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LOS ANGELES – Cliff Bleszinski was initially hesitant to think of “Gears of War” as a trilogy. the design director at Epic Games and mastermind behind the chainsaw-slicing video game shooter series knew that gamers were a particularly judgmental bunch, especially when it comes to the interactive industry’s gluttonous strategy of constructing franchises from the ground up.

“I think if you come out and say, ‘this is the start of a trilogy,’ gamers get defensive, cross their arms and say, ‘We’ll see,’ ” said Blezenski. “you have to play it game by game. We had ideas of where each game could go in the series, but until we had confirmation, we never really started work on a sequel, except for coming up with pie-in-the-sky ideas.”

Churning out three “Gears of War” titles during the past five years paid off.

“Gears of War 3” sold more than 3 million copies in its first week and was the second best-selling game in September behind “Madden NFL 12,” propelling the entire Xbox 360 series past the $1 billion mark, according to Microsoft Corp. and NPD Group, which tracks retail game sales. Microsoft also said more than 4.5 million gamers played it online since it debuted.

“for some reason, three is the magic number,” said Bleszinski of the omnipresence of trilogies in pop culture. “I can’t explain it. Narratively, they make sense because you’ve got that ‘Lord of the Rings’ vibe where there’s a definitive beginning, middle and ending. There’s something about that contained pack-of-three that’s just incredibly gratifying.”

Other game developers and publishers seem to agree.

Sequels have always been an important part of the gaming world, but with the release of “Gears of War 3” last month and games such as superhero brawler “Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of two Worlds,” first-person shooter “Killzone 3,” horror shoot-’em-up “F.E.a.R. 3” and alien blaster “Resistance 3” earlier this year, it seems 2011 is the year of the threequel.

The trend continues this holiday season – or should that be holiday threeson? – with the arrival of such third installments as the epic action-adventure title “Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception,” bawdy open-world gang war saga “Saints Row: the Third” and explosive first-person military shooters “Battlefield 3” and “call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.”

For some of this year’s threequels, the third outing is less about the story moving forward and more about the technology leaping ahead. “Battlefield 3” from developer Digital Illusions CE will be the first game to utilize the Frostbite 2 game engine, promising players more realistic graphics, fuller sound and amplified environmental destruction.

“ ‘Battlefield 3’ is the true next-generation successor to ‘Battlefield 2,’ ” said DICE producer Patrick Liu. “We’re utilizing the latest technology with our new Frostbite 2 engine. It’s by far the most ambitious game we’ve ever made. It’s a bigger game with a single-player campaign, co-op and multiplayer. It’s the most pressure we’ve ever felt making a game.”

Six years have passed since Electronic Arts Inc. deployed “Battlefield 2” for the PC, though there have been other entries in the 9-year-old series. this time, the publisher is positioning “Battlefield 3,” which will be available for the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on Tuesday, as a combatant to “call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3” from Activision Inc.

The marketing campaign for “Battlefield 3” cleverly suggests that the game goes “above and beyond the call.”

The original “Modern Warfare,” which was developed by Infinity Ward and released in 2007, transformed Activision’s aging “call of Duty” series into the most successful gaming franchise. “Modern Warfare 3,” which is due out Nov. 8, is expected to top the previous two installments, as well as last year’s top-selling “Black Ops” edition from Treyarch.

“from a commercial standpoint, as far as ‘Modern Warfare 3’ is concerned, it’s a one-shot kill,” said Scott Steinberg, CEO of game consulting company TechSavvy Global. “the competition is not in a good position because millions and millions of players have been playing ‘call of Duty’ online with their friends and are already hungry for the next installment.”

“Modern Warfare 3,” “Gears of War 3,” “Resistance 3,” “Uncharted 3,” “Saints Row: the Third” and “Mass Effect 3” are among the threequels on the same platforms as their predecessors, a striking difference from past gaming franchises that spanned consoles. Steinberg blames a combination of the economy and “dumb luck” for the one-two-three punch.

“Traditionally, you don’t see three iterations of a series on the same console because previous sales cycles and technical evolutions have moved more quickly,” said Steinberg. “In the past, publishers used console launches as a reboot point for new installments. this longer cycle has given developers the chance to eke more horsepower out of the systems.”

Steinberg thinks the third time on the same platform will ultimately charm gamers because developers have honed both their technical talents and storytelling skills without the burden of figuring out how to create games for a completely new system, an issue developers tackled when transitioning from such consoles as the Xbox to Xbox 360 and the PS2 to PS3.

“when you’ve got a stable technology platform underneath you, it’s nice because you can focus on design elements and storytelling aspects,” said Aaryn Flynn, general manager at developer BioWare. “I think anyone who has developed multiple games on these platforms is doing what we’re doing – honing their craft and getting better and better each time.”

Flynn and his colleagues at BioWare are currently preparing for the launch of “Mass Effect 3” next March. the third chapter of the intergalactic sci-fi saga centers on the ominous alien Reapers invading Earth. Flynn said the trilogy, which features a highly customizable protagonist named Commander Shepard, was always envisioned as a three-part series.

“certainly, when we first imagined ‘Mass Effect’ as a story for Commander Shepard, we did think of it as a trilogy,” Flynn said. “That said, we’ve made tweaks and adjustments all the way along as we’ve heard from fans what they want to see, but certainly the story has been building to the Reaper invasion and to Shepard’s ultimate battle against them.”

