Eurogamer branch starts rumors of more content

New Year's Eve brings game discounts and Dragon Age rumors, it seems.  Eurogamer.cz (Czech) is responsible for the latest "maybe," when someone caught a few lines on BioWare's recent fantasy RPG.  Google did the rest.

A translation from the search engine yields the following:

"Details of the expansion's contents are still only preliminary and may still change. Awareness will follow the story chronologically Dragon Age: Origins and promises a huge portion of the additional content. You play as a completely new main character, including his own prologue (separate Origin Story), the new campaign. Completion of the central storyline to take approximately 15 hours, as compared to the 100-hour original is not too much, and have consequences for the rest of the game."

It all sounds pretty crazy, but the first line does state that details (which there are currently none of) could change at any time.  Either way, do take this with a grain of salt, even if it is from Eurogamer.

Even if "The Awakening" turns out to be false or just way down the line, the "Return to Ostagar" DLC coming in January should be enough.  Check it. 

Final 'Countdown' item is another big discount

Yesterday, we predicted the New Year's Eve reveal on Xbox LIVE's "Countdown to New Year" would be epic.  Well, today's the last day, and it turns out we've got another discount on a popular game.

DICE's multiplayer-only Battlefield 1943 is up for just 560 Microsoft Points, between seven or eight bucks.  This is actually lower than EA initially stated on Twitter, so hurry online and grab a download for yourself.  Hell, peer pressure your buddies into purchasing a copy of their own for maximum enjoyment.

Some players have complained about the lack of DLC support.  However, DICE has a pretty kosher reputation, so we're thinking more content might pop up if today's 50 percent discount makes a significant dent in the player count.

Behold, the complete "Countdown to New Year" roster:

14. Free 2010 Glasses
13. Worms 2: Armageddon 50% off (400 MS Points)
12. Free Premium New Year's Theme
11. Avatar Golf Indie Game 60% off (160 MSP)
10. Stargate Continuum (Movie - 480 MSP HD, 80 MSP Standard def)
9. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 - 560MSP
8. Uno Rush (400 MSP - 50% Off)
7. The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition (50% off)
6. Battle for Terra 80MSP Rental
5. Fallout 3 DLC (All DLC 50% off, 400 MSP)
4. Guitar Hero: The Rolling Stones Live DLC 50% Off
3. Batman Returns 80 MSP Rental
2. Castle Crashers 560 MSP
1. Battlefield 1943 560 MSP

It's tiny, yellow, and flies in circles

Twitter and Facebook are now major spamming advertising outlets of choice for companies. 

Most recently, Microsoft and Square Enix figured out that the former may be the perfect means of advertising for Final Fantasy XIII, only they could rely on users to do the job. 

And what juicy incentive did the two companies cook up?  A fluffy little baby FFXIII chocobo Avatar pet, exactly like the one seen in Sazh Katzroy's afro.

In reality, you didn't actually need to do any spamming, and chocobo-lovers could stick with registering on Xbox.com and leave it at that.  About a month after the promotion began, registration is closed, but your baby chocobo should be in the mail today.

You can no longer earn the chocobo pet for free, though we're placing bets on how long Microsoft's wait before they release it as a paid item.

The Ramones, more Blink-182, and Psychedelic Furs

Three live Paul McCartney tracks aren't the only content Rock Band 2 and LEGO Rock Band players can look forward to at the beginning of 2010.  Punk rock group Blink-182 puts in their own trio from their 2005 Greatest Hits album while The Psychedelic Furs contribute two of their rock singles from the early 1980s.  Finally, The Ramones invite you in for some teenage disobedience with the titular tune from the 1979 musical comedy Rock 'n' Roll High School.

Here's the complete set of songs that will be available for download; those marked in red will not be available in LEGO Rock Band:

• Paul McCartney - Band on the Run (live)
• Paul McCartney - Jet (live)
• Paul McCartney - Sing the Changes (live)
• Blink-182 - Adam's Song
  
• Blink-182 - First Date
• Blink-182 - I Miss You
  
• The Psychedelic Furs - Love My Way
• The Psychedelic Furs - Sister Europe
  
• The Ramones - Rock 'n' Roll High School

The "Paul McCartney New York City Pack 01" and "Blink-182 Pack 02" bundles can be purchased for 440 Microsoft Points or $5.49 USD /  £2.49 UK / €3.99 EU from the PlayStation Store.  Individual downloads will cost the usual 160 MS Points, $1.99 /  £0.99 / €1.49 from the PS Store, or 200 Nintendo Points.  360 and Wii owners can get their content on January 5 while PlayStation 3 owners need to be a tad patient for January 7 to roll around.

