter reveals were posted including: original cast would be returning to BR5, new costumes, possible new characters, will be rendered in 3D and will return to it’s BR3 roots.

And when everything was going all too well, a new post with a photo from the game was uploaded.

Only that when you clicked it, you got this:

This more six month old twitter fake turned out to be an elaborate scheme to show Konami and Hudson Soft that there was still interest in the franchise. Furthermore, for those who are curious, yes, Hudson Soft does have a real twitter account but it’s been inactive for quite some time now.

For those who fell for it, you’re not alone. There’s a lot of us who feel cheated of what could have been a good game. At least they apologized at the end. But still…

Hopefully, Konami and Hudson Soft will take this as a cue to look back at this series and make a comeback.

Tekken Hybrid, in itself, is already a very cool package: you get a movie and a game for the price of one. But the fun and value doesn’t end there. The first print editions of Tekken Hybrid will have extra goodies to go with it, making it even more tempting to get.

First print editions of Tekken Hybrid will receive a special slip cover with art rendered by Shunya Yamashita. For those not in the know, this man is a very talented professional illustrator and character design. He has worked on projects such as Final Fantasy X, Phantom Kingdom, Valkyrie Profile 2 and Xanadu Next. Elsewhere, his original character designs, mostly of pretty girls and pin ups, have been published in art book form as well as rendered as collectible figurines. On his spare time, he also does fan art of popular anime, video games and comic book characters.

Besides that, Tekken Hybrid will also contain codes to allow players to use the Tekken: Blood Vengeance models of Xiaoyu Ling and Jin Kazama to be used in Tekken Tag Tournament 2′s arcade version.

Photos and updates are courtesy of Famitsu.com

Capcom announced that they will be releasing Resident Evil: Revelations on the Nintendo 3DS.

The game is scheduled for February 7th and will take place after Resident Evil 4, but before Resident Evil 5. Characters like Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, and some BSAA agents will be on a cruise ship fighting the horde after an outbreak on the ship.

Above the post is the actual box art for the game.

Epic Games and Microsoft will will be releasing a DLC Horde Command Pack for Gears of War 3 on November 1st.

The new DLC pack will contain the following:

Three spectacular new maps:

Blood Drive – The Jacinto Medical Plaza was overwhelmed by evacuated citizens after the government-sanctioned Hammer Strikes, and the ensuing riots quickly turned this safe haven into a dangerous inferno. An abundance of high ground and funneled choke points make this map a returning favorite to Horde.

Rustlung – Once the pride of the Royal Tyran Navy, the foredecks of this decommissioned battleship are now riddled with bullet holes. Any team with the fortitude to hold the exposed central torpedo bay will find that the ship’s Loader has been replaced with a battle-ready Silverback mech suit.

Azura – This island resort was once the exclusive domain of Sera’s educated elite, but the tranquil water gardens and lush foliage have become a hotly contested combat zone. Dual snipers overlook a powerful explosive weapon, while the defensive central platform may be your last resort of retreat.

New fortification upgrades:

Command Center – A brand new type of fortification that allows you to call in fire support from sniper teams, mortar strikes and even multiple Hammers of Dawn.
Decoy Upgrade – A new fortification level that turns your decoy into an Onyx Guard bot that will fight in your defense.
Sentry Upgrade – This upgrade adds a fire bolt sentry that deals much more damage and is very effective against Berserkers.
Silverback Upgrade – This advancement allows you to upgrade your Silverback exo-suit with devastating rockets and extra levels of repair cost reduction.

New characters:

Onyx Guard
Big Rig Dizzy
Bernie

New weapon skins:

Team Plasma
Jungle Camo

Also playable in Beast mode and privately hosted Versus matches, the Horde Command Pack promises to extend your “Gears of War 3” experience with countless hours of multiplayer mayhem on Xbox LIVE.

Check out the screenshots below:

[Major Nelson]

Sony has confirmed that they will be using an online PSN Pass for all their multiplayer games.