In addition to “Mass Effect 3,” other threequels expected in 2012 include Ubisoft’s open-world shooter “far Cry 3,” Blizzard’s fantasy title “Diablo III” and Rockstar Games’ third-person shooter “Max Payne 3.” as long-running franchises like “Super Mario,” “Final Fantasy” and “Resident Evil” have proven, the third time out doesn’t always mark the end.

“when it comes to video games, never say never,” Steinberg said. “Players aren’t dense. they realize that as long as there is interest left in a franchise, it will make an inevitable return. There’s usually so many holes left open in a plot, that it’s of no consequence when you reach the end of a trilogy. there are a thousand other stories that can be told.”

Dead Island developer Techland has trademarked the name Dead World, which suggests that the virus could be spreading beyond the island of Banoi in Dead Island 2.

According to sales reports, Dead Island shipped 2 million copies within the first week of its release. so, it’s no big surprise that there’s already talk of a sequel. And now a trademark has been registered by the developer, which hints at more than just a new name.

Siliconera reports that Polish video-game studio, Techland, has trademarked the name Dead World, which suggests that the sequel to Dead Island could potentially take place in a much larger setting than the original. And considering the first game emphasized exploration of your surroundings, a bigger world isn’t really a huge leap, either.

If Dead World is indeed the sequel to Dead Island, I hope they revamp the missions in order to offer a bit more variety with quests.

What do you want in a Dead Island sequel?

Also Read: Resident Evil Revelations Will Cost $10 More than Average 3DS Game

What happens after you see a movie that you really enjoyed in theaters? you might be inclined to purchase it on DVD or rent it and re-watch it. Maybe you want to buy the Director’s Cut or the “Ultimate Collector’s Edition” if it was a set of movies you enjoyed. But once the credits roll, the movie is over. The gaming industry has recently found a way to extend the life of a video game long past it’s finale. They do this through downloadable content or DLC. How DLC functions is that once you finish the game and you enjoyed it so much, you want more. with a few more dollars, ranging from five to twenty dollars, you can buy more of that game to enjoy. So then what is the problem?

The problem is how developers/publishers implement downloadable content and what they are potentially removing from the retail product just to sell to you later. my “favorite” developer and publisher Capcom was rumored to have added a mode onto Resident Evil 5, released in 2009, that was on the disc. But the catch was that you had to pay five dollars to unlock that content. Kotaku broke the news on April 7th, 2009. “As anyone who has downloaded the add-on will have found, the DLC weighs in at a massive 1.8MB on 360, and an even more impressive 351KB on PS3. Leading some to suggest that, well, you’re not really downloading Versus (VS) mode at all. You’re just downloading a key and some extra code that unlocks content that was already on the disc.”

Fast-forward to 2011 and DLC has made its way into nearly every video game. even games that haven’t been released have some sort of promise of downloadable content. Saint’s Row: The third, an open-world action game that bears resemblance to Grand Theft Auto, was reported to have 40 weeks of DLC. Destructoid shares the tweet from THQ’s Brian Farrell, the publisher, with the rest of us. “We’re totally changing how we keep consumers engaged for a very long time,” he claimed. “We intend to create an online digital ecosystem that keeps them interested for a year or more.” The author of this article gives his opinions. “I’m all for extras, but when you’re planning almost a year’s worth of software before the game’s even out, don’t expect folks to not get a little cynical.”

It’s not all bad though. Some developers are looking out for the consumer. CD Projekt RED, developers of the highly acclaimed The Witcher 2, promote free DLC for their PC version of the game. The development director, Adam Badowski discussed DLC with gameinformer. “We don’t see the idea [of paid DLC] as wrong, but we definitely don’t like to see gamers treated like dairy cows that are primed for milking.” I am going to agree with Badowski from a consumer’s standpoint. I have many pieces of DLC on my Xbox 360’s hard drive, so I’m not advocating a removal of DLC entirely, but each one was carefully researched and chosen to be worth my money. I advise my readers to do the same and sound off in the comments with your opinions of DLC below.

At EA’s all-day Battlefield 3 event yesterday, I had a chance to play through a handful of single-player missions on PC in addition to the multiplayer modes that I detailed earlier today. It’s been said (and repeated) that “no one plays Battlefield for the campaign,” and that may well be true, but the extreme graphical fidelity and the often eerie verisimilitude of the gameplay footage we’ve seen thus far had my curiosity piqued. could it be that Battlefield 3′s campaign will do something to truly set itself apart from the increasingly Michael Bay-ish histrionics of its competitor Modern Warfare?

Well, not really. Battlefield 3 gets partway there, but still its campaign feels trapped between refreshingly bracing realism and a case of Modern Warfare “me-too”ism. Moreover it simply suffers from an overarching lack of personality.

In a trick becoming increasingly common in video game stories, Battlefield 3′s tale is a frame narrative—due to events that are not clear from the outset, a US soldier named Black is being interrogated by Homeland Security regarding some sort of terrorist attack. he recounts the events leading up to the present day, and each mission functions as a flashback. I saw three missions, the first two of which, “Operation Swordbreaker” and “Uprising” starred him, and the final of which, “Going Hunting,” switched perspectives to a female aircraft weapons-operator.

Does that setup sound familiar? it did to me, since it’s basically a much drier version of the decade-hopping, globe-trotting story of call of Duty: Black Ops. but instead of mysterious numbers, electric shocks, conspiracy theories and distorted interrogators, we’ve got a couple of guys in an interrogation room having a stern talk. It’s a matter of personal preference, but I was surprised to find that I actually prefer the goofy Black Ops to the much more low-key Battlefield 3.

