Microsoft’s release of Fable III for PC may signal a stronger push toward computer games in the company’s future, according to an internal Q&A discovered by Kotaku.

With Microsoft’s display of indecent obsession with Kinect and a more casual market at E3 this year, hitting the PC audience may be the company’s deus ex machina before it is requiescat in pace. The Q&A, prepared for Microsoft spokespeople, reads like a used car salesman trying to sell you a 1970 Ford Pinto (thus the above pic…), but it does affirm that Microsoft acknowledges its lack of presence in the PC world.

Q: Does “Fable III” on Windows signal a larger reinvestment by Microsoft in PC gaming? How is this different from the previous times you’ve announced a reinvestment in PC gaming and not quite come through with a robust offering?

A: In terms of revenue, Windows is far and away the largest gaming platform in the world, so it’s an incredibly important part of Microsoft’s business. From core games like “Fable III” to casual, social and Facebook titles, more gaming happens on Windows than anywhere else. Windows 7 is a world-class gaming platform, and you can bet Microsoft has a vested interest in using it as a platform for amazing first party content. “Fable III” on Windows as well as Xbox 360 this holiday is a great first step, and we’ll have more news for you later this summer.

Considering Facebook games are comparable to Fable III may reveal more about Microsoft’s current mindset than anything they’ve so far demonstrated, but we can still hope for “more news” on the company’s PC plans over the summer months. What are YOUR hopes? Let us know below.

Looking to play All Points Bulletin, the new MMO from Realtime Worlds when it launches later this month? Well before you make your purchase of the game, you better make sure your PC is up to snuff in order to even see the title screen of APB. Fear not though, because we have the required specifications listed below. Check them out and see how bad (or not) the specs are for ya. Just make sure you have those 20GB’s ready!

Will you be roaming the streets in All Points Bulletin on June 29th?

PC Minimum Specifications:
Core 2 Duo 2Ghz or equivalent
2GB RAM (3GB for Vista64 / Windows 7 64)
nVidia GeForce 7800 – 256MB or equivalent
20GB Hard disk space
Headset and microphone recommended.
Broadband internet connection required.

Recommended:
OS: Windows Vista / Windows 7 (We recommend a 64-bit operating system for the best experience)
Processor: 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Quad or equivalent
Memory: 4GB RAM
Video: NVidia GeForce 8800 GTX 512MB or equivalent
Hard Drive: 15GB
Sound: DirectX 9
Internet: Broadband connection required to install and play

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The free real-time strategy game from Relic, Company of Heroes Online, is set to launch in North America this fall. Company of Heroes Online is an adaptation of the PC game Company of Heroes, and is currently being beta tested in the Chinese market.

The game is set to feature a persistent online world and tons of player customization via micro transactions (the game is free y’know?). Still sounds pretty nifty though.

Interested to see the game in action? Check here for the debut trailer!

Will you be on the lookout for Company of Heroes Online this fall? Report to the comment section below and give us twenty!…(letters minimum)

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Blizzard just gave StarCraft fans a little Memorial Day present today, announcing that the StarCraft II beta will now end on June 7th.

The beta was originally supposed to end this upcoming Monday, May 31st, but a Blizzard representative broke the news through the game’s official forums.

StarCraft II is slated for release on July 27th, with the few weeks after June 7th being the final tweaking stage. So, will this take up most of your Memorial Day weekend? Tell us your plans below!

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The new EA racing MMO Need for Speed World is set to hit the PC on July 20, and will be available in both paid and free services.

If you are aiming to go for the free service, you will get ‘access to all races, pursuits and career progression up to level 10.” For $20, however, you can purchase the ‘Starter Pack’ which gives you ‘full access up to level 50, a bundle assortment of power-ups…and an exclusive limited edition vehicle.”

But wait…there’s more!

Players who purchase the ‘Starter Pack’ will also be awarded $20 of ‘SpeedBoost’, the game’s currency, which will then allow you to purchase power-ups and rent cars. Not a bad deal at all…

If you want to know where you can pre-order Need for Speed World, you can check out GameStop, Impulse, Direct2Drive, or EA, all of which grants you early access starting July 13, as well as beta access and VIP tag in your profile.

Pretty sweet, eh? Let your voice be heard below, and tell us which version, if any, you will be getting of Need for Speed World come July 20.

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Some people will look anywhere for racist undertones. Houston Chronicle writer Willie Jefferson posted an article on Game Hacks, a video game blog with the Chronicle, earlier this month and accused the yet-to-be release Left 4 Dead 2 of containing racist undertones.

Jefferson points out that “players will have to fight their way through hordes of zombies – with several of them who appear to be African-American.” He also accuses Valve of being insensitive to Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath, saying that having the game set in New Orleans so soon was a bad call and “the city has enough to deal with – Valve should have spared them, even if it’s a video game.”