SCEA representative told Destructoid:
“Online Pass will be incorporated into Uncharted 3 and future Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios games with online functionality. We will provide further information in the future,”

This new model will be very familiar to those who uses EA or UbiSoft online passes. The pass should be free when the game is purchased new, but if purchased used then the user must pay for the pass.

Apple co-founder and former chief excutive Steve Jobs has sadly passed away Wednesday October 5th.

Jobs is 56 and is survived by wife Laurene and three children, one daughter from a previous marriage. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had to step down from being CEO of Apple on Aug. 24.

Steve Jobs family said:

“Steve died peacefully today surrounded by his family.

“In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he cherished his family. We are thankful to the many people who have shared their wishes and prayers during the last year of Steve’s illness; a website will be provided for those who wish to offer tributes and memories.

“We are grateful for the support and kindness of those who share our feelings for Steve. We know many of you will mourn with us, and we ask that you respect our privacy during our time of grief.”

It is such a sad lost for everybody in this generation that had follow his innovative products and ideas. He was truly a blessing to us and we will never forget what he has brought to our tech world.

He even made it cool to be a geek in this era.

Sadly the game has been delayed for next year for further adjustment based on the recent alpha testing.

But the good news is, we have some really gorgeous screen shots showing off the hard work on this upcoming game.

Here are photos of PSO2′s environments, creatures and character creations. Take note, this is just some of the many possible options in game! Quite impressive I must say so myself.

Following the success of the original game during the first quarter of 2011, IF will make it’s sequel available for players in NA and EU territories this spring of 2012.

Players will be glad to know that MK2 will offer new characters, scenarios and an expanded world of new possibilities. Guest characters from other games will also be making their appearance in-game as…part of the casts’ special attacks. We can expect the likes of Totori from Atelier Totori, Prinny from Disgaea, Kurisu from Stein’s Gate and even… Keiji Inafune, a real life game producer and creator of the Megaman Series. 

Besides it’s sequel making it’s way beyond Japanese shores, Damien Urvois, the business development manager of IF promises that 2012 will be all about Neptunia.

That’s definitely something to look forward too!

Playstation creates a grandiose plan of giving their loyal subscribers on their pre-existing PS Plus more worth for their money in terms of promos and discounts, exclusive gaming content and get this, they plan to update their program roster, once a week during Tuesdays.

“Only on PSN” opens today, on October 4 with Pub-fund titles, classic games and lots of discounts to look forward too.

One would be an automatic 20% off the price tag of newly releases games under this program. Also, for purchases ($60 or more) done for the month of October, through your Playstation Network or Sony Entertainment Network wallet, you are eligible for a $10 money back on the next month.

Also, if you have a twitter account, go ahead and follow if you’re feeling lucky. Each week, PS plans to give free download codes of their weekly line up, via their twitter account.

Here are the games they have up for grabs so far (in order of  release for this month)

• Eufloria (October 4)
• Rochard (October 4)
• Sideway: New York (October 11)
• Sodium Collection (October 11)
• Okabu (October 18)
• Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Egg (October 18)
• inFAMOUS: Festival of Blood (October 25)
• PixelJunk: Sidescroller (October 25)

One of the classic and well loved summoned creatures of Final Fantasy lore will be making his appearance in the upcoming Final Fantasy Type-0. Shiva and Ifrit had been earlier confirmed; it was just a matter of time until Diablos would join the foray.

Known for his signature Gravity Ball and diabolical appearance, this iconic non-elemental summon will be part of the array of summons in-game.

Here are some screen shots of Diablos in his dark and demonic glory.

King of Fighters 13 has been pushed to November from the original release in October.

The new set release date will be on November 22nd. Check out the new trailer above to ease the pain till November.

Lionsgate president Joe Drake announced that they will be making a Dead Island movie.

“Like the trailer that will serve as its primary creative inspiration, the film Dead Island will be an innovation of the zombie genre because of its focus on human emotion, family ties and non-linear storytelling. Said Drake of the property’s acquisition, “Like the hundreds of journalists and millions of fans who were so passionate and vocal about the Dead Island trailer, we too were awestruck.” He continued, “This is exactly the type of property we’re looking to adapt at Lionsgate – it’s sophisticated, edgy, and a true elevation of a genre that we know and love. It also has built in brand recognition around the world, and franchise potential.”

