Ubisoft announced today that its new real time strategy IP, R.U.S.E., is now available for public beta on Steam. According to the press release:

“In the public beta, players will have the opportunity to choose one of the 6 unique factions available in the game (US, UK, GER, USSR, FRANCE, IT) and train themselves against the artificial intelligence on the “Blitz” map before entering the multiplayer challenge.”

Ubisoft calls R.U.S.E. “a one-of-a-kind real-time strategy (RTS) game [that is] set to reinvigorate the strategy genre”. In the words of Ubisoft, R.U.S.E. allows players to “use their brains as the ultimate weapon to fight a war of perception where the ability to deceive and mislead the enemy determines success.”

R.U.S.E. is scheduled to release on June 3rd, 2010 for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC. Check out the beta and let us know what you think!

A few hours ago Robert Bowling, community strategist extraordinaire for Infinity Ward, posted a link on his Twitter feed that leads to a website which all but says that Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will be getting its first Map Pack on March 30, 2010 – if you own an Xbox 360. A few minutes later, the good Mr. Bowling Tweeted that the DLC will be released on the PS3 and PC at ” a — yet to be announced — later date.”

It is unclear why the developer thinks that this odd ad does a better job of announcing this DLC than – say – a press release but, while the ad offers no details regarding the maps, it does say to check back soon for more information. So perhaps there is more than meets the eye to this not so sly reveal and the Mapathy website will offer more info in the future. Either way, for you Modern Warfare fans out there, go ahead and get excited – new content is on the way!

-Source

Well, GDC 2010 has started with a bang as Bigpoint and NBC Universal have announced Battlestar Galactica Online, a new browser-based MMO not-to-surprisingly based on the hit Battlestar Galactica series.

From the press release:

Battlestar Galactica Online, a tactical space combat and adventure MMOG based upon Syfy’s Battlestar Galactica series. The MMOG, inspired by one of the most popular science fiction series in television history, will launch worldwide exclusively this fall on Syfy.com for a 30 day period. The Unity co-developed MMOG will offer state of the art graphics that can be played directly in an Internet browser.

“Battlestar Galactica is a supremely gameable intellectual property, with compelling character classes, a fantastic array of ships and weaponry, multiple worlds, and a dramatic storyline,” said Bill Kispert, VP & GM, Digital Platforms, Universal Partnerships & Licensing. “We are excited to work with Bigpoint – and our partners at Universal Cable Productions and Syfy – to bring an epic, accessible, and ‘always on’ BSG experience to fans of the franchise and online gamers alike.”

“Cooperation between Bigpoint and NBC Universal is a very important strategic step for us,” explains Heiko Hubertz, CEO and founder of Bigpoint. “Battlestar Galactica has a huge and passionate fan base. We are proud to be able to publish such an internationally famous title as one of our online games. For the first time ever, we’re relying completely on Unity in order to offer our users fantastic game graphics right in their browsers.”

And here’s a bit more about the game:

Players will be able to choose to play as cylons or humans in a constant struggle to control the universe or just survive its perils. A blend of tactical space combat, exploration, and mission-based gameplay will provide a diverse experience. The dramatic missions will define the game’s overall storyline, enabling the player to delve into mysteries of the Battlestar universe. Battlestar Galactica Online will create a new standard for web games, with beautiful 3d graphics and innovative game mechanics bringing a new level of game play to browser based MMOG. Assets from the television production will be integrated into the game to deliver an even more authentic experience.

So, who’s excited about this??? Feel free to discuss below and as always, we’ll keep you posted on any new details as they emerge. Until then, you can check out this teaser site for the game.

EA today announced an agreement with 38 Studios, LLC to publish the company’s first video game, which is being referred to as “an epic single-player role-playing game” codenamed ‘Project Mercury’. For those that haven’t heard, 38 Studios is the creative enterprise of World Series MVP and avid gamer Curt Schilling. ‘Project Mercury’ is being developed at Big Huge Games, a wholly-owned subsidiary of 38 Studios, under the leadership of Ken Rolston, former lead designer of the critically acclaimed hits, Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. The game marks the first entry into the universe created by New York Times best-selling fantasy author R. A. Salvatore, with artistic direction by Todd McFarlane, the creator of Spawn.

“From day one, 38 Studios has been focused on creating the next generation of entertainment experiences that embrace all mediums, including film, television, comics, novels, toys and, of course, games,” said Curt Schilling, Founder and Chairman of 38 Studios.  “We are creating an enormous world, with heroes and villains and a rich back story from the brilliant minds of R. A., Todd and Ken at its heart, and I can think of no finer partner than the global powerhouse that is EA Partners. Being able to leverage the expertise of EA’s publishing organization to bring our first product to market is a dream come true for 38 Studios.”
 
“We are thrilled to be working with 38 Studios. The world of RPG gaming is so rich and it is a perfect complement to our partners and title portfolio in EAP,” said David DeMartini, Senior Vice President and General Manager of EA Partners. “Project Mercury is bursting with first-rate talent, with passion that spans across the board, from Curt to R. A. to Todd and Ken.  We look forward to collaborating with them to create an amazing game set in this incredible new world.”

