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Zaeed DLC for Mass Effect 2 now available

BioWare has finally sorted things out regarding the DLC pack that brings mercenary character Zaeed to the Mass Effect 2's Cerberus Network. Released during a game update this morning, the scarred mercenary will cost players absolutely nothing for download.

Originally meant to release simultaniously at midnight with the game, the Zaeed DLC hit a bit of a snag and BioWare had to delay the content until they could fix it.

Any additional content that arrives to Mass Effect 2 through the Cerberus Network will also be free of charge, while priced DLC for the game will be made available seperately.

[Joystiq]

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Bleszinski answers why Marcus and Dom are in Lost ...

In the latest trailer for upcoming Capcom third-person shooter Lost Planet 2, viewers were treated to a very big surprise as Gears of War protagonists Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago appeared. It has since been confirmed that the two will be making cameos in the game.

However many are wondering just how Capcom got two characters from a series made by Epic to cameo in their game. According to Gears of War designer Cliff Bleszinski, Capcom simply asked them.

"They [Capcom] contacted us about the cameo and we said 'heck yeah,'" said Cliff Bleszinski. "We're mutual fans of each other's work and crossovers are darned cool so we sent over the Marcus and Dom models for implementation."

Capcom will be working with Epic's original character models for Dom and Marcus in Lost Planet 2. But this doesn't me...

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BioWare working on DLC and helmet issues

On the day of its release, BioWare's forums are being flooded with fan complaints over the DLC already available with Mass Effect 2. The problems range from non-working downloadable content codes and Cerberus Network congestion, to helmet issues. Luckily for fans, most of these issues have already been addressed and answered on the forums by Chris Priestly, one of the developer's quality assurance members.

Most issues regarding the first wave of Mass Effect 2 downloadable content is centered on the game's Cerberus Network, an in-game DLC delivery system. Problems are ranging from Cerberus Network codes not working, access to the network being cut off after use of codes, and issues connecting at all to the network for the PC version.

Chris Priestly has responded to these issues with instructi...

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Capcom announces spring line-up

A month ago, Capcom announced that several of its major titles that were looking at winter 2010 releases were going to be delayed into its 2010 fiscal year (April 1, 2010 - March 31, 2011). Today, the company announced that several of those delayed titles would only be pushed back a tad as Super Street Fighter IV, Lost Planet 2, Monster Hunter Tri, and Final Fight: Double Impact will all see release this spring.

The highly anticipated fighting sequel/follow-up of Street Fighter IV, Super Street Fighter IV will be hitting the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on April 27 in North America (April 30 in Europe). The game will feature new characters, including classic characters making returns, new online modes, and more.

The sequel to a promising third-person shooter, Lost Planet 2 will also be arrivin...

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Microsoft's Natal originally passed on by Nintendo...

With Microsoft throwing their full weight behind the ambitious Natal project, it's no secret that the phrase "motion-control" has become something of a hot topic within the industry and many are eagerly anticipating the capabilities of the new tech.

Interestingly, Natal's future could have been written differently if Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata had more confidence in marketing the technology.

According to a "top insider" corresponding with website CVG, Iwata was shown a preliminary demo of Natal by development company 3DV Systems back in 2007 as a potential accessory for the Wii.

However, while enthused about the tech, Iwata remained hesitant to the marketability of the product, and consequently passed on the investment.

"Iwata-San only ever invests in something he can guarantee will work fo...

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This week's releases: 1/25 - 1/31

The rush of early 2010 has arrived in full this week, as the next seven days will feature massive releases. The title most gamers will be obsessing over will be BioWare's second installment in its epic RPG trilogy, Mass Effect 2.

But Commander Shepherd's continued journey to save the galaxy isn't the only big release coming. The PlayStation 3 will be getting anticipated shooter MAG while the Wii will be getting two big titles in No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle and Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars. All four of these games release January 26.

Here is this week's full release list.

DS:Imagine: Party Planner

PC:BraidBlood BowlMass Effect 2

PlayStation 3:MAG

PSP:Shadow of Destiny

Xbox 360:Blood BowlMass Effect 2

Wii:Fast Food PanicNo More Heroes 2: Desperate StruggleTatsunoko vs. Capcom:...

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PS3 owners whine, receive Battlefield: Bad Company...

Xbox 360 gamers eager to dive into the combat zones of the upcoming Battlefied: Bad Company 2 wound up dismayed when developer DICE chose to bestow the multiplayer beta exclusively for PS3 owners (and for PC owners who pre-ordered the game) last November.