No doctored assets, here

The official website for the upcoming multiplatform RPG Two Worlds II launched recently for those that haven't been keeping up. Included in the first batch of content was information on the gameplay, story, monsters and a ton more. Today some fresh new assets are added to the pile: screenshots and "MoveShots."

The original Two Worlds, if you've not played, did pretty well for itself sales-wise, although the critical and fan reception was not always so hot. Developer Reality Pump seem to think they're on to something, though, and we're guessing are aiming for a winner all around with the sequel.

The new screenshots in today (shown here) depict battle, landscapes, and exploration. Happily, they're quite enticing, at least for the RPG nut in us. As for the "MoveShots", these are very short gameplay clips of sorts without sound. Publisher TopWare Interactive (or developer Reality Pump, we cannot be sure), note in the press release the aim with these is to prove -- despite any rumours -- the screens are not doctored, "which, unfortunately, [is] all too common throughout the modern day videogame industry."

According to the game's primary online retailer ZUXXEZ, Two Worlds II launches tomorrow on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, although recent publisher statements indicate it's arriving springtime for the latter, at the least. In any case, you can check out the official website for all the goods, including the MoveShots.

You must become your enemy

The sixth vignette leading up to the release of Divinity II: Ego Draconis is out today, exploring likely the game's most popular feature: transforming into a dragon.

Well, let's face it, we all wanted to be a dragon as a kid, and now with Larian's RPG you can finally get your wish, albeit 20 years late, give or take. Our hero is facing his own qualms, as being a Dragon Slayer all his life, the necessity of said transformation comes as more than a little strange. But hey, you do what you have to do to save the world and all that, and there's worse things than flying around as a dragon, surely.

Divinity II: Ego Draconis launches January 5 on PC and Xbox 360, around which time we'll have a review. In the meantime, give the demo a shot.

Creator says it's likely, crossovers also possible

Arc Systems Works, the studio responsible for Guilty Gear (more so before SEGA took over), might be looking to HD consoles as the next Guilty Gear platforms of choice.

The franchise, fathered by Daisuke Ishiwatari, enjoys greater popularity in Japan but maintains a growing fanbase in the West.  BlazBlue already made a mark on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, but Arc business development director Tomo Ohno revealed that Ishiwatari may be looking to the 360 and PS3 for future Guilty Gear releases.  In a recent meeting, he stated, "I have the full intention to create Guilty Gear for PS3 and Xbox 360."

If that isn't real proof, I don't know what is.  As for Capcom-esque crossover fighters, Ohno said expressed personal distaste.  However, it is not totally out of the question, and fans might eventually see a Guilty Gear / BlazBlue crossover.

Ohno explained, "BlazBlue is a new thing, and there might be some crossover but at the moment we don’t have any plans."

A New Year's discount we all care about

If you own an Xbox 360, then you probably already know about the "Countdown to New Year" promotion.  Today, they've actually got another deal gamers might want to get in on.

For today only, Behemoth's hit sidescroller Castle Crashers is available at a massive discount.  Normally 1200 Microsoft Points, it's been marked down to 560 MS Points, which is a drop from $15.00 to an attractive eight bucks (give or take). 

Those of us who purchased the game earlier this week using all those MS Point cards we got for Christmas can now kick ourselves.  Seriously though, get this game; we're not being paid to say nice things about Castle Crashers.

And with just one full day until New Year's Day, we can only assume the final reveal will be mind-blowing.  Here are the last 13 deals:

14. Free 2010 Glasses
13. Worms 2: Armageddon 50% off (400 MS Points)
12. Free Premium New Year's Theme
11. Avatar Golf Indie Game 60% off (160 MSP)
10. Stargate Continuum (Movie - 480 MSP HD, 80 MSP Standard def)
9. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 - 560MSP
8. Uno Rush (400 MSP - 50% Off)
7. The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition (50% off)
6. Battle for Terra 80MSP Rental
5. Fallout 3 DLC (All DLC 50% off, 400 MSP)
4. Guitar Hero: The Rolling Stones Live DLC 50% Off
3. Batman Returns 80 MSP Rental
2. Castle Crashers 560 MSP
1. ???