The producer will be Sean Daniel, who also produced The Mummy, Tombstone, and Dazed and Confused. No word on the actors that will be involved or the director that will take the project.

Will this be another franchise?

Square Enix has admitted publicly that the Final Fantasy brand they work so hard for is “damaged” now.

CEO Yoichi Wada say:

“The Final Fantasy brand has been greatly damaged,”

“We’ll continue with our reform work, which basically amounts to fully redoing the game, and hope to revive the FFXIV that should have been released.”

It will be a long road for Square Enix to change the minds of the public that the new Final Fantasy game will be way better than the last few titles. Personally, I think everybody want Final Fantasy to go back to the way Final Fantasy VII or even FFX was.

Great story, simple RPG, and none of the shenanigans.

[gamasutra]

EA is already developing the next Dead Space game and will be taking the game out of the space ship and into a planet.

In Dead Space 3, Isaac will be crash landed on a new planet and he will need to survive alone on this new frozen planet by himself. It is also reported that he will find survivors on the planet and one of them will be a returning character named Ellie. The other character will be a new person name Jennifer and it has been reported that three of them will try to trek through this frozen planet to survive.

They really need to start changing the name or adding Planet into the end of Dead Space.

Like Dead Space 3: Planet.

[Siliconera]

It seems Sony is not the only company that forbids customers to sue them through a class action lawsuit, since EA already had this in their TOS for Origin.

The change was due to the fact that EA saw what happened to AT&T and figure it would also work for them. It will be very interesting in the coming months to see if any other company will be adopting this new plan.

Safety first.

A member on Bethesda forum revealed the character perks and racial abilities for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Check it out and start planning your character out.

Racial Abilities

- ORCS: Beserker
- REDGUARDS: Adrenaline Rush
- WOOD ELF: Resist poison, resisit disease, command animals
- NORD: Battlecry
- KHAJIIT: Night-eye, claw attacks
- IMPERIAL: Voice of the Emperor, find more coins when looting
- HIGH ELF: Regenerate Magicka more quickly
- DARK ELF: Ancestor’s Wrath (surround self in fire), resist fire
- BRETON: Dragonskin (absorb spells), resist shock
- ARGONIANS: Histskin (regenerate health quickly), resist disease, breathe underwater

Different races will start with different stats – base stats will be around 15, +5 bonus, or even +10 bonus.

Example:

-Argonians start with 25 in Lockpicking, 20 in Pickpocketing, Sneak, etc…
-Orcs start with 25 in Heavy Armour, 20 in Enchanting, Smithing etc…

Perk Trees

Speech
- Buying and selling price 10% better (5 ranks)
- 10% price buying from opposite sex
- Invest in shops and increase available gold permanently in invested stores
- Master Trader – every merchant in world gains 1000 gold for bartering
- Buy and sell from any merchant regardless of what they normally buy and sell
- Intimidation attempts twice as successful
- Persuasion attempts more likely successful

Alchemy
- Potions 20% stronger (5 ranks)
- Potions for restore health, magicka or stamina are 25% more powerful (maybe ranked)
- Poisons 25% more effective (maybe ranked)
- Poisons last for twice as many hits
- Two ingredients are gathered from plants
- 50% resistance to all poisons
- All negative effects removed from potions and all positive removed from poisons
- 2 effects of an ingredient are revealed when testing it for the first time (instead of just one)

Illusion
- Dual casting overcharges effect for more powerful spell
- Cast Novice spells for 50% less magicka
- Cast Apprentice spells for 50% less magicka
- Cast Adept, Expert, Master etc spells for 50% less magicka (more levels this time around)
- Spells work on higher level animals
- Spells work on higher level people
- All spellcasting (from ANY school) is done silently
- Spells work on undead, daedra and automatons
- Fear spells work on higher level enemies