Initially, DICE's reasoning for snubbing Xbox 360 gamers pertained to legal disputes and logisitcal impediments. Senior Producer Robert Bach, however, has a different tune to sing on the matter.

In an interview with French gaming website XboxMag360, Bach regrets the fallout that was caused by the beta of Battlefield: Bad Company being exclusive to the Xbox 360.

"We had made an exclusive on Xbox 360 for the first Battlefield: Bad Company and we had lots of negative feedback from the PS3 community, so this time we decided to turn the wheel an...

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"Battle of Forli" commencing next week

Ubisoft has given players anxiously awaiting the upcoming Assassin's Creed II DLC "The Battle of Forli" a firm release date and pricing for the content. The downloadable missing DNA sequence promised to be out in January is getting in just under the deadline next week on the 28.

The content, in which Ezio aides Niccolò Machiavelli and Caterina Sforza in protecting a Piece of Eden and Forli from Templars, will be available for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles. It will be priced at 320 Microsoft Points on the Xbox 360 and $3.99 on the PS3.

[Twitter]

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Mass Effect 2 interview reveals game length, balan...

The final portion of GameZone's interview with Mass Effect 2 Project Director Casey Hudson communicates some worthwhile aspects of the game, most notably the time it will take to complete the game, future and past DLC details, and balancing concerns.

Shortly into the interview, Hudson explains that it will generally take a player around 20-30 hours to finish ME2, depending on how much content the player chooses to experience. 

"I think we end up playing it faster than most people, because we know where everything is and what we're supposed to be doing next. But, I think we're finding it's about 20-30 hours, depending on how you play it."

Some additional tidbits of information involving weapon balancing and class configuration were discussed, with an emphasis on ensuring that any feasible arse...

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New details on MGS: Peace Walker

Konami has released new gameplay details on the newest entry in the Metal Gear series, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, due out May 27. Among them are the Mother Base, AI Weapons, and new multiplayer details.

First up is the Mother Base offshore plant, which acts as a hub for the player during the course of the game, housing items and captured soldiers. Soldiers who have been captured can be transferred to the base using the Fulton Recovery System. These soldiers have special attributes that can assist Snake as you proceed with his mission. Capturing more soldiers expands the base to add more functions and is also used as a development area to upgrade weapons and create new equipment.

Snake will also have to contend with a new enemy in the AI Weapons. These unmanned weapons, predecessors to t...

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Tricell CEO Excella Gionne joins RE5: Gold Edition...

For those of you who missed Resident Evil 5, Capcom is serving up a huge dose of extra content for the DLC and re-release, Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition. Capcom announced today that Tricell CEO Excella Gionne will be a playable character in the Mercenaries Reunion mode. The press release assures us that "Ms. Gionne can hold her own against any Majini attack," so she should be a worthy addition to the combat-heavy mode.

Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition will be available as DLC first on February 17, with a retail disc release in March.

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Capcom could announce new Versus game this year

Capcom is looking to announce a new Versus series game if upcoming Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars sells well enough in the US.

Producer of the upcoming game Ryoto Niitsuma has told Kotaku that this latest edition of the Versus series is looking to act as a revival or resurrection of the series. The game is the seventh in the series.

"I would love to do more versus series, more types of games like Marvel vs. Capcom 2," Niitsuma said. "There are all of these possibilities working with other companies, seeing what we could do with them. There are so many game companies I'd love to work with."

According to Niitsuma, the games in the Versus series are often brought about by fan requests.

"We get requests from fans to mix our characters with other video game characters all of the time," he...

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Heavy Rain DLC lets you play a killer

Heavy Rain creator David Cage has revealed what exactly the upcoming game's "Chronicles" DLC episodes will contain.

Speaking with French site gameblog, Cage announced that players will be stepping into the shoes of the Origami Killer himself. In the episode centered on him, you will discover the reason for his murderous obsession in the main game.

Another episode will center on FBI profiler Norman Jayden and will be addressing how he got his scar and why he's addicted to Triptocain, a prescription psychoactive drug. A third episode will follow photographer Madison Page as she investigates a taxidermist and we discover why she can't sleep.

"The Heavy Rain Chronicles" will be an hour long and all consist of prequels of Heavy Rain characters. Nothing has yet been said as to whether main leads Et...

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Mass Effect to continue after trilogy ends

Bioware co-founder Greg Zeschuk has confirmed that the developer's hit sci-fi franchise Mass Effect will live on after the epic role-playing game trilogy ends with Mass Effect 3.

