Madden NFL 11 will log every play you call online, building a book on your tendencies that will available, in-game, to any multiplayer opponent. While the reports can be earned or unlocked, they can also be bought for cash.

Correction: This version of the story corrects wording that implied coins were redeemed for scouting reports 1:1. They aren’t, although EA hasn’t specified the exchange rate. What you get with a full retail purchase is 50 reports, not coins.

EA Sports’ Madden team revealed the new scouting reports feature today in an extensive discussion with ESPN’s Jon Robinson. Tendencies like your opponent’s run-to-pass playcalling ratio, the side of the field it’s run to, the side of the field his defense targets, will be redeemable through a coin system – one coin per scouting report – and coins may be earned for free by playing online games – and completing them. Coins can also be purchased for cash (or Microsoft Points) for those short on funds but needing intel fast. Finally, every retail copy of Madden 11 comes with access to 50 free scouting reports.

Sounds like a lot, but there are 45 separate tendency reports you can get access to, although you can buy the entire batch for 25 coins pre-game. But yes, that means you have to pay to see the book on yourself – such as the fact you always go to a slot receiver over the middle on third-down (raises hand) and everyone knows it.

There was no mention of how many coins it would take to buy a single report, nor of how much reports would cost in real-world cash or Microsoft points.

Pros: This can really level the playing field for novices who only figure out midway through the second quarter their opponent’s a slants-and-streaks guy, who’s already leading by 17 at that point. It’s useful information and if you know what to do with it, a legitimate value-add to multiplayer gaming that also adds a subtle dimension of realism to the game itself.

Cons: Hardcore ranked gamers are going to be buying these reports too, and exploiting them in every match, adding another dimension of difficulty to running with that crowd. It’s a monetized commodity, sure, but EA Sports’ Madden producer Donny Moore is correct that by making these freely unlockable it’s not being done just as a cash-grab. I’m still not sure I like the idea of having to pay to see my own reports. As a gamer, that’s information I give freely to this enterprise, where it has value to the developer and to the community. It would be courteous to allow players to see their own “book” for free, and would encourage them to play in smarter, more diversified ways.

You may not be able to swim in Red Dead Redemption, and your horse may prove to be just as smart as you, but don’t let all that throw you, because Rockstar says that there are loads of stuff you can do in the multiplayer bit.

For starters, there’s the open-world lobby where 16-players are running about at one time. Rockstar said that the reason more aren’t allowed at one time is because that number already “pushes the limits to the brink of what’s currently possible with open-world multiplayer on consoles”.

At the same time though, you don’t have to create a posse in multiplayer, but if you do, each time you head into multiplayer, you will create new posses according to the players in your session.

Posses are not persistent offline, and you can play easily with friends thanks to the multiplayer menu and invite system which Rockstar says makes it easier to find your buddies, and also meet up with others for competitive matches.

There’s no limit in the single player portion to how many weapons you can carry, but in competitive matches, different areas will have different weapon load-outs, for example, like a sniper rifle “to offset the power of the cannon and gatling gun placements”.

Loads of information is available on the aiming and other gameplay mechanics, and you should check it all out over on GamesOnSmash.

Red Dead Redemption is out next month on Xbox 360 and PS3.

Halo: Reach’s multiplayer will rock some faces, make grown men cry and babies gurgling in laughter. Proof of that comes in a massive blowout of footage from the MP beta.

The latest episode of GameTrailers TV has the action. Get it below.

You can hear Bungie answer various question on the shooter, like if Firefight from ODST will make it, what it has planned for E3 a little more – the dev “can’t wait” to show you what it has planned for it, after all – and why duel-wielding isn’t in the game.

Halo: Reach releases this fall for Xbox 360. The multiplayer beta kicks off on May 3.

LONDON – 3 March 2010 – Can’t wait to jump into the “Halo: Reach” multiplayer beta on May 3? You’re in luck, because a thrilling first look video of “Halo: Reach” multiplayer action is now available. The “March Multiplayer Madness” video was captured from the game’s alpha build and offers a glimpse of…well, we don’t want to give away all the surprises do we?

Rest assured that more info is coming down the line as the launch of the public multiplayer beta nears. As a reminder, players will be able to access the beta, which launches in just two months, through “Halo 3: ODST.” Developed by acclaimed studio Bungie, “Halo: Reach” is being published by Microsoft and launches in autumn 2010 exclusively on Xbox 360.

The “March Multiplayer Madness” video is available now on Halo.Xbox.com, Bungie.net and Xbox LIVE.