Conjuration
- Novice for 50% magicka etc (up to Master)
- Dual casting overcharges –> greater spell effect
- Bound weapons do more damage
- Bound weapons cast Soul Trap on target
- Bound weapons banish certain creatures
- Reanimate undead with 100 more health
- Summon 2 Atronachs or reanimated zombies
- Summon Atronachs at twice the distance
- Summoned Atronachs twice as strong

Destruction
- More damage for each school (fire, frost and shock) – ranked
- Novice for 50% magicka etc.
- Shock damage chance to disintegrate targets if their health is under 10%
- Frost damage chance to paralyse targets if health low
- Fire damage chance to make low health enemies flee
- Place runes 5x farther away

Restoration
- Healing spells also restore stamina
- Novice for 50% less magicka etc
- Healing spells do 50% more healing
- Recharging healing spells
- More is recharged with each hit with healing spells (unclear)
- Spells more effective against undead
- Once a day chance to autocast 250HP restoration when health drops low
- Magicka regenerates 25% faster

Alteration
- Novice for 50% less etc
- Alteration spells have greater duration (ranked)
- Absorb 30% magicka that hits you

Enchanting
- Enchants are 20% stronger (ranked)
- Enchanted armour 25% stronger
- “Soul gems provide extra magicka for recharging” – again, dodgy recording but that’s what I heard, even if it doesn’t make much sense
- Death blows to creatures but not people trap souls for weapon recharge
- Health, magicka and stamina enchants stronger
- Extra effect on already-enchanted weapon can be applied
- Shock, Frost and Fire enchants 25% stronger (individual perks for each element)

Heavy Armour
- Increase armour rating 20% (5 ranks)
- Unarmed attacks with heavy armour gauntlets – damage increased by gauntlets’ armour rating
- Half fall damage if all in heavy armour
- Heavy armour weighs nothing and doesn’t slow you at all
- Additional 25% armour if in matching set
- 25% armour bonus if all in heavy armour (not necessarily matching)
- 50% less stagger if all in heavy armour
- 10% damage reflected back to enemy if all in heavy armour

2-handed weapons
- 2h weapons do 20% more damage (5 ranks)
- Attacks with warhammers ignore 25% armour (ranked)
- Attacks with battleaxes do extra bleeding damage (ranked)
- Attacks with greatswords do extra critical damage (ranked)
- Power attacks cost 25% less stamina
- Standing power attacks do 25% bonus damage, chance to decapitate
- Sprinting power attacks do double (critical) damage
- Sideways power attacks hit all targets
- Backwards power attacks have 25% chance of paralysis

Archery
- Bows do 25% more damage
- Zoom in
- Zooming slows time
- 10% crit chance
- Move faster with drawn bow
- Recover twice as many arrows from dead bodies
- 50% chance of paralysing for few seconds
- Draw bow 30% faster

Sneak
- 20% harder to detect (ranked)
- Sneak attacks do 6x damage with 1h weapons
- Sneak attacks with bows do 3x damage
- Sneak attacks with daggers do 15x damage (end perk on skill tree)
- Noise from armour reduced 50%
- No longer activate pressure plates
- Sprinting while sneaking performs silent forward roll
- Running does not affect detection chance
- Crouching can make hostile enemies lose sight of you and search for a target

Seems like it will be a lot of work planning out the right character to play with.

[Bethesda]

NVIDIA has shown some graphs depicting on how well the PC Gaming will do competing with console gaming in the next few years. They are betting that PC Gaming will be surpassing console gaming very soon and here are the graphs that they shown:

The Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii are already 5 to 6 years old and that means that the technology they are carrying are pass its prime compare to the PC. However, Nintendo did announced their new Wii U this year, but it seems like the specifications on it will not be up-to-par as a next gen console. NVIDIA suggest that the next gen consoles from Microsoft and Sony will not be what we expect.

Plus, one of the major selling point for PC gamers is the free-to-play online games like League of Legends, Lord of the Rings, and other F2P games out there. With more and more game companies switching to this model, we will be seeing more gamers hopping on the PC, instead of the console.