Pray you don't run into him on LIVE

Last year, we gave you 50 reasons not to purchase a Wii for your child.  A sobering video did all the talking for us really, compiled from numerous home videos of children opening their gifts on Christmas to find a Nintendo Wii of their own. 

Their reactions ranged across different levels of annoying, with no shortage of ear-piercing shrieking from boys and girls alike.

This year, we pick up another Christmas home movie, one which has been circulating the Internet as an example of why most gamers prefer keeping their online matches minors-free.  Seeing as how no one really cares about the Wii anymore, this video can be about only one of two consoles -- flip of the coin says "Xbox 360," so here we are.

While this little boy's explosion of joy doesn't compare to the near nine-minute Wii montage, he can still leave your ears bleeding until 2010.  It sounds like his father is starting to regret the gift, commenting on his son's psychotic break further into the clip.

Again, this comes with a squealing warning, so don't turn your volume too high.  This is not for the faint of heart.

New modes and gameplay info revealed, plus rock music

Fist of the North Star fans rejoice, for Koei has launched the official website in Japanese.  If you can't read Nipponese, the trailer and gameplay videos should be enough, along with pretty screens of the new stages and brief character bios.

Four new stages reveal themselves via the website, including Cassandra and Hokuto Dojo (of course).  The character bios section present Kenshiro, Toki, Mamiya, the misguided Raoh, and Rei.  In addition to those familiar faces, Shin makes himself known in the new gameplay screenshots, where he is shown kicking Ken's ass.

Screens and videos also give us a glimpse of how the combat will look.  In addition to smashing people in the face, Ken can pick up large (heavy) objects and chuck them into crowds of enemies.  Some of his moves are ripped straight from the manga, including his death-grab Hokuto Ginkaiken.

Dynasty Warriors meets Fist of the North Star -- what could go wrong?

Moving on.  Two modes -- "Dentou" and "Gentou" -- are being showcased on the site.  The first, Dentou, serves as the campaign and goes through the North Star story, revolving around the conflict between Kenshiro and Raoh.  The Gentou section details a second mode that follows a new story with different encounters.  According to Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu, players can choose other characters in this mode, not just Kenshiro.  Keep in mind that other game modes may emerge, but Koei is keeping a lid on that for now. 

Hokuto Musou has already wound up on many Japanese "Most Wanted" charts, and we'll be seeing it on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this coming March.  You'll find the new screenies right below the cinematic.

PlayStation 3 date still undetermined

First announced back in November, the upcoming Dragon Age: Origins DLC has finally been dated -- for Xbox 360 and PC, anyway.  If you own the game for either platform, then January 5 will be your new Christmas.

The "Return to Ostagar" DLC, which has the Warden traveling back to where it all started, will be released to North America and Europe on the first Tuesday of January, or January 5.  PlayStation 3 gamers will need to wait, though just a little bit, as a PS3 release date has been confirmed for late January.

With the DLC, players will head back to the battlefield in Ostagar in search of King Cailan's loot, since taking goods off corpses obviously isn't an issue in Dragon Age.  Ferelden's former king isn't just the bubbly Warden-loving simpleton we mistook him for, however, and the additional content reveals some of his secrets.

“We are thrilled at the way the fans have embraced Dragon Age: Origins and we’re excited to welcome them back into the game,” said Aaryn Flynn, general manager and VP at BioWare Edmonton.  “'Return to Ostagar' represents BioWare’s commitment to providing a steady stream of compelling post release content as we continue to expand the Dragon Age universe.”

Nearly $800 million gap between video games and films

The film industry has always been at the top of the media entertainment pyramid, with the relatively new medium of video games looking meager in comparison. However, UK sales charts reflect a shift between these two industries: more money was spent on gaming in the UK than on film in 2009.

The figures compiled over the last 12 months (ending September 2009), detail that £1.73 billion (around $2.75 billion) was spent on video games as a whole, including hardware and software sales. It's worth noting that this predates Modern Warfare 2 in November, a game that broke records with its huge commercial success.

Despite the British film industry being in the best state it has been for several years, it only came out with £1 billion ($1.59 billion) at the box office. While the sales of DVD and Blu-Ray titles added a further £198 million, this still leaves over a £500 million ($794 million) gap between the two in 2009, making video games the third biggest media industry in the UK, beaten only by music and television.

