“Starhawk” Senior Producer Harvard Bonin Jr. explains exactly what he does, and gets his very own Spoof Ad.

Back in September, we previewed StarHawk for the first time on UFreqTV in PlayStation Home for our fans. Even before this, right away Jack (UFreqTV’s Host) pointed out at E3 that we need to keep an eye on this game. He talked about how the “Build & Battle” would bring a whole new element to our tournaments when the time comes.

Then came the Private Beta in November, and boy Jack was not kidding. Right out of the gate we were ecstatic when we saw that a user could create a Sever/Lobby with a custom title. We had not seen this in a game since Socom: Confrontation. Though many will say, so what, that is not any thing new or special.

Well they are correct  it isn’t anything new, the ability to create a custom lobby was all but a tail from the past until now. Clans putting up Recruiting Rooms, Practice Rooms and Tournament Communities having the Room labeled “UF Blue RVN vs 101″ showing the world the clans were battling in a tournament.

And though the Private Beta is a very slim view of what is yet to come, it already has all that is needed for Urgent Fury to launch a full Tournament Offering. The tactical requirements that a team will have to use in this game will make for some nail-biting matches. Throw in the Urgent Fury TacMap element where clans are competing over territories for 13 to 24 weeks to become the champion and you have a recipe for “EPIC”!

We are pleased to present the 2012 Tournament Title of the Year to StarHawk, exclusively on PlayStation 3. Be sure to stay tuned as we begin to announce tournament details and how to sign up.

On top of all the great tactical play LightBox Interactive and SCEA Santa Monica Studios are actually involved with the community responding to bugs, suggestions, gripes and praises. Not only that as one fan pointed out, there were more updates in the Private Beta than in the entire Call of Duty Series. Now we cannot confirm if that is correct, but I will say we saw updates daily and even multiple updates in a day when there was an issue.

The public beta will being on January 17th, 2012 and you can find all the details on the PlayStation Blog. And rest assured you will see at least one UrgentFury.com server up and running almost daily.

Also keep your eye out for Episode 93 of Urgent Frequency as Commander Fury is joined by Sr. Producer Harvard Bonin as they sit down via SatCom and discuss StarHawk and what Harvard’s job really is in the grand scheme of things. This episode is due to release on January 15th.

We look back on 2011.

Recently Santa Monica Studios and LightBox Interactive launched the StarHawk Private Beta and after getting a code from GameSpot, I decided to try it out.

My initial reaction can be summed up in one word, AMAZING. Over the last couple of weeks we have put up an UrgentFury.com Server/Lobby, yes I said lobby, in which some epic battles have been witnessed on several occasions. I have no clue how many hours I have logged so far, but three to four hours at a time, you will find me in an endless battle on StarHawk.

In the beginning I was a total noob trying out the different buildings, driving the Razorback like a beast and flying the hawk like a two year old crashing dad’s car. Little by little I got the feel for the rifle that requires you to shoot in bursts if you want accuracy. Who would have ever thought that Spray and Pray would not work in a shooter, hehe.

Next up, I mastered the sniper rifle with a laser from Weird Science. That thing is true to any laser, no matter how far away, you are going to get that red dot and “Boom HeadShot!” Now once you put a supply bunker down, you are now truly prepared to battle with a Rocket Launcher and a Shotty. These are essential if you want to make it more than a couple of minutes against the Hawk attacks and Razorback assaults. Get a couple of rockets into the Razorback and boom. And if the driver is crazy enough to jump ship then bust a few buckshots in them and down they will go.

So let’s talk about the modes, Team Death Match and Capture the Flag… Initially the beta only launched with CTF which forced players to traverse the maps to capture the flag to win. In Acid Sea the flags are located on top of a structure and this became a wall building extravaganza. It did not take long to learn if placed correctly you only had to build three walls on each side encasing the ladders. But even that is not full proof, all you have to do is wisely park a Razorback next to a corner and jump over.

The true trick to CTF is to do a quick grab as soon as the match launches, unless the team is well prepared you can run in and snag a flag with the Razorback within thirty seconds gaining the lead.

Now in Space, the flag is sitting on the deck and if you build three or four walls you can trap the flag, just make sure you build the walls with the ladders facing out. If you do it this way, once the play gets the flag they are stuck unless they are in a hawk. The hawk is able to jump over the wall. Of course it does not take much to blow up a hawk when it is on the ground, so you better have a backup plan ready.

