2K Games has sent word that the Sinclair Solutions Tester Pack, the first in a series of single and multiplayer downloadable content for BioShock 2, will be available on March 11, 2010 from both the Xbox LIVE Marketplace and Games for Windows-LIVE for 400 Microsoft Points, and from the PlayStation Network for $4.99.

For those not in the know, the Sinclair Solutions Tester Pack contains a number of customization features that will allow players to further their character’s development in BioShock 2’s multiplayer modes and provide a deeper multiplayer experience.

Announcements about additional downloadable content for BioShock 2 designed to extend the game’s single player and multiplayer experience will be made “in the coming weeks.” Of course, we’ll keep you posted.

SOCOM fans that already heard this week’s announcement of SOCOM 4 and then tuned into last night’s GTTV to check out the debut teaser might also be interesting in scoping the below “Director’s Commentary” of said trailer which includes, as one might suspect, commentary that delivers “key information” about the game.

How..vague…

This according to the Official US PlayStation Blog post where I happened to find it, and since it so vague and somewhat intriguing, why not join me in watching the vid and finding out what this “key information” really is…It’ll be like going on a secret mission or something.

Sony is preparing new handheld products to compete with Apple’s iPhone and upcoming iPad, according to the Wall Street Journal. They are reporting that Sony is prepping a “smart phone capable of downloading and playing videogames,” in addition to “a portable device that shares characteristics of netbooks, electronic-book readers and handheld-game machines.”

No details on whether the smart phone would be a PSP-branded machine, but Big S certainly has an interest in defending its mobile device business. For Sony, as a manufacturer of both phones and portable gaming devices, Apple is becoming an increasingly formidable competitor.

via Kotaku

Sadly, we’ve known for some time that Microsoft will soon be discontinuing support for original Xbox titles on Xbox Live. However, they are taking steps to ease the pain of their customers; or at least the ones who play Halo 2. Microsoft will be giving out 3-moth gold memberships, 400 MS points, and invites to the Halo: Reach multiplayer beta to console (get it?) the loyal players still supporting the franchise’s first sequel. Though they’ll probably miss playing the originals, we can’t imagine avid Halo fans being too upset about getting in on the Reach beta.

Source

Hello and Welcome back. As you know, this week’s Member BattleCries are going out to games with the promise, the prospects, the potential to rise above the fold and be something truly spectacular. If you’ve got a title in mind, something your analog-stick-weilding thumbs twitching, head over to this week’s topic starter post and let us know! We want to hear your picks for the most anticipated, most potential packed game coming down the pike.

Today’s MBC, like most of this week’s actually, goes out to a new entry in a long-established franchise. A game series that’s had enough titles out to have a few that were truly epic and a few that were utterly fail. Whatever mixed pedigree it might come from, Axehead Aarogoth has got love for (and a lot of hope riding on) Castlevania: Lords of Shadow…
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“We shifted the launch of the game by several weeks into the third quarter. We believe this is the optimal time frame to release what is being hailed as the next generation of sandbox games.” That’s the reason Take Two’s CEO Ben Feder gave for the delay of the highly anticipated western-sandbox title Red Dead Redemption. However Take Two subsidiary, and Red Dead developer, Rockstar Games has a different take on the matter.

“We at Rockstar have always prided ourselves on the uncompromising quality of our games – and will always opt to take a bit longer to polish and fine-tune a game to be as perfect as possible when we think it necessary” a company representative says. “With Red Dead Redemption, we felt that these extra few weeks will make a big difference in helping us deliver you an experience beyond your expectations.”

So, whatever the cause, the bottom line is this: Red Dead Redemption’s North American release date has slipped from late April to May 18th. The European release date remains unchanged on May 21st. Stay tuned for more.

via Kotaku

Valve is a company that knows how to market to their audience. And, to prove the point, one need look no further than the stream of images that leaked out of the company this week, apparently teasing the arrival of Steam for the Mac. After last week’s update to Steam revealed a number of OSX-specific icons and images among the patch’s files, speculation ran the gamut from changing Steam’s UI to render via WebKit (the rendering engine of Apple’s Safari web browser) to full on Mac-compatible versions of Valve’s lineup.

This week, we got something a bit more tangible in the form of six teaser images that put a decidedly Valve twist on some of Apple’s most iconic advertisements, from the infamous 1984 commercial to the current “I’m a Mac…and I’m a PC” tv spots. So what do we know? Nothing for sure. It seems a safe bet that Valve is bringing Steam to the Mac. As for whether or not their bringing their own catalog of games? They’d be stupid not to and here’s why:
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With a predictable ability to pace themselves, Blizzard has released a small collection of screens to keep the fires simmering on the long-awaited Diablo III. The new screenshots reveal the game’s Male Wizard, close on the heels of the Female Monk, but sadly don’t offer any insight as to when we’ll finally see this title. For now, enjoy the new screens in the EBA Gallery, head to the games official site for more info on the Wizard class, and stay tuned to the Axe for more news.

via Shacknews

Famed gaming producer Tomonobu Itagaki, known for his large sunglasses and sense of self-worth, has officially found a new home. The former Team Ninja head has just taken a position at fellow Tecmo alumn Satoshi Kanematsu’s Valhalla Game Studios. Itagaki’s role as CTO at Valhalla places him in charge of the game development division, but don’t try getting him to divulge any details about his current project. When asked by Famitsu if he could reveal some information Itagaki responded: “At this stage, I cannot say. However, I believe the game I’m making now will be a little bit like nothing anyone has ever seen.”

He went on to say, that he’s interested in multiple platforms, including PC’s, and that he’d like to double the sales of his previous high-water-mark, Dead or Alive 3, from two million units to four with his current project. Asked whether he’d consider doing another fighting game, Itagaki responded that he’d already made the best fighting game in the world, the aforementioned Dead or Alive, and that the genre had reached a dead end. He went on to say it would have reached a dead end much sooner, but he was kind enough to save the whole genre with his contribution.

via Destructoid

With the release of the multiplayer beta details, Bizarre Creations also let slip the street date for Blur. The real-life kart racer will be hitting the U.S. on May 25th and Europe a few days later on May 28th. The public beta kicks off March 8th on Xbox only (though the game itself is coming to PS3 as well) and you can check out the dev’s blog here for details on how to get signed up for that. The beta will feature 14 cars, 4 tracks, 8 power ups, and in-game Twitter support (they promise it won’t spam your account). Hit the link above for all the info and we’ll keep you posted as more news arrives.

via Joystiq