Check out the full discussion on this on going PC vs. Console war at Techgage.

Microsoft will be giving away copies of Halo: Reach on Games on Demand to anyone that received the special preview disc.

“Earlier this year, you participated in the Xbox LIVE Public Preview program and were provided a copy of Halo: Reach as part of your participation. Unfortunately, this Halo: Reach “preview disc” cannot be updated with a conventional Title Update, causing the game to be unplayable after the recent Halo: Reach Title Update on September 21, 2011. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

To get you back online with Halo: Reach, below is a code for the Games on Demand version of the game. Once the code is redeemed and your copy of Halo: Reach is downloaded, the game will work as usual, including the features added by the title update. All of your Halo Reach game saves will work normally as well. You may then discard the disc from the Public Preview program.

Please note that this Games on Demand version of Halo: Reach will require you to have some storage on your Xbox 360 – a hard drive or USB of at least 6.6 gigabytes. ”

So now for those special people that got the “preview disc” for Halo: Reach, you can start downloading the game and get back to playing it.

Lucky!

A Reddit user by the name of notadoctoreither has created a book in real life that contains all of the virtual books in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

He spent months and about $130 to collect all the books that was hidden in the the game. He then print the pages and bind it into one awesome looking book.

You can do it to when you check out his recommended tutorial.

[Gamefront]

CD Projekt released new details on the 2.0 version of The Witcher 2 .

Adam Badowski discusses the new update and changes in the 2.0 version of the Witcher 2:

“We quite modestly called this new update 2.0, but while testing it, we have realized that this update is, actually bigger than Enhanced Edition known from our first game,”

“So this is a major update not only for us, but also for all those who want to start their adventure with the game and for those who would like to play it again.

“We promised to support our game after release and also bring new content for free. Version 2.0 is one of the steps to fulfill our promise. Around 1 milion units sold worldwide and solid financial results are the best proof that that we have the right approach. You don’t need draconian DRM to have good sales and you don’t need costly DLC to have good financial results.

“You just need to treat your customers fair, and you get not only financial results, but fans admiration which for us is absolutely priceless.”

Here are the list of changes and updates:

New Tutorial System – New, more comprehensive tutorial is designed as a separate part of the game and takes place in the Kingdom of Keadwen. New Tutorial System gradually explains all gameplay mechanics, from very basic to the most sophisticated systems. The Tutorial ensures that start of the game for everyone will be a pleasureable experience without too steep a learning curve.

Special “Dark” difficulty setting – A new, intensely challenging difficulty setting that provides the ultimate challenge for players. On the “Dark” setting, The Witcher 2 is nearly as difficult as “Insane,” but allows players to save the game. It also provides a completely new set of dark-themed gear with very high stats. “Dark” mode also includes other special elements related to the “dark” theme. This setting is yet another reason to play the game again for those seeking new Witcher challenges.

New items in the “Dark” setting: 3 new sets of dark armor (light, medium, and heavy); 6 new dark swords (3 silver, 3 steel); Other “Dark” themes/elements in the game.

Completely new, arcade-style Arena Mode. Infinitely replayable and progressively more challenging, Arena Mode lets you hone your combat style and techniques against all the different opponents from the game as well as a new monster type, the Werewolf. Dispatch wave upon wave of increasingly more difficult enemies, earning awards that you can use to upgrade abilities, weapons and armor, and to test alchemy. Hirelings can also assist you in battle for a price. Combat waves will continue until your character is defeated, when you’ll see a statistical summary of results. Players can share their results with their friends by uploading this summary to the forums or to Facebook.

Arena Mode includes:

• New location – forgotten stronghold in the Kingdom of Keadwen.
• Dynamic, responsive audience reacting to the events.
• A new monster type, Werewolf.
• 30 different waves of enemies, looped with increasing levels of difficulty.
• 3 different prizes to choose from in each wave.
• 3 new characters (mage, knight, and dwarven fighter) that can serve as allies during clashes.
• A shopkeeper offering gear and enhancements.
• 3 new GUI panels designed specifically for the mode.
• New dialogue.
• New background music.
• New Witcher Forum and Facebook integration.