Team Death Match is a well-known mode to all gamers alike and StarHawk is no different until you factor in that you have Hawks rivaled by Beam Turrets, Snipers in Towers behind a Force Field and players owning their area from a Supply Bunker.

TDM can become chaotic very quickly with a little team work. I have seen a team immediately take hold of the center of both maps with a Spawn Beacon, Supply Bunker and Force Field. And unless you are downright crazy, you are lucky to ever recapture the center. But the true key is to take the left or right areas on both maps. This gives you access to rift barrels for easy fortification.

Adding the Build and Battle element makes StarHawk an ever evolving game. You never know what you may be up against when you get to the enemy base.

We can only commend the community support we are seeing from the gang over at Santa Monica Studios and LightBox Interactive. They are truely responsive to bugs, suggestions and complaints. Updates roll out quickly, even within hours as was the case just this week. Keep up the Great work fellas!!!

Overall we give StarHawk’s private beta 5 Fists of Fury out of 5!!! The private beta has been extended through January 3^rd so forget the family. Lock your doors and man up. Get that rift and build your foothold. StarHawk is going to be an Epic win for PlayStation in 2012, and you can bet that a Tournament or two will be announced by Urgent Fury.

Watch for the UrgentFury.com server and jump in, we always set it to All Mic and Randomized Teams making for some great times, see you on the battle field.

Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC and developer The Workshop have announced their newest addition to the software line-up for the PlayStation Move motion controller with Sorcery.

This single player Action Adventure/RPG game sees the Nightmare Queen breaking a pact with mankind and threatening to cover the land in eternal night. The players role as a young sorcerers apprentice is to master the arcane arts, conjure and command powerful magic and fight the fierce creatures that lurk in the realms. The game also involves solving puzzles, casting spells and mixing potions with the help of the in-game alchemy system. There are also various items to discover and collect to help immerse you in the world of magic.

Of course the real magic is that Sorcery utilises the PlayStation Move motion controller which allows you to use it as if it were a real magic wand, casting spells as well as solving puzzles and battling your foe. There is also a unique gesture-based casting system that will allow you to group together spells into powerful combos so you can freeze, electrocute or incinerate your enemies with a wave of your wrist.

There are five realms to explore each with their own enemies and challenges including the kingdom of the dead to battle the Banshee and the Restless Dead warriors, the endless stair where vicious bogies are wreaking havoc, the faerie forest, and the Slumbering Palace.

So if you fancy a little bit of magic and mayhem, you will definitely want to check out what is promising to be a very thrilling and unique action adventure game. Sorcery will be available on the PlayStation 3 for the PlayStation Move motion controller in Spring 2012.

Let us know your thoughts and comments.

They are listed in order by Units Sold…

1. The Green Ticket by Mass Media, Inc.
2. 100 Items Super Bundle by SCEA (Sony Computer Entertainment America)
3. Lockwood Token Pack – 80 by Lockwood Publishing
4. Spider Web Tank Top (Female) by SCEA
5. Long-Wavy Hairstyle (Female) by SCEA
6. Phantom 5000 Beat Machine by SCEA
7. Cutteridge Mansion by Juggernaut Games, LLC
8. Official Scre4m Movie Costume (Male) by Codeglue
9. Hollywood Hills House (with Home Theater) by Sony Pictures Entertainment
10. Lockwood Token Pack – 480 by Lockwood Publishing

The Green Ticket takes the #1 spot again, will anything ever take down this item? Come on guys, there has to be something!!! If you have not taken the time to check out PlayStation®Home Lately, you have got to check it out. The new look is more than amazing and with the release of 1.60 this week there is a slew of improvements and so much more…

From the Blog Announcement

This Thursday, December 8th, we will release the latest update to the PlayStation Home client. PlayStation Home version 1.60 delivers a wealth of improvements and updates to the core client, not the least of which is a doubling of the item placement limit in personal spaces!

NEW FEATURES

Furniture Placement Limit

• We have doubled the furniture placement limit in personal spaces and clubhouses from 50 to 100 items.
• Standard and active furniture limits have been merged into the same system. Currently all actives take up 22 furniture slots in the new system. Thus you can now place a variety of different combinations:
• 100 standard furniture items or…
• 78 standard furniture items and 1 active or…
• 56 standard furniture items and 2 actives or…
• 34 standard furniture items and 3 actives or…
• 12 standard furniture items and 4 actives.

GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS

Targeting in Personal Spaces

• Targeting in personal spaces has been improved.
• This means you shouldn’t accidentally target furniture items through floors or ceilings any more.
• Although we have made exceptions for wall hangings and lights as these tend to be placed quite high up.
• If you find any items of furniture in places you can’t reach then you can always remove them through the furniture browser and place them somewhere else.

Portable Items and Companions

• We have changed the way that companion portables work so they will now automatically re-activate after you enter and leave a game or relocate between spaces. No more having to put your companion away and take them out again when you do this!

Help System

• There is a new help system to aid new users as they explore PlayStation Home for the first time.

Arcade Games

• Arcade games are no longer subject to the 3 minute inactivity timeout when placed as furniture in Personal Spaces or Clubhouses.

CHANGES

Menu Pad

• We have removed the “Community” section of the Menu Pad. The information that used to be contained in here is now communicated via the Message of the Day pop-up at login and the new loading screens.

There are so many different new areas to explore, quests to attempt and overall fun added in Home’s new version it is like starting all over for those Home Veterans out there. We are extremely happy with how the new look came out. The theater looks awesome, the poker tables are busy and the sports bar is serving up the drinks.

After a year of major game releases, the game industry & gamers from all over the world are set to pick the best of the best for the 2011 Video Game Awards.

Shane Bell (Urgent Fury CIO) & Doc (The Tester (Season 1) & Replay w/ Doc) join Commander Fury to preview a few of the categories & make their 2011 VGA picks.

Commander Fury is Urgent Fury’s “boots on the ground” for the biggest game release of the year!!!

As he finds himself braving the cold & crowds at his local GameStop to celebrate the launch of Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 for the 2nd Annual Urgent Frequency Veterans Day Thanksgiving Call Of Duty Midnight Launch Party Episode. Get all the intel about the most anticipated game of the year…including gametrailers.com‘s full review of the game, and an overview of Call Of Duty: ELITE.

Plus, we wrap things up with the Thanksgiving classic….Arlo Guthrie’s – “Alice’s Restaurant“.

Sony Online Entertainment have announced that players can now download the very popular massively multiplayer online or MMO action game DC Universe Online. In a press release, they were quoted as saying.
“We are confident that going free-to-play will expand the action combat experience of DC Universe Online by making the game more accessible to every type of player so they can choose to play the game their way,” said John Smedley, President, Sony Online Entertainment. “With a portfolio that includes three successful free-to-play games – EverQuest II: Extended, Free Realms and Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures – we have extensive knowledge and experience to apply to DCUOand are thrilled to be taking the game free-to-play today.”

There are three access levels in DCUO: Free, Premium and Legendary. All three levels will provide access to the game and include all game updates and fixes to the game, with each level offering differing game options and features. DLC content and features will also be included for Legendary players, and can be purchased by Free and Premium players.  The levels include:

• Free Access: New players now have access to the base game content in DC Universe Online, including Gotham City, Metropolis, and all current raids and alerts outside of DLC packs.  Free Access provides players with the ability to create two characters, join a League and many other benefits. Free level players can also purchase DLC packs, additional character slots, and more in-game.
• Premium Access: Any player who has spent at least $5 USD (including former paid subscribers and new players who have purchased $5 of in-game items) qualifies for the Premium Access level. Premium level players have more benefits available to them than the Free level player, including additional character slots, additional inventory slots, and higher cash limits. DLC packs, additional character slots, and more can be purchased in-game. All previous subscribers are granted Premium Access automatically.
• Legendary Access: Legendary Access provides the most content, features and benefits of the three access levels.  Loaded with enhanced features, Legendary Access is available for a $14.99 USD monthly fee (multi-month discounts are available) and includes access to all DLC packs at no cost, more than 16 character slots, over 60 inventory slots, the ability to form Leagues, and many other benefits.

In this episode….Commander Fury returns after a much-needed summer vacation just in time for the 2011 Urgent Frequency Halloween Special. He welcomes Call Of Duty “blades only” phenom & YouTube sensation…ONLYUSEmeBLADE. We’ll tell you how you can help support our wounded warriors just by buying a T-Shirt. Plus, we serve up chills with “The Devil Is not Mocked”. A terrifying tale based on the short story by Manly Wade Wellman.