Zeschuk stated that the Mass Effect series is a "valuable universe" and that the end of the trilogy does not mean the end for the property itself.

"We're actually going to continue to use it for stuff and we're going to continue to make games there," he said. "Believe me; we have our work cut out for us for the next little while getting Mass Effect 3 done after this. Don't worry if you love Mass Effect, there will be more Mass Effect in the future."

Whether this meant that the franchise would continue on with more RPGs, switch up genres with future games, or go mobile and handheld Zeschuk would not confirm. He did in...

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Persona 3 Portable gets North American release dat...

Rest easy MegaTen fans, Atlus has announced a US release date for Persona 3 Portable, the third iteration of the popular RPG. The portable version takes an already 100+ hour game and adds even more content for those willing to take another trip back into the Tartarus. A new female lead character joins new social links, special events, and added romantic relationships. There are even some Persona 4 character cameos and the ability to control your party members directly.

Persona 3 Portable will release on July 6 on UMD. No word yet on the release date for the PSN version.

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European God of War 3 boxart features biggest stin...

Scrutinizing the boxart for an upcoming game has become a sort of customary ritual within gaming circles, and the upcoming God of War 3 is no exception. A rumor has surfaced that the boxart for the European (PAL) version of the game has been finished.

Either Kratos is staring down the next batch of baddies to eviscerate or he's fixing his cyclopic gaze on the graphic artist who shortchanged his pose -- and judging by the recently revealed U.S. boxart, I can't blame him. 

Savvy gamers may be aware that the cover served as a placeholder for pre-order copies that sit on store shelves, which may preclude the validity of it being the finalized European edition. Then again, Sony does seem to have a thing for extreme close-ups on their game covers.  

[Gamersmint]

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SCEA: future God of War games will be handled very...

God of War 3 seems to be jumping out of the headlines lately. With the recent lifting of the media embargo via the PlayStation Blog, the gaming world is abuzz with excitement revolving around the final chapter of Kratos' saga.

The brutal violence of mythological Greece and the hack-and-slash gameplay of the GoW franchise wouldn't necessarily end with Kratos out of the picture, either.

Like any company that possesses enough clout, SCEA is planning to sustain their success with the development of future GoW titles -- sans Kratos and friends -- while adhering to a cautious mindset in maintaining quality.

According to an interview with GamerVision, Director of Product Development John Hight emphasized SCEA's attentiveness to keeping the franchise strong with any subsequent GoW games after the tri...

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This week's releases: 1/18 - 1/24

This week's big release involves getting transported to a different dimension and aiding Nikola Tesla in fighting off a race of aliens that look to take over and enslave humanity. Dark Void is the main title in what is a tiny list of releases this week, though the sci-fi action game has a fair amount of hype attached to it.

Now for the full list of releases.

DS:Bejeweled TwistGlory of Heracles

PC:Dark Void

PlayStation 2:Silent Hill: Shattered Memories

PlayStation 3:Dark Void

PSP:Silent Hill: Shattered Memories

Xbox 360:Dark Void

Wii:No New Releases

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Possible DLC to accompany Mass Effect 2 release?

BioWare has plans for a possible DLC pack to coincide with Mass Effect 2's release, according to a recent article published in the Polish DagBlaget.

Now since removed from the website, the article detailed the DLC containing standard fare such as new weapons and armor, with unique additions entailing a new planet and a new, unlockable party member -- the veteran mercenary Zaeed Messani.

Additionally, the article commented on BioWare's new DLC delivery network. Dubbed the "Cerberus Network", the arrangement would act as a centralized download point for ME2 DLC, akin to Dragon Age's DLC purchase system.

With the ardent inclusion of DLC as a staple of most BioWare titles, it shouldn't come as much of a surpise that ME2 will feature ample content expansion as previous titles did.

[DagBlaget (Googl...

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Next Assassin's Creed to star Ezio once again

Ubisoft has confirmed that the next installment in the Assassin's Creed franchise will once again star Italian protagonist Ezio Auditore de Firenze in a full Assassin's Creed II "follow-up" game. Ubisoft did not specify however if this new game will be Assassin's Creed III or a spin-off like Altair's Chronicles, Bloodlines, and Discovery.

"We have a new Assassin's Creed that we expect will be a very high quality product that as well as an offline component will have a multiplayer component," said Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot.

Details on the multiplayer have not been released, but the game will be created by all the studios that worked on Assassin's Creed II.

"It is the same studios because it's not only one studio creating the game, but an association of studios and they are working together to...

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