Apparently including “several” black zombies in a video game deems the entire project racist in these turbulent times. Obviously Valve and the team behind L4D2 disagree and when Left 4 Dead writer Chet Faliszek was asked about the accusations by Destructoid, he called them “utter insanity.”

“There are mixed races of zombies” stated Faliszek, “there are all different races of zombies that you shoot, and since we placed it in New Orleans, that makes it racist? I honestly re-read the paragraph about five times … but when two of the characters in your game are African-American, it’s a weird thing to be accused of. We’re like, ‘how does this work’?”

“… As far as Katrina goes, if you go down to New Orleans, Katrina’s still going on. I mean, it’s messed up, it is crazy that the city is still in the state it’s in, and we treat that with the utmost respect. Our CEDA thing is not some subversive commentary on anything. This is a videogame, those are real people’s lives, we are not trying to make a statement with that … It’s a place we love, it’s dear to our hearts. We would not cheapen it. It’s not a brick-for-brick representation of New Orleans; it’s a fictional version, and I love that city.”

Left 4 Dead 2 is due to be released on Xbox 360 and PC November 17th 2009, racism free of course.

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Guess what…Gamestop is rolling out another exclusive deal to hit your wallet where it hurts, but for BioWare fans, this one may actually be worth it…

The mega retailer is releasing a Collector’s Edition set for the upcoming game Dragon Age: Origins and they want to pack in something a little extra. Besides the usual stuff you get in the box (soundtrack, cloth map, DVD, etc), fans who will also be picking up Mass Effect 2 will be given an unlockable item to use in the game if you purchase this set.

No word as to what the item is or it’s functionality as of yet, but for all you die-hard Mass Effect fans, we’re sure there’s not much else needed to say to convince you to get the CE version of Dragon Age: Origins if you were planning to buy both games anyways. Of course, the Mass Effect 2 bonus is only in the Xbox 360 and PC box’s of the game…leaving PS3 fans once again on the outside looking in.

We’ve got a full run down on what you can expect in the CE box after the jump for those of you that wanna check it out.
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By now, you already know which killer villains will be making a showing in the upcoming Batman: Arkham Asylum game (Joker with his lovely assistant Harley Quinn, Killer Croc, Poison Ivy, and Bane).

Eidos apparently thinks you’re not pumped enough though, as it has released this new trailer to get you psyched up even more for the game’s villains. Hopefully you’ll think as I did, that this is by far the best trailer for the game to date. If you haven’t already pre-ordered the game as of yet, this trailer may in fact inspire you to do so…You’ve been warned.

The game is slated to be released on August 28, 2009.

Just hit the jump to watch the trailer.
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Call Infinity Ward crazy if you like, but it looks like they have finally come to their senses on returning the “Call of Duty” label back onto their upcoming game, which is now re-named once again as, “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2“.

Next week we’ll find out they forgot to add the “4″ on the title as they most likely rename it one more time…

Whatever the reason, it looks as if they are sticking with it for now. Kotaku already has pictures (provided by a tweet) to prove that the Call of Duty name is back on the box cover.

Here’s the official statement Infinity Ward has released to Kotaku:

“Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare 2 is the direct sequel to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare,” a spokesperson told Kotaku. “We have focused our attention on Modern Warfare in order to most effectively communicate the fact that this is the first true sequel in the Call of Duty series. Infinity Ward, the original creators of the Call of Duty franchise, has said from the beginning Modern Warfare 2 resides in the Call of Duty universe. This is reflected in the title’s package.”

No answers as to why the name was taken off the title to begin with, but who are we to complain…

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Piranha games have been teasing us all week, with tease trailer after tease trailer on a game that everyone immediately thought was the rebirth of MechWarrior. Finally, we have official word today, as Piranha had an interview with IGN earlier to discuss these rumors.

Well MechWarrior fans can now rejoice, as Piranha Games have confirmed a new game to the series, simply named MechWarrior. However this isn’t the same MechWarrior game you grew up with. Piranha decided that, with today’s technology, they could move the series forward; giving us gameplay from within the gigantic metal beasts.

The in-game footage with cockpit gameplay shown today, is just simply stunning. Everything from feeling the weight of your mech as it moves to the dust and smoke that blinds your vision adds to the atmosphere of this game. When the Mech is hit with heavy blast fire, you feel and know that hit really hurt. Telling you what happens when your mech is no longer operable to use, would just be a total spoiler.

The game will be coming to PC and Xbox360 with no release date mentioned yet.

To watch the full length debut trailer for this game, click here.

To read the Q & A interview on IGN, click here.