The mainstream growth of the industry on a whole also shows a greater acceptance of gaming.  While the Nintendo Wii has been a successful attempt to break the stereotypical niche audience, its popularity during the previous two Christmas holidays has since waned.  The number of consoles in use within the UK has also doubled, from 13.5 million in 2008 to over 25 million earlier this year. Important figures like politician Tom Watson hope this progressive boom will open eyes, especially in Parliament where a very “narrow view” is still held.

New Krogan companion REALLY loves to kill, but the Drell does it better

Based on what we've seen so far, Shepard is recruiting some pretty dangerous people in Mass Effect 2.  Subject Zero is an unstable biotic who likely has more STDs than medical science can document, and Thane's an assassin who can take out a small squad of armed guard with his bare hands.  And who can forget Grunt, your bloodthirsty Krogan friend?

In the latest Mass Effect 2 character trailer, titled "Savage," Grunt does note he's loyal to Shepard.  The one thing he loves more than following Shepard's orders to kill is doing it for fun, so our Spectre should probably keep an eye on the guy anyway.

Grunt explains in the "Savage" trailer that his favorite hobby is, in fact, killing anything (and everything) that moves, which could explain why he was taking on a giant burrowing worm ten times his size.  Quote the Krogan: "If he tells me to kill, I'm gonna kill.  If he tells me to fire, I'm gonna fire.  If he tells me to stop, I'll stop.  Eventually."

Bottom line, Grunt's not here to save the galaxy -- he's here to kill.

Update: Here's the other murderer in your party, Thane.  He doesn't talk quite as much as Grunt and simply states the obvious, "I was chosen for this mission because killing is an art, and I am a master."

First game's protagonist goes through his initiation in this short, fan-made movie

Usually when fans pay tribute to their favourite mediums of entertainment the result is something that disgraces the source material.  However, when fan fiction or films are done with care, the outcome can be impeccable, and the video below is solid proof.

Some guys over at TheDuoGroup -- a collective of like-minded artists -- have taken an untold story in the Assassin's Creed universe and bought it to life with a very artistic and authentic movie.

Their short film explains the initiation process uptaken by Altair when he finally becomes a member of the Assassin's guild. Characters are presented just how you would expect, with voice acting and scripting that feel like they were taken straight from the games. Though fairly short with few scenes, it's still a great punt on the fandom, and fans of Assassin's Creed will definately appreciate the creative input.

Console and PC statistics are in

P2P monitoring website Torrentfreak has released its figures for 2009, showing us the top five titles per platform pirates were particularly into.

First we'll start with the Xbox 360, which had the lowest number of downloads overall, although still disconcertingly high.

It's worth nothing of course Modern Warfare 2 came out only recently, but managed to beat out all other titles in the span of about one month, whereas the rest had six months or more to reach their peak.

Next up we have the Wii, in second overall.

Four of the titles are Nintendo releases, for which no doubt the company will be or already is fighting, as they are known to. Who would've thought so many "hardcore" fans from the 80s would've grown up to be pirates?

The last title, quite interestingly, is Sega's House of the Dead: Overkill. For all the talk of violent games not being popular on the Wii, the 860,000 figure alone refutes any claims of interest, there. Sega has previously stated sales were "as expected" -- just imagine the effect it would've had if each of those pirates had actually bought the title.

Last up is the PC, certainly the most notorious platform for piracy. Appropriately, downloads are three times as large in quantity, which goes to show you just how many PC gamers are out there, be they pirates or paying players (to put it in perspective: MW2 sold 4.7 million units on launch day).

These stats are the most interesting of all. First, we see that despite an at least partly failed boycott on MW2, a very large number of pirates saw fit to download the game free instead of paying (not to say some of them didn't purchase afterwards).

The other interesting note is both The Sims 3 and Need for Speed SHIFT were torrented extensively, though neither title had any DRM (and SHIFT had a demo), which, as usual, shows you the majority of people don't care about the stuff one way or the other.

The number five most pirated PC game is Street Fighter IV. All we have to say about that one is if you are one of the people that pirated it: go legit, as it's a great version that deserves to be supported, particularly with the disparaging number of fighters on the platform.

As usual, the PS3 remains virtually untouched for a variety of reasons -- you have to give Sony some credit there.

On the whole Modern Warfare 2 is by far the most pirated title of this last year, besting 2008's Spore by more than double, though we're sure Activision isn't too hurt about it, what with the more than half billion dollars in sales and all.