Team 17 have announced that their bunker- busting box of bedlam and birdies, Worms™ Crazy Golf is available from today for download on PlayStation® 3 from PlayStation® Network, PC from Steam and for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch on the App Store!
Worms™ fans and newcomers alike can grab their balls and step up to the tee in this mental mash-up of sports, puzzling
and Worms™! Worms™ Crazy Golf is a brazenly bonkers mixture of classic 2D Worms™ and hilarious eighteen- hole high jinks. Spread across a variety of weird and wonderful courses and featuring some mind- bendingly mental power-ups , this is the craziest golf you’ll ever play. With many fan-favourite features from the Worms™ universe such as the sheep, old woman, mole, magnets, mines and crazy chain reactions making an appearance, it is anything but a straight simulation.

Set across three surreal 18- hole golf courses plus a diverse range of skill- based challenge modes, expect to be challenged by increasingly puzzling hole design and an array of obstacles; from castles that teleport your ball, cannons that shoot it across the landscape and even obstructive comedy bats! Only skilful shot execution and clever use of special powers such as the parachute ball, or the ability to slow time down will see you hit par and progress to the next hole.

Check out some of the seriously skillful shots required to sink a hole-in- one in the new “Graveyard Course” trailer, featuring haunting Halloween hijinks, now on Team 17’ s official YouTube channel:

• http:/ /www.youtube .com/watch? v=X 2Vb 4dnKEbE

Worms™ Crazy Golf is released today for iPad and iPhone/
iPod, PC from Steam™ and for PlayStation®3 from PlayStation® Network in Europe. Worms™ Crazy Golf will be
released for PlayStation®3 in the U.S. on Tuesday 25th October 2011.

Story by Mike Fahey @ Kotaku.com.

Following up on the success of Transformers: War for Cybertron, Activision and High Moon Studios return to the planet of the Autobots and Decepticons next year with Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, and they’re bringing the king of the Dinobots with them.

The original headline of this article was simply “Motherfucking Grimlock”, but I decided to err on the side of being informative. Now that we’ve gotten that over with, it’s motherfucking Grimlock! The leader of the Dinobots (and the Autobots on several occasions, depending on the continuity you subscribe to) takes his rightful place by Optimus Prime’s side on the cover of next month’s Game Informer, on store shelves October 14.

The game follows the battle between the Autobots and Decepticons to its fateful conclusion: the exodus of both from their dying planet. How High Moon Studios handles that exodus remains to be seen. Will we get the Ark and Nemesis shootout in deep space from the cartoon? The leaving a few good bots behind storyline from the IDW comic book series? Something entirely new?

I am obviously way too excited about this. Here’s a quote.

“High Moon Studios is an extremely talented development team having raised the bar of gameplay and Transformers authenticity in their games,” said David Oxford, Executive Vice President at Activision Publishing. Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is an extraordinary project both for the studio and the Transformers gaming legacy – the stakes are higher and the scale much larger than ever before, and we absolutely cannot wait for fans to see all the new characters and epic action that awaits them.”

There, all better. Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is slated for release sometime next year for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It will feature motherfucking Grimlock.

Story by Gametrailers.com.

Alone in the desert, Drake discovers an abandoned village only to find out he’s not alone.

A search for the fabled “Atlantis of the Sands” propels fortune hunter Nathan Drake on a trek into the heart of the Arabian Desert. When the terrible secrets of this lost city are unearthed, Drake’s quest descends into a desperate bid for survival that strains the limits of his endurance and forces him to confront his deepest fears.

Uncharted 3 comes out on the PlayStation 3 on November 1, 2011.

Story by Call of Duty Community.com.

Anyone who plays Call of Duty, knows that Custom Matches are a big part of why we play, from proving your point in a 1 on 1 quick-scope battle, to laughing at your friends in Mike Myers. This year, Modern Warfare 3 will take the Custom Match experience to a new level, allowing some new and some fan favorite game types to come to the field. They are:

One in the Chamber

Infinity Ward is bringing back this fan favorite to satisfy the needs of those craving the wager match, although it is worth mentioning, that this time there is no prize. Just the knowledge that you are better than your comrades.

Gun Game

Again, another fan favorite and something I’ll be falling over myself to play when the game is released to see which guns I like to play with. Definitely something to look forward to.

Infected

An age old game mode that never ceases to amaze, this is by far the best way to find out the best hiding spots in the game and how to get there. An aside to this, is that this has been called several names over the years. Mike Myers is one of the names, and also Zombies was a name given to it.