In this episode the Year begins:

• UF: 141 Details finally revealed
• Review of Mass Effect 2
• Review of Army of Two The 40th Day
• Hello Europe are you out there
• Final Prep for BradyGames
• and more!!!

With the DLC finally released, Urgent Fury is looking for your reviews… Give it your star rating and feel free to add a review at the bottom.

Loaded with new features and content, this pack brings a brand new snowy Eastern European area of operations into play with two all new maps and three classic SOCOM maps for 16 to 32 players.  The classic maps are drawn from some of the most popular SOCOM maps of all time, each built from the ground up for the PS3!

Kit yourself out in snow gear and fight your way through blizzard conditions, joining a team of mercenaries or a squad from one of the world’s top Special Forces regiments  including the Russian Spetsnaz.

Try your hand at Arms Run, a new game mode that features dynamicaly placed missile launchers that must be activated or destroyed, depending on which side you’re fighting for.

Employ the new thermal vision scope weapon attachment to track your enemies’ heat signatures – vital in the dark and useful in daylight for picking out white camouflaged adversaries. In addition, we have new primary weapons to make use of and new attachments.

All told, this pack will have:

• New Russian / Eastern European Area of Operation
• Snow setting complete with snow effects, new snow gear and camo for both the Special Forces and Mercenaries, and thermal vision
• New ARMS RUN gameplay mode
• 5 New Maps
  o Uprising
  o Entrapment
  o Blizzard
  o Night Stalker
  o Vigilance
• All new mercenaries characters with new looks and new VO.
• New Special Forces squad, the Russian Spetsnaz
• Gun turret emplacements
• New music
• All new character specialization/progression system
  o Allows players to pick a primary and secondary specialization and unlock new equipment exclusive to those specializations
• New weapons, including:
  o 3 new weapons
  o 6 enhanced versions of weapons available as part of the new weapons specialization system
  o 2 new weapon attachments (including the thermal scope)
  o 5 enhanced versions of weapon attachments also available as part of the new weapons specialization system.
  o 2 new grenade launcher ammo types (flash and smoke)
• New Trophies

Looks like the Uncharted 2 DLC that was tweeted earlier will be released on Friday, along with a Double Cash Weekend.

It’s a new multiplayer mode called The Fort, which is based on the Fortress chapter of Drake’s Fortune.

According to Naughty Dog, it’s a “long rectangular map with wide open spaces and excellent flank routes” with tunnels leading into the basement, a shotgun in the center of the map, and an RPG to the side room in the crypt.

A couple new features were also added to the Multiplayer menu: Leaderboards and a player card.

But wait, there’s more:

When you join a competitive Multiplayer match on Thanksgiving weekend, you’ll be greeted with a slightly different look to our Heroes and Villians. It looks like Drake and Lazarevic had a few too many helpings of turkey (or Tofurkey), green bean casserole and, most definitely, sweet potato casserole.

We also flipped a few switches and bits here and there and not only is Double Cash weekend back, but you’ll be getting 2x the cash from any and all medals you are awarded during the course of a competitive or cooperative match. The per-match limits of $50,000 are still in effect, so if you’re just that good, you’ll be maxing out just about all the time

Click the image

Vouchers available while supplies last.

Just as Veteran’s Day comes to a close, it appears Infinity Ward has finally been able to get the online infrastructure stable for the PS3 version of Modern Warfare 2. It appears the third party-powered servers simply couldn’t handle the overwhelming demand following the game’s launch. Makes sense: it did sell close to a zillion copies. “We expect smooth skies ahead,” IW’s Robert Bowling stated in a recent tweet. That is, unless all of you rush to your PS3s again now that multiplayer is working yet again. Remember, though: this is simply a server-side fix that allows you to play multiplayer. The party system still won’t work until a patch, planned for release on Friday.

Infinity Ward’s Rob Bowling has tweeted that anybody who has a retail copy of Modern Warfare 2, instead of a pirate/modded version, their multiplayer stats won’t be reset.

It comes as last week, Bowling said that a full multiplayer reset was on the cards.

“Any players who purchased a legit retail copy will not be reset or banned. Only modded / pirate versions will be,” he said.

Bowling also confirmed that anyone who got the game early from some retailers, including GameStop, won’t be punished.

“ANY store selling #MW2 early is in violation of street date. There are no “special permissions”. That said, we won’t punish players for it.”

Source: VG247.com

EA has released the first in a series of videos showcasing Bad Company 2’s multiplayer.

The first one is posted below.

It’s out on March 2 and 5 next year for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 in the US and UK, respectively.