Black’s first flashback, “Operation Swordbreaker,” is the gameplay that has been shown over and over and over—honestly, for a full recap just go watch it.. You make your way from transport through a city in Iran, until shooting breaks out in a parking lot. The gunfire there feels fun and it works fine, though it’s all fairly rote, with waves of enemies flooding into the parking lot as my teammates and I gunned them down.

A sniper soon opened fire, and I made my way to the roof to take him out—this level is a tutorial, so it’s hard to judge it too harshly, but everything was entirely linear. As I played, I kept getting annoyed by something that often happens to me in games where I have an AI-controlled squad—my team is immaculately organized and scripted, but I never know quite where to go. I regularly found myself ahead of where I was “supposed” to be, and kinda felt like the guy who had showed up to filming without studying his blocking or his lines.

I mention that because without a perfectly cinematic, well-controlled camera operator, Operation Swordbreaker feels much less dramatic than it did in that famous gameplay trailer. The graphics are great, but with me in control, it generally felt much more like a standard military shooter and less like the “Oh my god this looks real!” experience that the trailer portrayed.

After slithering across a rooftop to blow up a sniper’s nest and spending some time covering some fellow soldiers down on the street, Black’s team and I made our way back out to the street to disarm an IED in a van. My teammates were yelling tensely, “This looks bad, I don’t like this!” but all I could see were random groups of civilians standing around, with no enemies in sight. Yep, there are totally civilians here—but don’t think that DICE has placed unarmed innocents in the game in a meaningful way. They’re untouchable background objects, and bullets pass right through them.

I went underground to unplug the wires that led up to the explosive van, and was attacked by a single terrorist while underground, which sent me into a quicktime-event fight that was a drag. I’m not entirely against contextual quicktime events, but damn are they clunky on the PC—something about seeing the “E” key flashing on the screen, and then a picture of the left mouse button…it makes QTE’s even more onerous than they are on consoles.

The level continued with a large-scale shootout on the street, leading to a brief time aboard an armed pickup truck which gets interrupted by a massive earthquake. Events like the earthquake are cued cinematics that take control away from the player—being blown back from a rocket-blast, being knocked from the back of a car, etc. They’re nicely done in the moment, but the transitions aren’t as smooth as they could be—it may seem nitpicky, but it’s noticeable. I would often get to a triggered event at the wrong time and wait a second or so for something to happen. Compared to the snappy intercutting of Uncharted 2, Crysis 2 and Dead Space 2, Battlefield 3′s quick-cut cinematics felt clunky and slow.

After the earthquake, we snaped back to the present, where Black continued to tell the story of what happened back in Iran. his superiors continued to be skeptical. I continued to kinda tune out.

At this point, my game crashed a few times—it would go through the opening cinematic and then freeze up, requiring a restart. I’ve already talked about the technical difficulties at this event, so this just echoes those same concerns. I was playing a unique build of the game made solely for the event, but given how often I had problems with it, I’m skeptical that some of those issues won’t make their way into the finished product.

Black’s story resumed in the wake of the earthquake. As he lay, dazed, he blearily watched a menacing Russian dude do menacing things to another soldier. Again, I’m trying to avoid drawing so many Modern Warfare comparisons, but it just really felt similar. what followed was a bit of solo gameplay, sneaking through the dark, stabbing perfectly positioned enemy soldiers, getting into some corridor gunfights. After making my way through several buildings, I ran into Montes, one of Black’s squadmates and clearly the character with the most personality.

Together, we fought our way through a few more buildings until holding an LZ for evacuation. it looked great and played well, but there was a distinct sense of “Been There, Done That” to the whole thing.

The final mission I played, “Going Hunting,” seemed more promising, largely because it was an aerial mission. I changed perspectives from Black to a female jet-fighter weapons-operator, though it was not yet clear what her part in the story was to be. My mission (I think?) was to fly over a city and blow up… some guys… or maybe one guy? I wasn’t entirely clear on the specifics. but we were going to fly around in a jet, so I was looking forward to giving it a go.

The build-up to the actual flying was cool and well-paced—climbing from the bowels of an aircraft carrier up to the deck as my Pilot chatters about our objective, coming out onto the deck and climbing into the cockpit. Going through weapons tests (a clever, immersive way of tutorializing the airplane controls).

Once we got underway, everything looked great—the sun gleaming in over the top of my wingman’s plane, the clouds and the sky—it was damn-near photorealistic. but soon we engaged with some other planes, and things quickly became dull. As the gunner I had access to missiles and the machine gun, as well as the ability to launch flares. what that meant was the entire mission boiled down to waving the mouse around, tracking enemy MIGs and clicking sometimes.

We then shifted over to bombing, which felt similarly finicky and clicky. I used missiles to blow up some SAMs, then switched to white-hued thermal vision to blow up some airplanes and then some troops. it was almost entirely reminiscent of the original Modern Warfare’s AC-130 mission, and using the mouse and keyboard, it felt clicky and lacked impact.

Which brings me to a thing that will probably only be a bummer for a few of you—the PC version of Battlefield 3 won’t support gamepads, at least not at launch. when I play Battlefield multiplayer, I prefer the precision of a mouse and keyboard. but when I play single-player, I like to relax with a controller, and I was looking forward to running the PC version of the game on my TV. on a small computer monitor, the amazing graphics aren’t nearly as impressive, but without a controller, I’ll have to play the game at my desk. Color me disappointed. one of the DICE reps made sure to tell me that they were considering adding it at a later date, since it’s been a highly requested feature. but with no dedicated “lean” buttons or complicated controls, I can’t imagine why gamepad-support wouldn’t be included at launch. (Update: it sounds as though the PC beta supports gamepads, which makes me think that maybe I got bad information at the event. they sounded 100% certain, though, which is weird. I’m following up.)