Hines said Bethesda will “look at any platform” that can handle the studio’s games as they are designed and the Wii U appears to have good support for just that.

“With every game we make, the temptation is always very strong to launch as soon as possible,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder. “However, we didn’t put so many years of work into Diablo III to release a game that was almost ready.

“The beta test is going very well, and we look forward to making the most of the extra time we’re taking to deliver an experience that lives up to our vision for the game and the expectations of our players. Next year is going to be an incredibly busy one for Blizzard, and we hope an incredibly fun one for Blizzard gamers.”

The beta test began earlier last week on September 20, the extension will add much more room for new beta testers and fans to try out the game.

A Game of Thrones: Genesis is out today, a RTS adaptation of the popular TV show and novel by George R.R. Martin.

The game is only available on the PC and looks to be a great addition to the RTS genre.

The game mode is based off the Gun Game mod and will come with two varients, Arms Race and Demolition. In addition to Arsenal Mode, 8 new maps will be added on top of the original maps.

The developers of the original Source mod have been working directly with Valve to create the Arsenal Mode in Global Offensive. “We are excited that Valve reached out and is working with us to ensure Arsenal Mode is the best version of Gun Game,” Michael Barr, the project lead of Gun Game mod commented.

Blizzard Diablo III game director Jay Wilson, discusses their testing on console game pads used for Diablo III.

Jay Wilson said in an interview with PC Gamer that:

“We don’t see ourselves as a PC developer – we see ourselves as a game developer. It’s just that the games that we wanted to make suit the PC platform,”

“We don’t believe you can make a Starcraft style RTS and make it Blizzard great on a console. We do believe you could make an RTS that would be on a console, but we would have (to have) that idea, and that spark and that passion to make it.

“One of the reasons why we’re exploring the idea of a console version of Diablo 3 because we feel that the controls and the style of the game lend itself to a console. With some of our early experiments in putting a direct control scheme into the game via a 360-like analogue controller, I’ve been ‘Oh this feels even better, with direct control…”

No confirmations are made yet, whether Diablo III will be out for consoles. However, it does seem like they will be trying to see if they can port to console and try to let PC gamers use gamepads on the PC version of Diablo III.

Great news, since I can lay down and play the game on a controller pad.

In a new ruling by the US Supreme Court, Sony will be able to change their Binding Individual Arbitration section that will let them waived the rights of consumers to not sue Sony through class action lawsuits.

This new change will not let consumers sue Sony as a group, but “will be conducted only on an individual basis”. Sony knows well that it will cost a lot more for one person to sue them than a group coming together, which will work in Sony favor.

You can check the backstory on this at [Sony Changes Terms of Service to Prevent Class Action Lawsuits]

[VG247]

The action/RPG X-Men: Destiny is out today from the fine folks at Silicon Knights with a new trailer to packing in a ton of power to suck you in.

Check out the awesome trailer above and see how awesome it looks. The game is out for the PS3, Xbox 360, Wii and DS.

North America will get it on December 20 and Europe will get it two days later on December 22. The date was revealed by BioWare co-founders Dr. Ray Muzyka and Dr. Greg Zeschuk at the Eurogamer Expo.

Good news for gamers with both the PS3 and PS Vita from Street Fighter producer, Yoshinori Ono. First, there will be paid and free DLCs for the game. Next, you only have to get them once and can use it for both consoles.

On the premise that you’re using THE SAME PSN account for your PS3 and PSVita consoles, you only have to get DLCs for the game once and be able to use it for both consoles. Now isn’t that nice?

Ono also made mentioned about the possibility of having a custom build Vita joystick, albeit smaller and proportional to the Vita. No final word on that one yet though. They’re still making arrangements with Mad Catz, their arcade stick manufacturer.