Drop Zone

Almost like Headquarters, except that it’s call Drop Zone. Oh, and given that it is called that, Care Packages drop to the glee of the team in command of the zone. I have visions of horrific “death by box” kills in killcams on this one.

Team Juggernaut

Didn’t get a lot of information on this one, but as far as we can tell, it’s Team Death Match with a Juggernaut on your team. Pretty straight forward huh?

Juggernaut

Now, this also sounds like a “Pro” version of Mike Myers. 1 person is a Juggernaut, your job is to kill him, then you become the Juggernaut. Easy right?

If you rather watch someone explain these game modes to you, have a look and see what WoodysGamertag has to say about the game modes.

I can definitely see some awesome lads (or ladies) nights in where these game types are put the test. Personally, I think this will really make for a better game as far as Modern Warfare 3 is concerned as it will mean a longer shelf-life!

As you can see, Infinity Ward have taken on some fan favorites, and produced some fine sounding other game modes. It really shows that they have taken some time to make sure that the Custom Matches are as good as the online ones. If you have any questions, please feel free to visit us at the forums: www.callofduty-community.com/forum/

Story by Seeson @ blogs.battlefield.ea.com.

Thank you for playing the Open Beta and making the final game better!

We are very excited to see so many gamers join our Battlefield 3 Open Beta. Here’s an update on the Open Beta from DICE General Manager Karl Magnus Troedsson.

I want to give you an overview of how the Open Beta is helping us shape a fantastic final game, what we are implementing based on your feedback, and how the Open Beta will help us deliver a robust gaming environment from day one.

The Open Beta is a true Beta

The Battlefield 3 Open Beta is based on software that is more than one month old. We need to test the new back end dedicated server structure we’ve built. Not only have we built a new game engine, but an entirely new back end system so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of dedicated servers on all platforms.

Just like normal procedure when releasing a game, the Open Beta has had long lead times due to testing, certification, and setting up. This means that the code you are now playing is actually quite early and not representative of the final game.

We had to do this in order to have as many people testing as possible, in order to ensure a top quality experience when the game is released. However, we’re confident in the Battlefield formula and confident that our fans will support us in order to make Battlefield 3 better.

Dedicated servers require dedicated testing

The biggest reason for running the Open Beta is to stress test our servers and back end. Already, we are seeing 6 times the number of simultaneous players in the Battlefield 3 Open Beta compared to the Beta for Battlefield: Bad Company 2! The fact that Battlefield 3 is clearly our biggest game launch ever by a magnitude of 6 makes it doubly important to test everything.

We are constantly updating the News section on Battlelog with information on what we are fixing from Open Beta to final. We appreciate your time and your feedback. The data and feedback from the Open Beta will not only directly affect the final game of Battlefield 3, but its future development and support.

We’re heading out on the road this week to let journalists experience all aspects of Battlefield 3. Stay tuned for their previews, and stay tuned for the final game on October 25th. The final game will look, play and sound better than the Open Beta. You have helped making sure of that.

Karl Magnus Troedsson

General Manager, DICE

Story by Scott Grill @ Examiner.com.

If you’re taking a break from playing the Battlefield 3 beta, you may want to take a look at this Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 video showing gameplay from the Spec Ops Survival mode on the Paris map.

The Paris survival mode gameplay footage definitely shows off the arcadey side of Modern Warfare 3 as the player one of two players charges opponents by jumping on top of cars and taking them down with the shotgun. It also provides a glimpse at some of the items that can be purchased from the equipment armory such as the Sentry Grenade Launcher.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is scheduled to release on November 8 for the Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.

Grenade Launcher Sentry Gun = SWEET!!! (Nemesis)

Story by Owen Good @ Kotaku.com.

As it did with Resistance 3, Sony plans to impose its “PSN Pass” on Uncharted 3, meaning multiplayer access to that game will be subject to a one-use code included with all retail copies. That’s per Juan Jimenéz, Sony’s software manager for Spain.

That means that used copies of Uncharted 3 aren’t assured of including multiplayer access and, if their code is missing or has been used, it’ll cost $10 for someone to activate it the features

Online pass schemes, earlier implemented by Electronic Arts, THQ and others, are an indirect way for a publisher to get a cut of used sales, but they’re more intended to incentivize buying

Story by Owen Good @ Kotaku.com.

