Gaming Mojo

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.”

Its unclear around the gaming frame why this kind of advertisement will get more kits than 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. Who knows what is to following better yet what thet’re playing at, but to say the least, all Modern Warfare 2 player get ready for some content headed your way

Batman’s divisive sidekick Robin could be making an appearance in the forthcoming Arkham Asylum 2, with early cast listings revealing the presence of The Boy Wonder. Mark Hamillis to reprises his performance as The Joker, who’s to be joined by Two-Face with actor Bruce Greenwood taking on the character.

What’s likely to prove more controversial is the inclusion of Robin, to be played by Vincent Martella who most recently voiced Hope Estheim in Final Fantasy XIII.

Warner Bros. has been coy about the news, commenting

“To our knowledge, what you asked about is inaccurate information. We are not yet discussing details for the sequel.”

True or not this inclusion will be a high talking point surrounding this game.

With last day of February upon as, we have really hit the stride in 2010 with past releases. But the 3rd month of the New Year, March 2010 is proving to be a promising month once again. With 9 expected new titles on the main four consoles, plus more content to be delved into handheld, expansion, DLC’s and console cross over’s. Let’s check out the view.

March 3rd:

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (PC, Xbox360, PS3)

Major League Baseball 2K10 (PC, Xbox360, PS3)

MBL 10 The Show (PS3)

March 9th:

Final Fantasy XIII (Xbox360, PS3)

Yakuza 3 (PS3)

March 16th:

Command & Conquer 4 (PC)

God of War 3 (PS3)

March 23rd:

Red Steel (Wii)

Just Cause 2 (360, PS3, PC)

Bad Company 2, FF XIII and God of War 3 the clear favourites for gamers this months, with prediction that God of War 3, the highly anticipated title to continue the series will take March’s most successful game. But also rejoice for PC fans as the 16th holds great promise, not only to release the new Command & Conquer, but to finally have the opportunity to take the creed to the PC, Assassins Creed will finally be released on the PC, as a fellow PC gamer this is very exciting indeed.

Indeed this year has yet to disappoint gamers, to success the mass release of grand titles at the end of 2009, 2010 has risen right from the very start and still has yet to dip. The future of gaming never looks bleak.

A post on the official Mass Effect 2 website delivers word of the new Hammerhead assault vehicle coming our way via the new Firewalker DLC pack coming to the Cerberus Network in late March.

Description of new content:

Free to all Cerberus Network members, the Firewalker pack includes 5 all new missions featuring the Hammerhead. Hovering over the battlefield at up to 120 kilometeres per hour, the Hammerhead also boasts a guided missile system ensuring accuracy even during aggressive maneuvering.

In addition, BioWare stated that ME fans can look forward to a new heavy weapon available to all Cerberus Network members very soon, although there were no details given about exactly what or when we’ll see it. Further news shall be posted asap.

Xbox 360 owners will be the first to get their hands on the latest bit of DLC for Gearbox Software’s Borderlands as The Secret Armory of General Knoxx will apparently be released today via Xbox Live for 800 MS Points. This according to TeamXbox.com, who also bring word that the content is then expected to go live for both PC and PS3 this Thursday, February 25, for $9.99.

As Borderlands fans no doubt already know, the promising General Knoxx DLC ups the game’s level cap and includes new areas, enemies, weapons and more.

Really looking forward to this release, haven’t played the game since Zombie Island DLC came about, still got to get Mad Moxxi, but with the news of level cap increase, this will be a must, something to get me back to pandora and killing some skags

2K Games announced today a post-launch downloadable content plan for the game, meant to extend and enhances the single and multiplayer portions of the latest journey to Rapture.

Downloadable content will be made available soon, beginning with the Sinclair Solutions Test Pack, available this March from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace and Games for Windows LIVE for 400 Microsoft Points and from the PlayStationNetwork for $5/£3.19. Future expansions into the world of BioShock 2 are slated to arrive over the coming months and will continue to expand on the stories of the denizens of Rapture.

First images from the DLC have also been released and are available here.

The fans who waited in the snow, rain and cold for the midnight launch of BioShock 2 have spoken and their message is that Rapture still has many fascinating stories to tell,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “Downloadable content is a key part of our efforts to continue to entice the fans that have made 2K a household name – we intend to deliver single and multiplayer content that respects and expands upon one of the greatest fictional worlds ever created.

Sinclair Solutions Test Pack, the first of several planned DLC, 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, it includes:

• Rank Increase to level 50 with Rank Rewards
• New playable characters Louie McGraff and Oscar Calraca
• 20 new trials*
• A third weapon upgrade for each weapon
• Five additional masks*
*Some items are only available after a player achieves a rank of 41 or higher.

In the coming months, 2K Games will also be publishing downloadable extensions of the single player experience that provide new insight into the world of Rapture. These packages will include more narrative, new tools and new challenges that extend the lore and fiction of the failed Utopia under the sea. Personally i don’t think the new DLC will improve the multiplayer experience at all, it’ll still be something that players will pick up for a few hours then go to an old favourite.