Of course, no new information about the game itself was released, but we’ll hope to hear more soon and we’ll get you an update when we do.

While most games attempt to entice prospective players with the chance to “become a member” or “an experience to remember”, the dudes at Visceral are going a different route, inviting fans to “Get Dismembered” in Dead Space 2.

A new contest, hosted via Facebook and running now through March 26, invites fans to think up the coolest way for the game’s main character Isaac Clarke to rip apart a necromorph in the highly-anticipated sequel. The community will then vote for a winner among ten finalists (with the finalists being selected by the Dead Space 2 team themselves), who will then have his or her move programmed into the game. Also, his/her face & body will be programmed into the game to be torn apart by a necromorph. Nice. Nine runners-up will get their names in the game and the “almost” claim to fame that accompanies digital dismemberment.

Interested? Just head to the contest’s home page right here on Facebook, but be sure to put your bloody, demented thinking cap on before you do. Good luck!

As many Battlefield Bad Company 2 players are aware, the game has been experiencing performance issues of varying degrees across the PS3, PC, and 360 due to the “high surge in traffic” experienced upon the game’s launch last week. Well, EA and DICE want you to know that they are STILL working on it, and as a result, have been steadily updating the game’s website and issuing emails in an effort to keep inhabitants of the virtual battlefield calm.

Here’s what we know:

- X360 was severely impacted, and the service is being restarted. It should be back online and we are monitoring closely.

- PC had an outage, but the service is offline currently and the service is being restarted. It should be back online and we are monitoring closely.  We will then start checking the quality of the customer experience to determine possible next steps.

- PS3 appeared to have a brief outage, but has quickly recovered and the services is functioning properly at this time.
 
We recommend you head here to keep track of updates should you continue to experience issues with the game…which DOES NOT include getting your ass kicked because you suck with a sniper rifle (that’d be me…). Hope that helps.

Remember last week’s EBC when we talked about the new DLC coming to BioWare’s Mass Effect 2 and how it will re-introduce vehicular gameplay to the franchise in the form of the Hammerhead hovercraft?

Well, today GameTrailers has provided a video showcasing the first test drive of the new Hammerhead and I gotta say, the physics and speed of the thing look pretty damn fun!

Watch the vid for yourself right here and then comment below to let us know what you think.

The “free to all Cerberus Network members” Firewalker DLC pack featuring the hovering Hammerhead is coming to XBL and PC later this month.

According to Joystiq this morning, Valve has confirmed that Steam and all Source Engine based games will be available on the Mac as of April this year. This means that titles like Left 4 Dead 2, Half Life 2, Portal, and Team Fortress 2 will be available to play on the Mac in just a few short weeks!

In addition, Valve’s Jason Holtman has said that they are introducing a new feature called Steam Play which “allows customers who purchase the product for the Mac or Windows to play on the other platform free of charge.” Coupled with the Steam Cloud, a feature that allows cross platform bookmarking, this would provide users the ability to play a game on their PC at work and resume from their same save point on their Mac when they get home and vice versa. No more pesky waiting until you get home to play games!

Portal 2, releasing this holiday season, is set to be the first new release for the Mac right alongside its PC and Xbox 360 counterparts. Finally…one for you Mac gamers out there! Congratulations!

Let us know your thoughts on this exciting development below.

There’s a new trailer for Mafia II that debut on last week’s GTTV and hey, it don’t look so bad (can you hear the accent?). The game is from 2K Czech and runs on the dev’s proprietary Illusion Engine™. For those who have an inner Al Capone, the game is looking quite intriguing…especially when you consider that today we get word from Kotaku that the game, set in the 1950’s, will feature vintage covers and centerfolds from Playboy magazine (launched in 1953) that can be found throughout Empire Bay as a means of adding to the game’s “authenticity.”

“For more than 55 years, Playboy has been a part of America’s pop culture landscape, engaging its readers with insightful features, interviews and fashion spreads, as well as pictorials of some of the world’s most beautiful women,” said Playboy magazine’s Editorial Director Jimmy Jellinek. “Mafia II is set when Playboy first came into vogue and features characters whose style and attitudes mirror content from our early issues. We’re excited to bring an element of authenticity to the game that is unmatched in the men’s publishing category.”

Hmmm…Interesting.

You can check out the recently released trailer here. We’ll keep you posted on any new, sexy Mafia II details as they emerge.

For those of you that missed it, much to our surprise, a new title starring the classic game (and now movie) character Lara Croft was recently announced. The surprise is not that there is a new Lara Croft game, but that it isn’t Tomb Raider.

Crystal Dynamics, makers of the last three Tomb Raider games, has announced a new project in the Lara Croft canon called Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. Although the new game is minus the ‘Tomb Raider‘ in the title, it still involves our buxom heroine, exotic locals, and some serious platforming.

This game, however, will be different from the more recent entries in the series in a few key ways. First, it will only be released digitally. Also different from the norm is that this iteration will feature a fixed isometric camera, giving the player just one view for the whole game. And, oh yeah, the game is co-op too!

It is being said that the game is a bit more “arcadey” than previous iterations, but the buzz, albeit early, is good so far. Check out a more in-depth first look over at GameSpot.

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is due out in the Summer of 2010.