About a week before the Battlefield 3 beta began, the game’s community manager had decided he’d heard enough shrill complaining about the fact that “Operation Metro” and not some other map would the only one playable. And so he went off.

Rewind: Operation Metro was revealed to be the beta map on Sept. 20. Apparently, large numbers of forum goers thought some other map would be used, like one that allowed up to 64 players. The choice of Metro did not sit well with many, and the Battlefield forums were filled with great anger and profound disappointment. This is what Daniel Matros, DICE’s global community manager for Battlefield 3, had to confront at the end of the day.

“Right now, I am not in the mood to even browse in here and check out most parts of the forum,” Daniel Matros began on Sept. 20. Saying that “the beta is a privilege, not a right,” unless you got a key with a pre-order, Matros ripped into the whiners, still with a measured tone that suggests he had to choose his words carefully.

“The vibe I’m getting now is just that tons of ungrateful people don’t understand how much work we are putting on this game how many overtime hours we are doing and also how many meetings we are in to ship a game like this.”

Matros thanked those who did provide constructive feedback. “To the rest of you—grow up.”

Two replies later, proving his point, someone wrote: “Why aren’t you releasing Caspian Border in the beta?”

It should be noted that although this thread no longer exists (a cache of it does) even a cursory Google search of the forums turns up threads backing Matros.

As for why they went with Operation Metro, not something else, well, it’s a beta. “We have already showed this map and made some big changes to it to enhance gameplay as well as get it more fluent than in the Alpha,” Matros explained later. “Lots of new things have been added in closer to launch. Our rank progression system as well as customizations have made their way into the beta and it´s very important for us to test these things before we launch. That is the purpose of the Beta as well as combining it with Battlelog and all of the features there. If you feel that this isn´t the right map for you, then perhaps we don´t really agree on what maps we want to see.”

It is indeed hard not to be sympathetic. These games are not made by elves. We’ve heard plenty about “crunch” at the end of a development cycle, I’m sure the last thing anyone wants to deal with, amidst all of that, is inconsiderate sniping and snide questions from some entitled dickbag who is unhappy that the free thing he’s being given isn’t optimized for his comfort.

It is, however, rare to see this kind of thing play out, probably why the thread is gone. The Battlefield 3 beta runs until Oct. 10. I hope everyone survives.

Story by Brian Crecente @ Kotaku.com.

In this lengthy video of Sega’s Aliens: Colonial Marines, Gearbox head Randy Pitchford walks us through some new gameplay for the upcoming game.

There’s a lot of things to see, and hear, so get to it. Let me know if you’re as impressed with what you see as I was this summer after attending the E3 presentation.

Story by Brian Crecente @ Kotaku.com.

Clan-Batman-versus-clan-Joker shooter Gotham City Impostors looks like it’s going to be about $15 or 1,200 Microsoft Points when it hits, according to the game’s official YouTube account.

GothamCityImpostors, the person running the official YouTube account for the upcoming game, wrote in comments on their latest video” “As far as pricing is concerned, the current plan is for the game to be $14.99 or 1200 MS points.”

Of course that’s not confirmed yet, but it sounds like it’s getting close.

We’re also hearing that Beta testers are starting to receive email invites for the game. The beta will run nightly from 7 p.m. to midnight EST starting on Oct. 5 and ending on Oct. 9. Fingers crossed and eyes open. Or maybe the other way round.

Thanks for the beta tips and to Chodiac about the pricing heads up.

Story by Michael McWhertor @ Kotaku.com.

At the risk of sounding overhyped about DICE’s Battlefield 3, the latest batch of unofficial screens from the game’s ongoing beta are (mostly) about its UI, which are beautiful and even a little bit informative.

Screengrabs from Battlefield 3‘s beta, courtesy of Battlefield forum goers, show off some multiplayer options, win/lose screens and the myriad graphic options for the PC version of the game. Very handsome, very option-heavy.

Story by Mike Fahey @ Kotaku.com.

As promised last week, EA delivers the full version of its “99 Problems” Battlefield 3 TV spot today, unveiling never-before-seen gameplay footage and a new tagline aimed right between Modern Warfare 3‘s eyes.

At this point we’ve accepted that Battlefield 3 looks gorgeous, so we’ll not harp on the visuals. Instead, let’s turn our attention to the new tagline at the end of this TV spot. It reads “Above and Beyond the Call”, an obvious dig at Call of Duty, the Activision franchise EA hopes to unseat as king of the military online first-person shooters.