When I spoke with Battlefield 3 Executive Producer Patrick Bach, I asked him about the way that DICE has been designing the game’s single-player content. “To be honest,” he told me, “a big part of what single-player in Battlefield is is a tutorial for multiplayer.”

“It’s not a training mission,” he was sure to clarify, “it’s not a shooting range—it’s an emotional roller-coaster at the same time as it shows you all the bits and pieces of the game. It’s a great introduction for the multiplayer. because when you go into multiplayer for the first time, it’s very dry, it’s very ‘Here I am, with my gun, what do I do?’ while single-player brings you more on a journey.”

I get the sense that as Bach says, Battlefield 3′s campaign is mostly a tutorial for the multiplayer. and for many players, that’s totally fine—fewer people are going to buy Battlefield 3 for its campaign than for its multiplayer. but all the same, Battlefield 3′s campaign seems mired in a bit of a personality-free zone. It’s a surprise, since I enjoyed the congenial vibe of DICE’s last game, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (though it’s nice to hear that we just might be getting more Bad Company before too long, as well.)

Ever since those great Battlefield 3 gameplay videos first surfaced, I’ve been looking forward to seeing Battlefield 3′s campaign in action. but now that I’ve played it, I might just skip straight to multiplayer.

  ARTICLE Video Game Review: Gears of War 3 by Eric Deters Published: October 19, 2011 Print this article E-mail this article More articles by this author Rating: Release Date: September 20, 2011Distributor: Microsoft Games StudioPlatform:Microsoft Xbox 360Grade: A+

It’s not often in gaming that a series as popular and influential as “Gears of War” get a proper, final conclusion, but Epic Games has delivered an ending that brings their juggernaut trilogy to an eventful close in “Gears of War 3.” the prior two games combined tightly campaigns with excellent cooperative functionality and tense competitive multiplayer with great success, but “Gears 3” amps everything up to eleven, and even contains the most robust and well-designed versions of each of those elements along with a far more emotional and impactful narrative than its predecessors. while “Gears of War 3” may not be the best starting point for every player, it is, by all means, the apex of the series.

While nothing was intrinsically with the solo campaigns found in “Gears of War” and “Gears of War 2,” their relentless pace and unending action left the plot missing that special something. “Gears of War 3” changes that for the better. the story picks up two years after the conclusion of “Gears 2,” with Marcus Fenix, Dominic Santiago, and Anya Stroud at sea after the sinking of Jacinto, humanity’s last bastion on the planet Sera. the destruction of the city has not only separated the bands of COG soldiers and other factions of humans, but the Locust and Lambent have also been split apart. the majority of the COG army is at sea in various different warships, acting as floating communities. there are other human factions such as the Stranded who have set up fortresses in abandoned cities, one of which is the home of Augustus Cole, and Delta Squad visits this location early on in the first act. the amount of touching emotional moments is, quite honestly, astounding, considering the fact that this series’ previous attempts at these poignant scenes have fallen pretty flat. most science fiction stories strive to have their middle chapter be the “Empire Strikes Back” of the trilogy and make sure it has the most depressing atmosphere, but “Gears of War 3” subverts that cliché wonderfully. Sure, the moments are predictable, but there’s a certain button that gets pushed when a harrowing event occurs and an instrumental version of “mad World” (which was in a trailer for the first game) is just incredible.

The gunplay and cover mechanics are tighter than ever in “Gears of War 3,” and in my opinion, it’s easily the high point of the trilogy. Moving around feels quicker and more tactile, the recoil and powerful sounds of each weapon are pitch perfect, and the bright, vibrant explosions of the Lambent as the player destroys them is compulsively entertaining. the combat has more of a punch than it did in the past two games, and a number of new weapons may be to commend for this achievement. the Digger, which is something of a mobile land-mine system, is difficult to wrap your head around at first in heavy combat situations, but once you learn to use it effectively, cover will be of no use to the opposition. the magnificently over-powered one Shot (only featured in the campaign, fortunately) lives up to its name in glorious fashion, and the Retro Lancer trumps the OG Lancer as the iconic weapon of the series for me. the way it rips enemies to shreds, the frantic recoil, and devastating effectiveness made me weary to drop it even for something like a Torque Bow, which is still as cool as ever.

One of the things that make the combat more impactful this time around is the absolutely gorgeous aesthetics. Don’t get me wrong, the first two games were technical marvels at the time, and still hold up well today, but they lacked certain flair; namely, imagination and color. “Gears 3” is just the opposite, so much so that when the game’s color palette switches from the normal color to dark, dark greys and browns, I almost stopped playing in disappointment (it switches back in the next chapter or two, so my worry was unfounded, but still). the Lambent glow a pulsating orange, and explode in at least 12 different shades of that. there is a large siege on a fort about halfway through the campaign that takes place in the dead of night, and that luminescence contrasts so well against the night sky. the rocking sea that house Delta Squad is a lovely blue, at least before it flows with red (which is about the same shade as it was last time around. Some things don’t need to change). there are so many visual surprises throughout the campaign that even “Gears of War” veterans will be surprised by the content.