The group that has been trying to show Capcom that there are thousands of fans out there that want Mega Man Legends 3 has put up a small ad in a local paper called The Gateway Shopper in Southern Michigan and Northern Indiana.

The ad states “Urgent Help Needed” and goes on to explain that need 100,000 likes on their Facebook page. Currently, they are at 45,000 and steadily going up.

All this is to show Capcom that Mega Man fans want that Legends 3 game released. Lets all hope that Capcom will change their mind.

Go to their Facebook page and Like it!

It has been rumored that Smash Bros. Universe idea page was leaked and now Masahiro Sakurai twitter that unless the current project Kid Icarus is done, Smash Bros. Universe will not be progressing.

“I’m currently concentrating on one title, Kid Icarus. Until this wraps up, Smash Bros. will not progress. Of course, characters have not been decided at all.” – Masahiro Sakurai

However, do not worry at all that Nintendo is not planning Smash Bros. Universe. So, at least now you know that once Kid Icarus is out, Smash Bros. Universe will be right around the corner.

EA has released a new update that removes the DRM for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 for the PC version.

The 2.6GB patch will remove the SecuRom DRM from the game and fix several bugs too.

Patch details:

• Removed some memory leaks
• Fixed crashes when the game attempted to render lots of content (high detail, high FOV or multiple-monitor modes); this should particularly help multi-monitor users
• Chat window no longer causes lag spikes
• Chat window reworked opacity & visibility-time is controllable through settings in settings.ini
• Clantag is remembered when using auto-login
• Banner URLs can be up to 252 characters in length
• SecuROM wrapper removed from non-Steam version
• Minor performance enhancements
• Reduced rubberbanding on servers with more than 24 active players
• PrintScreen takes a screenshot, file stored in Documents\BFBC2\Screenshots directory

[Shacknews]

Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley believes that the last MMO to adopt the subscription based model will be Star Wars: The Old Republic.

He thinks that most of the future MMOs will go with the free-to-play model and use microtransaction model, instead of the subscription model.

Speaking to GI.biz, he said:

“Economic times are hard out there and a recurring subscription is something that glares at you from a credit card bill every month,”

“For some people, saving money starts with getting rid of subscriptions that hit the credit card every month. But it’s fair to say that subscriptions are likely going to be a strong component of revenue for the foreseeable future, although I don’t believe they will be remotely as dominant over time.

“There’s another large juggernaut coming out soon in Star Wars: The Old Republic from EA/Bioware. That’s a game that I think has a legitimate shot at a 2 million subscription user base and I believe they will stick with the subscription method. In my opinion, this is going to be the last large scale MMO to use the traditional subscription business model. Why do I think that? Simply put, the world is moving on from this model and over time people aren’t going to accept this method.

“I’m sure I’m going to hear a lot about this statement. But I am positive I’m right.”

“Free-to-play encompasses a lot of different business models,”

“Some games like League of Legends are microtransaction only games where there is no subscription. Other games like LOTRO offer a subscription tier as well. The key idea of a free-to-play game is that the game itself doesn’t cost money to purchase and you get some amount of gameplay for free. Beyond that it’s different game by game.

“This is what we’re seeing today and I expect that in the future you’re going to continue to see a lot of different ideas in the free-to-play space.”

I totally agree with this and hopefully future MMOs will pick up the free-to-play model, instead of a subscription based model.

[VG247]

Finally, Sony release the 3.72 firmware update for the PlayStation 3.

The much needed update includes a lot of system software upgrades, performance upgrades, and a stable network.

The update introduces a new category called TV/Video Services that is added to the XMB menu. There is also auto-upload saved data feature, Multi-Picture format for 3D photos, 3D playback of Blu-ray Java, and a new feature to share information through the PSN.

Check out more details on the update at [Us.PlayStation]

Warner Bros. announced that they will be delaying Batman: Arkham City for PC.

Worst part about all this is that they didn’t give no specification on the release date or why the game is delayed for PC. The game is said to be launching in November, instead of October.

Console gamers will not be affected by the sudden delay and will be set for Oct 18.