PoP fans are bricking it

As many will know, Prince of Persia's movie adaptation is due for release next year, but some may be surprised to hear the release will be accompanied by five LEGO playsets, including Hassassins Hideout, The Ostrich Race, Fight for the Dagger, Quest Against Time, and Battle for Almut.

Apart from shedding light on scenes and locations from the movie, the news also reflects the idea that Prince of Persia is to be made into a more kid-friendly franchise, which could affect the final outcome of the latest video game installment, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. Though it could re-populate the aging series, it may be a direction existing fans disagree with.

More country songs and live Paul McCartney tracks

Time to sit back and put on your 10-gallon hats for you Rock Band 2 and LEGO Rock Band folk as a seven-song country jamboree is heading your way.  Featured artists for next week's downloads include Shania Twain, Martina McBride, and Grammy winners Alan Jackson, Keith Urban, and Kenny Rogers.  Harmonix has put in a well-known hit from each one of these artists so you'll be sure to find something recognizable to add to your download collection.  

Every track included in this update was transplanted from Rock Band: Country Track Pack so if you own that already, there's no need to download these.  Here are the seven tunes that will be available for download:

• Alan Jackson - Good Time
• Cross Canadian Ragweed - Cry Lonely
• Jason Aldrean - She's Country
• Keith Urban - I Told You So
• Kenny Rogers - The Gambler
• Martina McBride - This One's For The Girls
• Shania Twain - Any Man of Mine

Beatles fans, you've got a nice treat coming in for the new year: three live Paul McCartney tracks from "Good Evening New York City" are headed to the Rock Band Music Store.  These were recorded during McCartney's three-night christening of Citi Field in New York so you know you're in for some epic rock.  You'll be able to hear the full experience including the pyrotechnics and the sweet audience chanting.

Here are the three Paul McCartney songs that will be available for download:

• Band on the Run (live)
  
• Jet (live)
  
• Sing the Changes (live)

The "Going Country Pack 02" bundle rassles up the country tunes for 880 Microsoft Points or $10.99 USD / £4.99 UK / €7.99 EU from the PlayStation Store.  "New York City Pack 01" packs up the McCartney trio for 440 MS Points or $5.49 USD / £2.49 UK / €3.99 EU from the PS Store.  Individual downloads cost 160 MS Points, $1.99 / £.99 UK / €1.49 EU, or 200 Nintendo Points.  360 and Wii owners get their content on December 29 and January 5 while PS3 owners wait until December 31 and January 7.

Missing a flight is only funny when happening to someone else

Well, Army of Two: The 40th Day is coming pretty soon.  So in celebration, and as a holiday treat, EA released a new teaser for the game, featuring everyone's favorite bromance duo.

Salem and Rios are plenty good at their jobs, but we're thinking the two-man army business has taken its toll.  While waiting for to board a flight at what appears to be LAX, they oversleep.  Cue expletives and tripping over luggage. 

British Airways has pretty good service though, so we assume they'll make it.  If nothing else, these two are damn good at running, so they'll definitely get to their destination in time for January 15. 

Mie Suzuki covers the eight character Mercenaries roster and the history of “Desperate Escape”

We recently covered both the announcement of the upcoming downloadable Resident Evil 5 scenario “Desperate Escape” as well as footage of the Mercenaries Reunion mode, an expanded version of the original multiplayer release. Now, assistant producer Mie Suzuki has provided further information on the two in a recent interview, including development history and plot explanations.

“Desperate Escape” is the second of two new scenarios to be released both as DLC and as a part of the Alternative Edition, or Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition.  The mission features BSAA Africa agent Josh Stone working together with Jill Valentine, set after Chris and Sheva rescue her from Wesker.  Josh picks up where the main duo leave off and rouses Jill from her coma, then teaming up to escape Tricell facility.  This, along with episode one "Lost in Nightmares," should run for two hours each -- at least that's what Capcom estimates.  Suzuki also notes there is more replayability factor.

The ass't producer went on to explain that both additional stories were originally intended to be developed and incorporated into the main game, but they were scrapped when “balance” was considered.  Now that they're being released as DLC, it was believed that these concerns can now be overlooked to give players the full experience.  Despite their design pre-dating the game's release, Suzuki confirmed there are currently no plans to release any other story-based content.

It was also reiterated that eight new characters are coming to Mercenaries. Of these, five have already been revealed: Office Lady Sheva, Warrior Chris, Exoskeleton Chris, Folklore Sheva, and Josh Stone. This leaves three yet to come.