While the single-player campaign is my personal favorite thing about this game, the multi-player element is more robust than both of the previous two games. the competitive multi-player suite is as fun (and occasionally unbalanced-feeling) as ever, and the inclusion of new themed game modes that change week-in and week-out. the ever-popular and ever-cloned Horde mode is back, now with modifiers that can enhance the experience, such as big Head mode or increased damage from enemies. Players also have the ability to place defenses and traps throughout the maps when facing off against the legions of Locust and Lambent, and it provides more ways to go about surviving in this death-trap of a mode. Epic Games has also come up with an interesting twist on Horde mode with Beast mode, where players take the roles of the alien menaces rather than the humans fending off against them.  it may lack the depth and long play-times of Horde mode, but it’s a worthwhile diversion for fans. the famous co-op returns in the single-player campaign, and it works similarly to the way it did in the previous games, only this time, there is an option to play with up to 3 other players as opposed to 1, much like the jump from “Halo 2” co-op to “Halo 3.” there is also an Arcade mode present, which allows the player to go through the same single-player campaign but earn points for kills and reviving team mates, but I did not have the chance to try it out, though I can assume it will work much like it did in “Halo 3.”

There’s a good chance that this won’t actually be the end of this influential and popular series, but that’s not important. “Gears of War 3” provides closure unlike most games, and it delivers the best experience in the trilogy to date. Unless you are starkly opposed to some of the best third-person cover-based combat in the business, buy “Gears of War 3” right now.

FIFA 12 sure hits the biggest goal it can ever hope to hit. EA reports that the latest release from the FIFA franchise is doing well to say the least by claiming the number one video game launch of the year spot. FIFA 12 is also at the very top when it comes to sports games video releases according to the category’s whole history. EA says that these data are “based on internal estimates”.

Screenshot from Fifa 12 (Credit: EA Sports)

Though coming from EA’s own estimates, the data are not difficult to believe. the game debuted last September 27 in North America and three days thereafter worldwide. From then to now, FIFA 12 has sold about 3.2 million copies worldwide. the numbers surely spell out quite an achievement in sales. EA Sports Executive Vice President, Andrew Wilson that “the massive FIFA online community has overwhelming connected to the new live services in the game, including EA Sports Football Club.” Wilson also goes on to say that they at EA Sports are making moves to keep players “engaged all season long.”

The active EA Sports teams in various countries contribute to the success the football title is enjoying. the online community is also active. so, the success is outstanding but also not so much of a surprise. In the UK, FIFA 12 is racking up the sales numbers. In the country, it lands third place when it comes to biggest launch ever across all formats. the top two titles are Black Ops and Modern Warfare 2, which are truly formidable titles anyway. the sales results say that FIFA 12 is more than just the hype. so, it is safe for me to say that you should grab your own copy now if you haven’t yet.

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Press Release Source: OnLive On Wednesday September 21, 2011, 8:43 pm EDT

LONDON, September 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ –

- Play top-tier video games on demand from Internet-connected TVs, PCs, Macs and tablets- Free membership, free demos, exclusive massive spectating, Facebook integration and more- BT launches its partnership with OnLive and an exclusive promotion for broadband customers- OnLive announces strategic partnership with GAME Group plc for both retail and digital service offerings- First OnLive game just £1 at onlive.co.uk in special launch promotion!- FREE OnLive Game Systems at Eurogamer Expo!

OnLive, the pioneer of cloud gaming, launches its breakthrough on-demand video game service today at the 2011 Eurogamer Expo in London, bringing amazing new gameplay experiences to the UK. Gamers across the UK can sign up for free at onlive.co.uk and instantly play about 150 top-tier games via almost any broadband Internet connection on their HDTV, PC or Mac®, and soon on iPad® and Android® tablets.

BT is the first internet service provider in the UK to offer cloud-based gaming to customers through its exclusive partnership with OnLive. BT is the UK’s leading high-speed, low latency broadband provider with relationships with 11 million households. To mark the launch, BT is giving its 5 million broadband customers three months free access to 100+ games when customers sign up at: bt.com/onlive. OnLive traffic will not count towards BT broadband customers usage allowances until the new Year, regardless of their broadband option. BT looks forward to announcing more exciting initiatives with OnLive in the near future.

OnLive is delighted to announce a strategic launch partnership with GAME Group plc (“GAME”), UK’s leading videogame retailer. As the first games retailer in the world to become a strategic launch partner for OnLive, GAME will introduce the OnLive® Game Service to millions of customers in the UK and eventually across Europe and elsewhere, starting with GAME’s ecommerce sites game.co.uk and gamestation.co.uk later this year. the OnLive Game System, OnLive Universal Wireless Controller and OnLive Game Service digital offerings will then be extended through the Group’s 615 UK stores and integrated with the Group’s popular loyalty schemes, the GAME Reward Card and gamestation Elite card.

OnLive is a revolutionary new concept in video games, instantly delivering the latest high-end games on demand through the Internet to virtually any device, regardless of its performance capabilities, with the simplicity of streaming video. No console, no high-end computer, no discs, no huge downloads. Plus unprecedented community features like massive spectating, Facebook integration, Brag Clip® videos and spectating voice chat, both throughout the UK and across the Atlantic.

“OnLive is incredibly excited to bring instant-play, on-demand cloud gaming to the UK,” said Steve Perlman, OnLive Founder and CEO. “OnLive is an entirely new way of experiencing top-tier video games, anywhere, anytime and on virtually any connected device, whether TV, PC, Mac or tablet, with awesome cloud-powered features and community unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. UK gamers, welcome to OnLive!”