How should Call of Duty fans react? I’d suggest measured, focused rage. Don’t fly off the handle; stay firmly planted on the handle and toss your vicious retorts with military precision.

As for Activision, I’m hoping the company reveals the new tagline for Modern Warfare 3 to be “Fuck Battlefield in Its Stupid Ass”, which is probably why I’m not in marketing.

Well the eagerly awaited game event is here, and as I and many other games fans made our way from the Underground to Earls Court I couldn’t wait to see and more importantly play the new upcoming games.

The atmosphere was amazing as we all made our way into the arena, which was broken up into seven zones with the centre area dominated by the hot topic of conversation outside – Onlive.

Not surprisingly this is the first place everyone headed including myself, there were a number of consoles set up around the stand with both wired and wireless controllers with demo’s of some of the 100 games that are now available as of Sept 22nd (that’s in the UK of course, Onlive has been running in the US for a while now). As well as getting to play some of the games on offer, there was also the chance to get your hands on a free console once you had registered, needless to say I managed to get my hands on one and I’ll be posting more on the Onlive console and the games on offer in a separate article.

All the big names in gaming were showing off their latest creations, including the big 3′s Mass Effect 3, Battlefield 3, Resistance 3, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Gears of War 3. My first port of call was the Forza Motorsport 4 stand, Turn 10 have raised the bar even further with this latest in the franchise, the graphics were stunning as has been the case with previous incarnations and the controls were very responsive. The demo for Forza 4 is coming for Xbox LIVE Gold Members on Oct  3 and will be available for Silver members on Oct 10 for those who want a taste of things to come.

Another of the games I sampled was Battlefield 3, due for release on Oct 25th which was tucked away in the over 18′s area. This had a long queue of people waiting to play as you’d expect, but it was well worth the wait. It was certainly an amazing sight seeing banks of people all working their way through the trees and undergrowth, utterly absorbed. It wasn’t hard to see why, EA Games with Frostbite 2 have created very impressive gameplay and the headphones allowed the low hum of Earls Court to be blotted out in favour of the crackle of gunfire and the shout of orders.

I’m sure you have seen all the advertisements and coverage of the 3DS but you may have been like me and wondered just how good it is. Well they were showcasing the latest Mario and sonic releases as well as a demo of Sky 3D. The latter to try and show people that the 3DS has more to offer than just a handheald  gaming console. I was curious as to what the experience would be like and chatting to some of the others there, they felt the same.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Its true to say that as this doesn’t rely on glasses, it makes it feel a more natural experience, although I did find the need to keep your viewing angle steady took a bit of getting used to. The 3D effect was very good and the adjustable 3D slide on the side made a noticeable difference.

It wasn’t just all game and console demo’s of course, there were a host of developer sessions throughout the weekend as well. Among those giving talks were Michael Denny from Sony talking about the Playstation Vita and Dr Ray Muzyka from EA Games on Star Wars: The Old Republic.

To sum up, there was much more at Eurogamer Expo 2011 than I am ever going to be able to write here, that said, the Playstation Vita, 3D gaming and the prospect of on-line gaming like never before with Onlive makes the next twelve months a very exciting prospect indeed.

Story by Mike Fahey @ Kotaku.com.

In this teaser trailer for a full length ad to run on television September 27, rapper Jay-Z explains that while Battlefield 3does have (at least) “99 Problems”, not one of those problems is a bitch. And here we were all worried!

But when EA’s Battlefield team teases something, there’s generally something interesting waiting on the other end. My guess? Jay-Z is lying to us, and one of Battlefield 3‘s problems is indeed bitches.

Story by Kirk Hamilton @ Kotaku.com.

The Riddler and The Penguin may get increased stage-time in Batman: Arkham City, but the latest trailer for Rocksteady’s upcoming game is all about our old friend The Joker. Looking quite a bit the worse for wear after his misadventures in Arkham Asylum, the J-Man sounds like he’s enacting another big, complicated plan to ensnare the Bat. Big surprise, that.

Also featured: a healthy dose of Harley Quinn’s accent, some giant goon named “Mr. Hammer,” and some fairly serious-looking lava and explosions.

Batman: “There’s nothing wrong with you.”

Joker: “Nice of you to say, but you of all people should know, there’s plenty wrong with me.”