The scenario will be available both to download and on disc in March, with “Lost in Nightmares” and the first batch of costumes released first in February.

Yes, we are now in the future

The Dead Space 2 teasing continues today with the release of the game's first screenshot (above). The kicker here is you can also see the image in 3D thanks to Microsoft's Silverlight technology -- just head to the source and rotate away.

Sadly our friend Isaac's suit looks just as ridiculous in-game (in our opinion, at least) as in the concept art. He also appears to be fighting some aliens this time around, or Necromorphs which resemble aliens, anyway, complete with big blue heads and claws.

In response to rumours of a release date, Executive Producer Steve Papoutsis has told media the game will "ship when it's ready" -- good news for the patient. He's also said recent studio head departures won't hurt the game, and it will in fact be better than its predecessor. Here's hoping.

Yet another look inside Larian's PC & 360 RPG

In now we've got two more vignettes for Divinity II: Ego Draconis, the RPG by Divine Divinity makers Larian Studios. If you've been keen to get a good preview of the game's skill, abilitiy and weapon sets, or the world of Rivellion in which it takes places, look no further.

Similar to the Dragon Slayer vignette, this first video shows us how in Divinity II, unlike some traditional RPGs, you can freely delve into archer, warrior and mage territory, if you so please -- Dragon Knights do what they want, you see.

The second, titled "Lands of Rivellion", explores the game's universe. With some strings and background narration, it's a pretty enchanting trailer, we must say.

Divinity II: Ego Draconis launches January 5 in North America on Xbox 360 and PC, and we can't wait to review it.

Rogue mages clash with Templars in next year's series

According to IDW Publishing, Dragon Age will be receiving the comic book treatment next year. From March 2010, fans can expect to see monthly issues based on this year's Bioware RPG, set the in grim world of Ferelden. The actual plot behind the series has yet to be fully revealed, though it will be based around rogue mages from the Circle of Magi who "defy the rules of the Templars and change the course of the world forever."

Another note worth taking is on the talent driving the graphic novel. The series will be written by praised novelist Orson Scott Card, with Aaron Johnston (Ender's Game: Mazer in Prison) standing in as his co-writer. The interior art will be worked on by Mark Robinson (Skrull Kill Krew), and "superstar artist" Humberto Ramos will be crafting the covers.

Aside from the upcoming comic book series, further reading can be found in the form of The Stolen Throne, a novel released in March covering the backstory to Dragon Age: Origins (our review).

A good look at Rebellion's reboot

A new trailer for the Aliens vs. Predator reboot has landed at Neoseeker, this one giving a nearly three minute look at the game's story.

If you're new to the details, AvP sees a group of colonist miners discover a foreign planet's secret in an ancient pyramid (c'est la science-fiction). This simultaneously alerts Predator and awakens the aliens, neither of which are too happy to be disturbed. The footage gives us a dark perspective on the corporate life, loosely tying it to the conflict. On the whole, looks like a potentially solid addition to the Aliens and Predator universes.

Aliens vs. Predator will launch February 2010 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

New balls, boots and tweaks

Soccer game fans are treated to some new content and tweaks to Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 today.

Konami has rolled out the 1.03 patch which brings three new balls and 10 new boots as free DLC, in addition to some improvements to the online game.

Below are the release notes; grab the new goods at the source if you're a PC gamer, or through XBL/PSN if you're a console man.

• all settings can now be saved and Stocked Data will be loaded automatically, speeding up play immediately
  
• new connectivity icons will show the user as a Grey icon, with Green, Yellow and Red icons detailing the quality of the opponent’s connection, with red being the worst
  
• improves match making between users of the PC-DVD version of the game with different processors
  

Cloak in combat to set up the perfect stealth kills

Are you the sort of person who always choses "thief" classes in RPGs?  Then Mass Effect's Infiltrator class is probably the right one for you.

The latest Mass Effect 2 trailer showcases a character class that ME fans should be quite familiar with.  Narrated by lead gameplay designer Christina Norman, we are introduced to the Infiltrator's unique ability, Tactical Cloak.

With the cloaking power, you can escape undetected or situate yourself in an optimal position to snipe or perform some other sneak attack.  The one con to this ability is that decloaking will leave you vulnerable, and you can't heal while using the cloaking power.  So stay sharp and try not to get hit too often.