A flurry of UK launch promotions* are in store for new UK OnLive members:

• First-time OnLive purchasers can get their first OnLive PlayPass Game for just £1, a £39.99 value
• BT broadband customers can get 100+ PlayPack Games for FREE for 3 months in addition to the OnLive PlayPass £1 game offer, a £20.97 value
• Eurogamer Expo attendees can get a FREE OnLive Game System (while supplies last), a £69.99 value

*Promotions subject to terms, conditions and limitations

Be the first to check out the latest games through OnLive, with new titles typically released the same second they are available on consoles and PC: no disc to purchase, no download and no update to wait for. just click and play. You’ll find top-tier games from over 50 publishers in every genre, like Deus ex: Human Revolution, DiRT 3,Homefront, F.E.a.R. 3, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood and LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4. Play single player or multiplayer with a variety of voice chat modes. Rack up achievements and snap Brag Clip videos of your greatest (or most hilarious) moments and automatically post videos and notifications on your Facebook wall. Spectate (and chat with) thousands of players live throughout the world. and, with web-accessible parental controls, parents can decide exactly what games are okay for their kids to play-or even watch their kids play from a remote computer or tablet and chat with them. OnLive isn’t just great games on demand. OnLive is a vibrant, live gamer community from kids to adults.

“We’re excited to bring an incredible range of social features to the UK that are unique to the OnLive world,” said John Spinale, OnLive VP of Games and Media, “OnLive UK gamers will immediately find themselves immersed in OnLive’s international massive spectating and voice chat community, which adds an unprecedented dimension to the gaming experience.”

OnLive membership is free at onlive.co.uk, with free demos and free social features. New-release games can be purchased individually at competitive prices starting at £1.99, or members can sign up for OnLive’s 100+ game (and growing) PlayPack Bundle program for just £6.99 a month, featuring recent multiplayer games like F.E.a.R. 3, Homefront and Borderlands as well as top classic and indie games like Batman: Arkham Asylum,Saints Row 2, Deus ex: Game of the Year Edition and World of Goo.

For a limited time only, new OnLive UK members can purchase their first individual OnLive game for just £1. OnLive is also delighted to announce that BT, OnLive’s preferred broadband partner, will be offering three months of the OnLive 100+ Game PlayPack FREE to BT broadband and BT Infinity customers.

Come see OnLive at Eurogamer Expo at Earl’s Court, and get a FREE OnLive Game System, while supplies last. try out great new games coming soon to OnLive, including Warner Bros.’  Lord of the Rings: War in the North, and try out OnLive games on tablets, both with touch and with OnLive’s soon-to-be-released Universal Wireless Controller.

OnLive is available through onlive.co.uk on virtually every PC and Mac through a simple browser download, on HDTVs via the OnLive Game System, and soon on iPad and Android tablets. OnLive games are available across all devices with no additional charge, so your games are available where you are, on whatever device is at hand.

Find out more at onlive.co.uk and see the accompanying list of new and upcoming OnLive games.

OnLive is the pioneer of on-demand, instant-play video game services, delivering real-time interactive experiences and rich media through the Internet. with groundbreaking video compression technology, OnLive harnesses cloud computing to provide the power and intelligence needed to instantly deliver the latest, premium game titles to any HDTV via the OnLive Game System or nearly any PC and Mac® via a small browser download. the OnLive Viewer app is available for the iPad and Android tablets and playable versions will be available soon. OnLive is available in North America and the UK and will be expanding into more of Europe later this year. OnLive technology is backed by hundreds of patents and patents pending. the company is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. OnLive investors include Warner Bros., Autodesk, Maverick Capital, AT&T, British Telecommunications (BT), the Belgacom Group, HTC and Juniper Networks. More information is available at onlive.com and onlive.co.uk.

OnLive and Brag Clip are registered trademarks of OnLive, Inc. all other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

OnLive’s UK launch and coming soon titles include:

Launch Titles4 ElementsAaaaaa!AC-130: Operation DevastationAdvent RisingAlarm for Cobra 11 NitroAlien Shooter: VengeanceAlien vs. Predator Classic 2000Aliens vs. PredatorAlpha PrimeAlpha ProtocolAmnesia: the Dark DescentA.R.E.S.: Extinction AgendaAround the World in 80 DaysAssassin’s Creed BrotherhoodAssassin’s Creed Brotherhood Deluxe EditionAssassin’s Creed IIBatman: Arkham AsylumBloodrayne 2BlowoutBorderlandsBorderlands: Game of the Year EditionBraidBrain ChallengeCevilleConflict: Denied OpsDarksidersDarkstar OneDefense Grid: GoldDeus ex: Game of the Year EditionDeus ex: Human RevolutionDimensityDiRT 2DiRT 3Disciples III: RenaissanceDivinity 2: the Dragon Knight SagaDoc Clock: the Toasted Sandwich of TimeDracula 3: the Path of the DragonDuke Nukem ForeverElements of WarElizabeth Find, MD: Diagnosis MysteryEvil GeniusF.E.a.R. 2: Project OriginF.E.a.R. 3Faery: Legends of AvalonFate of the PharaohFishdom 2Flatout 2Frontlines: Fuel of WarGearGrinderGlyph 2Grand Ages: RomeHitman: Blood MoneyHitman 2: Silent AssassinHomefrontHomesteaderInfernalJust CauseJust Cause 2Kane & Lynch 2King’s Bounty: Armored PrincessKing’s LegacyLara Croft and the Guardian of LightLEGO Batman: the VideogameLEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4Luxor 2Madballs in Babo: InvasionMafia IIMen of War: Red TideMetro 2033Mini NinjasMLB 2K10MX vs ATV ReflexNBA 2K10NBA 2K11NecroVision: the Lost CompanyNight at the Museum: Battle of the SmithsonianNinja BladeOddworld: Munch’s OddyseeOsmosPathologicPatrician IVPort Royale 2Prince of PersiaPrince of Persia: the Forgotten SandsPuzzle Quest: Challenge of the WarlordRed Faction GuerrillaRed Faction: ArmageddonRemington Super Slam Hunting: AfricaRoyal Envoy PremiumSaints Row 2ShatterShaun White SkateboardingShellshock 2: Blood TrailsSilent Hunter 5: Battle of the AtlanticS.T.a.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of ChernobylStar Wolves 3: Civil WarSuper Granny 6Supreme CommanderSupreme Commander: Forged AllianceSyberia IIThe BallThe Bard’s TaleThe MawTom Clancy’s H.a.W.XTom Clancy’s H.a.W.X. 2Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: ConvictionTomb Raider AnniversaryTomb Raider: LegendTomb Raider: UnderworldTrapped DeadTrineTropico 3Tropico 4Unreal Tournament IIIVegas: Make it BigVirtua Tennis 2009Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II Chaos RisingWarhammer 40,000: Space MarineWheelmanWorld of GooZombie Shooter 2Coming SoonAssassin’s Creed RevelationsAssault Heroes 2Batman: Arkham CityBulletstormCall of Juarez: the CartelCivilization VDriver: San FranciscoF1 2011Fallout TacticsFallout: a Post Nuclear Role Playing GameFootball Manager 2012From DustHarry Potter and the half Blood PrinceHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 1Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 2LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7LimboMight & Magic: Heroes VIMLB 2K11NBA 2K12Operation Flashpoint: Red RiverOrcs must DieRed Bull X Fighters, International Freestyle MotorcrossRed Orchestra 2: Heroes of StalingradRoller Coaster Tycoon 3Saints Row the ThirdSniper: Ghost WarriorSuper Street Fighter 4: Arcade EditionTrine 2Wargame: European Escalation

EA Sports Active is a video game for Wii, but doesn’t really act like it’s a video game because it’s more of an interactive personal trainer. Aside from the game, you also get a strap and a band to help with the different routines in the game like cardio, and activities focusing on the lower and upper body.

It’s a pretty good and fun exercise game to keep you fit. EA Sports Active is better to enjoy with a partner though, as with most games out there. if you have a Wii balance board that can also be readable for the game, but it’s optional and you don’t have to stress about buying it if you don’t have one.

The game not only includes different exercise routines but also different sports like boxing, tennis, and softball. There’s even dancing routines and running activities if you want. you have a number of options so you don’t have to worry about getting sick of the same routine for doing it over and over again.

The game also has a feature where you can set your own weight loss goals to keep you motivated. just don’t cheat yourself and alter the goals if you feel you’re not going to achieve it. But I think probably the best part about the game is that players can create a customized playlist for their routines.

EA Sports Active is superb in many ways because it gives people a chance to work out I the comfort of their own homes, have a lot of options when it comes to activities, and most importantly, move to the music of their choice. there isn’t anything negative I can say about this game because it provides users with so much. if you’re waiting for the release of EA Sports Active, it’s going to be on May 19, 2009.

The Game Blender, back in action after a brief break! another week, another infestation of news has dug a complex series of underground tunnels, burrowed to the surface, declared war on humanity, and been subsequently crushed by a few overly masculine soldiers with gravelly voices… journalistically speaking. Obin with the show!

That's a lot of Gears (Source: Microsoft)

Microsoft's ballyhooed franchise released its saga finale, Gears of War 3, two weeks ago with much fanfare. With a slew of reviewers giving near perfect to perfect scores for the shooter and Microsoft marketing the hell out of it, people were expecting big numbers and, true to form, the Gears delivered.

Gears of War 3 sold over 3 million copies in its first week of release, scoring over a billion dollars in sales and putting GOW3 squarely in first place as 2011's best-selling game.

an ecstatic Larry Hyrb (Xbox LIVE Director of Programming) announced "In just one week, Gears 3 has already grossed more than any 2011 video game to date."

Kudos to the good folks behind the franchise for creating a truly "Epic" title.

Vita revelations (Source: Sony)

Sony's next major foray into the handheld market will come December 17th when their PlayStation Vita will release in Japan, with a subsequent release stateside to follow shortly. It appears Sony is taking all of Nintendo's latest follies and learning from them with their launch. Here's what they are doing right:

First: a reasonable price point – The PS Vita with Wi-Fi only will be priced at $249, while the 3G version is priced at $299 once available. 

second: Availability – Sony is shooting for a worldwide release near the same date. this will allow developers to get on board around the globe creating content right away.

third: Content – Sony is promising 26 titles available at launch with a total of over 100 titles in the pipeline.

After the relative failure of the PSP, Sony has really done everything right the second time around, and people are noticing. The Vita has received positive buzz from developers and gamers alike, since it was first demonstrated. Still, with the success of the iPhone and the iPad, Sony will have to be nearly flawless to make themselves a player in the handheld market this late in the game.

Mortal Kombat to konsume Hollywood once more (Source: Warner Bros.)

It's been a good year for the killer kombatants of Outworld. Mortal Kombat has experienced a rebirth of sorts. The franchise got a much needed reboot that has been a critical and commercial success. Director Kevin Tancharoen created a short film that reimagined the series as a realistic premise a la Batman Begins. which developed into a 9 part web series.