2K Games has announced that Sid Meier’s Civilization V is currently in development  for PC. Civilization V looks to revived version of the classic turn-based strategy genre with an all-new engine built from the ground-up for the latest installment. In the game, first images of which are viewable here, players will be introduced to an entirely new combat system, deeper diplomatic interactions and a cavalcade of expanded features that aim to deliver a fully immersive experience for players on their quest to become the “greatest ruler the world has ever known.”

“Sid Meier’s Civilization franchise has been recognized as one of the greatest PC game franchises of all time with millions of units sold worldwide,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “Civilization V takes the franchise further by offering players a more immersive experience with deeper strategies; heightened tactical combat; vast, realistic landscapes to explore, battle over and claim as their own; and an in-game community hub where Civ fans can share content and compete against each other without leaving the game. This marks a new era that will forever change the franchise responsible for sleep deprivation and reduced productivity for nearly two decades.”

The official description of the game:

Civilization V takes this definitive strategy game series in new directions with the introduction of hexagon tiles allowing for deeper strategy, more realistic gameplay and stunning organic landscapes for players to explore as they expand their empire. The brand new engine orchestrates a spectacular visual experience that brings players closer to the Civ experience than ever, featuring fully animated leaders interacting with players from a screen-filling diplomatic scene and speaking in their native language for the first time. Wars between empires feel massive as armies dominate the landscape, and combat is more exciting and intense than ever before. The addition of ranged bombardment allows players to fire weapons from behind the front lines, challenging players to develop clever new strategies to guarantee victory on the battlefield. In addition to the new gameplay features debuting in Civilization V, an extensive suite of community, modding and multiplayer elements will also make an appearance.

“Each new version of Civilization presents exciting challenges for our team,” said Sid Meier, director of creative development at Firaxis Games. “Thankfully, ideas on how to bring new and fun experiences to Civ players never seem to stop flowing. From fully animated leaders and realistic landscapes, new combat tactics, expanded diplomacy and shared mods, we’re excited for players to see the new vision our team at Firaxis has brought to the series.”

In addition to Civilization V, there’s currently development on a Sid Meier’s Civilization Network, a Civilization game for Facebook. With Sid Meier leading design, Civilization Network will offer yet another option for world domination to both the casual gamer and the biggest fans of the series.

For more information on Sid Meier’s Civilization V, check out www.civilization.com. To find out more about Sid Meier’s Civilization Network visit www.facebook.com/civnetwork.

In a recent interview with WorthPlaying.com, Battlefield: Bad Company 2’s senior producer Patrick Bach discussed many aspects of the highly-anticipated shooter including the game’s humour, level design, locations, and more. One aspect that came up, voluntarily, was that of DLC where Bach had the following to say:

One thing that’s also very interesting is how we see our customers. We see the game as the first step to a longer experience. We have an in-game store where you get free content or you can buy new content to the game, so it’s a very integral part of the game that we will have a long post-launch campaign. I think people will be thrilled to see what’s in that already. On day one, you will get some really cool stuff.

So, not surprisingly, we learn that BFBC2 will support DLC of both the free and paid variety, although we don’t know what will be featured in the DLC on day one. The above quote had been in debate about the content of this first coming DLC, and what its worth. As with some recent games, it’s possible a major DLC could be offer via a one-time-use code posted in a every copy. Or have an in-game catalogue of the available DLC’s, free or pay.

Anyways, its refreshing to know extra content and DLC’s are become more common in games these days, extended the play duration and enjoy for the majority of players. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 ships this March for the PS3, 360, and PC.

Those anxiously awaiting the release of Sonic & Sega All Stars Racing, will be pleased to know (myself included), that a demo has been released on the Xbox 360 Marketplace. At the moment the demo is only available to Gold subscribers, with it becoming available to everyone in the next few days. The demo is 1.3GB.

You can choose between Sonic or Banjo Kazooie in the demo, with one map open.  While it may be great for Sonic fans, it is very much like Mario Kart and Crash Kart Racing, with power ups to collect which give you items to throw at other players, or power ups which give you a speed boost, or shield.

Sonic & Sega All Stars Racing will be released on the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii (with an optional wheel), DS/DSi and on PC. American release date is 23rd of February, while Europe will get the game on the 26th.

BioWare has sent word that gamers taking a break from hitting on Miranda will be able to get the new Cerberus Assault Armor and M-22a Eviscerator Shotgun DLC for free through the Cerberus network within Mass Effect 2. The content should be available for all fans, both on PC and Xbox 360, at 12:00pm Mountain Standard Time.

Cerberus Assault Armor

Cerberus assault armor is designed for shock troops, turn the tide of battle against creatures or forces that would decimate normal soldiers.
Increases heavy weapon ammo capacity by +10%
Increases shields by +10%
Increases health by +10%

M-22a Eviscerator Shotgun

The M-22a Eviscerator Shotgun is a longer-range shotgun with armor-piercing loads. This design also violates several intergalactic weapons treaties, so the M-22a is not distributed to militaries.

(from gametrilers.com)

Personally, if players have done their 100+ hrs and extra play throughs, and delved into all possible depths of the story i dont think armour is gonna bring them back to a game they have put down. But you never no, at least this is a sign of a future of DLC to come, big or small it may still keep this game running for those insane fans that have already finished it… MB lol

For more info on ME2 content visit here