The success Kevin Tancharoen has had with his shorts has given Warner Bros. enough confidence to move ahead with a feature length film on the series. Not much is known about the film, except that it will be a reboot of the original film from 1995.  

Tancharoen's short films have been surprisingly entertaining.  Still, it'll be quite a feat to overcome the video game-based movie stigma and create something that the general public will enjoy and series' fans will approve of.

Who got game?

so you went out and bought that 3DS with the recent price cut, but what are you going to do with it? well, Nintendo boasts they have the answer (which is good, because it is their system.) Nintendo announced 43 new titles to be released (in Japan at least). 33 titles will be on the 3DS, and 4 will feature a certain obese plumber (Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, Paper Mario, Mario Tennis).  

Nintendo big wig Satoru Iwata proclaimed the software line-up, to be released later this year and into the next, as “unprecedented in the history of video games". Huzzah!

Despite such a claim, the announcement was greeted with yawns, eye rolls, and sighs of anger. In fact, the news was so monotonous that after it was announced, the stock price actually fell a few points. Even Reggie Fils-Aime mouthed "yeah, I got nothing… want to release the 3DS in another color?"

It's sad to see Nintendo awkwardly fumble around for footing, like that uncle who used to be a big shot but now is known for having one too many and embarrassing himself at family gatherings. By announcing "we have games!" Nintendo shows just how out of touch they are. Nintendo has got to get back to creating some content gamers actually care about, because time is running out. of course, those are just my thoughts.

It's a new…Old Republic!

Ray Muzyka made a host of ner…enthusiasts happy finally announcing the release date of the hotly anticipated MMORPG follow up to the KOTOR series. looks like another stocking stuffer, as The Old Republic will hit store shelves December 20th.  

Ringing up at $59.99, Star Wars: The Old Republic falls right in line with other MMORPGs. BioWare will give access to their servers for a free 30-day period and charging 14.99 a month following. Discounts are available if you want to pay for 3 or 6 month periods.

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Company to Auction Limited Edition 2011 Jeep® Wrangler Call of Duty®: Black Ops SUV to Benefit call of Duty Endowment

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Activision’s (Nasdaq: ATVI) call of Duty Endowment, a non-profit seeking to help veterans transition back to the civilian workforce, today announced its partnership with Pro vs. GI Joe’s Purpose Driven Rehab Fall Tour. Purpose Driven Rehab is a military support initiative in which wounded veterans from around the country manage events at some of the biggest sporting venues across the country. This program gives purpose and responsibility to rehabbing veterans, while also bringing national awareness to veterans’ issues.

The upcoming Purpose Driven Rehab tour will feature stops at professional football games in Charlotte, Philadelphia, Green Bay, Jacksonville, and Miami, as well as the Army ten Miler in Washington, D.C. at select stops on the tour, the call of Duty Endowment will be announcing $250,000 in grants to organizations who support their mission of addressing veterans’ unemployment.

In addition, the call of Duty Endowment is launching an auction for a limited edition 2011 Jeep Wrangler call of Duty®: Black Ops Edition vehicle – along with the chance to tour the Treyarch Studios and meet the creators of the Black Ops video game – with 100% of proceeds going to benefit the Endowment.  Interested parties can sign up online at callofdutyendowment.org. the Jeep auction is open to U.S. citizens 18 and over.

Reacting to the partnership between the call of Duty Endowment and Pro vs. GI Joe, Alan Baldwin, Colonel, USMC (retired), and current member of the call of Duty Endowment Advisory Council, stated, “I am excited about the Endowment partnering with an organization like Pro vs. GI Joe on their Purpose Driven Rehab Tour to help raise awareness about the issues our veterans face. the grants the Endowment will announce along the tour will benefit standout organizations that help veterans reintegrate back into civilian life with job training programs and career placement initiatives.”

The next stop on the tour is the Army ten Miler, an annual ten-mile race in Washington, D.C. sponsored by the U.S. Army.  Together, the call of Duty Endowment and Pro vs. GI Joe will sponsor four runners – Johnny Jones, Michael Baron, Elissa Baron and Gary Davis – at this weekend’s race. Pro vs. GI Joe will have their gaming trailer at the Pentagon finish line beginning early Friday morning through the end of the race on Sunday, October 9th.  race participants and supporters will have the opportunity to play video games and relax while meeting the wounded veterans managing the trailer.

Since Activision Blizzard, inc., the worldwide online and console video game publisher and producer of the call of Duty® video game, established the call of Duty Endowment in November of 2009, it has delivered more than $1,000,000 in grants and scholarships to assist returning veterans with post military career help.  This past November, Activision committed another $1 million to the Endowment and pledged to find 1,000 jobs for veterans.

About the call of Duty Endowment:The call of Duty Endowment is a non-profit, public benefit corporation created by Activision Blizzard. the organization seeks to help soldiers transitioning to civilian life find work and establish careers and to assist organizations that provide job placement and training. For more information about the call of Duty Endowment, please visit callofdutyendowment.org.

About Pro vs. GI Joe:Pro vs. GI Joe is a 501c3 nonprofit organization, changing the way our troops stay connected. Pro vs. GI Joe provides America’s heroes with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities by pitting them against their favorite professional athletes and celebrities in heated, yet fun video game competitions via the Internet and in person. For more information about the Purpose Drive Rehab Tour, please visit purposedrivenrehab.org/.

SOURCE call of Duty Endowment

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