Commander Fury

Greetings Sackboys and Sackgirls. We're back to bring you regular weekly updates from the world of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/littlebigplanet-2/">LittleBigPlanet</a>, including news, community updates, major announcements, or just fun insider tidbits. <h4>LittleBigPlanet 2 now $39.99, tell a friend</h4> Forgive us for sounding like a late-night infomercial, but...now for an amazing low price of $39.99, you can own LittleBigPlanet 2, and experience a whole new world that millions of people love, plus discover over 5.2 million user-generated games! All with Sackboy at your side! If you haven't picked up LBP2...what are you waiting for! <h4>LittleBigPlanet 2: Now Move-enabled</h4> Earlier this week, many of you downloaded the latest free update for LBP2, but did you know you can NOW control your Sackboy with a <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-move/">Move</a> controller in one hand and a Navigation controller in another? Check out the video below to see another fun way to play LBP2. More...

Hey everyone. With <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/god-of-war-origins-collection/">God of War: Origins Collection</a> due to hit stores next week (September 13th!), I thought it would be fun to share my recollection of what went down at the Game Directors Live round table discussion last year prior to the launch of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/god-of-war-ghost-of-sparta/">God of War: Ghost of Sparta</a>, but before I do, here's a quick teaser trailer of the event. Remember the full video is part of the bonus content that is included in God of War: Origins Collection, along with a Legionnaire Kratos skin and the Forest of the Forgotten combat arena, all on the same Blu-ray Disc. Now back to the event...it was September 1st and we were deep into the final stages of completing Ghost of Sparta when the taping occurred. Do they even use tape anymore? Anyway, it was apparently the only time when all five of us could be in the same place at the same time. So, Ru and I drove up to the El Portal Theater in North Hollywood from the Ready At Dawn office, tired and battered, but ready for what would be an interesting evening. When we pulled up to the theater, there were already fans lined up outside waiting for the doors to open. More...

<a href="http://us.playstation.com/games-and-media/games/skydrift-ps3.html">Skydrift</a> combines the speed and intensity of air racing with the action of vehicular combat, and it just hit <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN</a>! Give it a shot - we think it’s a unique, exciting racing title. In <a href="http://skydriftgame.com/">Skydrift</a>, your task is simple: beat your opponents at all costs. You can outmaneuver them on the course, or try to get the upper hand by deploying one of six different power-ups, from missiles and aerial mines to turbo boosts and repair kits. Your opponents will also be gunning for you and trying to take you down by any means necessary, so stay on your toes. When developing the tracks for the game, we wanted to create courses that would be both visually compelling and offer players unique challenges. The exotic locations in Skydrift include a tropical paradise, a frozen glacial setting, and a sprawling mine area. You can even race some of these tracks in a backward variant for an extra shot of variety. Skydrift also offers up eight different planes, each one controlling differently and catering to a different play style than the others. There are also 32 different skins that players can use to customize their plane, personalizing the experience even more. More...

It’s another great week for PSN games as the third week of PlayStation Network PLAY starts today with the release of BloodRayne: Betrayal! Developer WayForward takes the franchise in a bold new tough as nails 2D direction, and a beautiful art style that shines in HD. If you haven’t pre-ordered yours already, give the demo a spin. And as part of the PLAY event, if you purchase before 9/20, you’ll receive an exclusive <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/09/02/bloodrayne-betrayal-for-psn-all-the-bloody-details/">BloodRayne: Betrayal</a> Dynamic Theme, as well as an exclusive PlayStation Home shirt! NFL fans have reasons to rejoice as well with <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/nfl-sunday-ticket/">DIRECTV NFL Sunday Ticket</a> now available on PlayStation Network! Get access to live streaming video of every out-of-market Sunday NFL game and access highlights, stats, standings, and schedules. The subscription also includes the Red Zone Channel, which gives you live coverage of Sunday’s most exciting moments. Purchase NFL Sunday Ticket on your PlayStation 3 in the Store; you can find it under the Media section. More...

Story by Johnny Cullen @ VG247.com. Its been announced that Resistance 3 will get its first DLC pack next month. The pack, called Survival, will feature a new multiplayer mode called Invasion, where humans and Chimera need to capture multiple control points as long as they can. There’ll also be a Survival skin for MP and XMB theme. Survival launches on October 4 for $3.99. The game itself is out now in the US and Friday in the UK. Get the reviews so far here. Thanks, Eurogamer. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by Brenna Hillier @ VG247.com. September’s PS Plus update brings a wealth of goodies to US subscribers, including a number of free games, and a two-week Resident Evil celebration. As detailed on the US PS Blog, the freebies kick off with today’s network update, delivering a free copy of PopCap’s smash hit tower defense titles, Plants vs Zombies, as well as Astro Tripper and Altered Beast, PSOne Classic Jet Moto, and Minis release Bashi Blocks. In the same update, expect early access to the latest Qore, several free avatars and one free theme, and a number of discounts. Three Minis have been reduced by 20 percent – Alpha Mission, T.N.K. III, and Vanguard II – as well as 25 percent off The Impossible Game and 40 percent off Armageddon Riders. On September 13, you’ll have access to a free copy of the Minis title Jellypops and a full game trial for BulletStorm. The MotorStorm Apocalypse Premiere Pack Bundle will be discounted by 20 percent, and you’ll nab some more free avatars. The big story is the Lucas Arts PSP sale though – 50 percent off Star Wars PSP DLC. Moving on to September 20, Capcom celebrates Resident Evil’s 15th birthday with a 50 percent off sale on Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil: Code Veronica. On top of that, Resident Evil Director’s Cut, Resident Evil 2 and Resident 3 will all be offered for free. Saints Row 2 and Bolt will appear as full game trials, and Cubixx HD will be 30 percent off. There’ll also be another couple of avatars and a theme for free. The final update of the month, on September 27, brings a full game trial of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12, the free Minis title Street Smarts, and one last free theme. Thanks, Joystiq. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by Luke Plunkett @ Kotaku.com. A Japanese promotional poster for the upcoming Battlefield 3contains a few extra details we weren’t aware of before. Like, say, the fact the Xbox 360 version of the game will ship on two discs. That’s all the info that can be gleaned from the pic, so there’s no idea just what content is spread across the two discs, or whether the poster is even accurate. At a guess, though, I’d say one disc would have to contain the “campaign” stuff (singleplayer and co-op) while the other would have all the multiplayer content on it. Anything else would be bananas. While the fact the Xbox 360 is becoming increasingly unable to keep games to a single disc is a pain in the ass, at least in this case it’s not too big a deal. It’s not like you’ll be changing discs in between multiplayer maps. We hope. We’ve contacted EA for clarification, and will update if we hear back. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by Stephany Nunneley @ VG247.com. Housemarque has announced new DLC content for Dead Nation called Road of Devastation, which is to be made available exclusively on PSN. Continuing where the original game left off, the DLC sees players waking up in a laboratory with only one way out. Once outside, the player must choose which of the three directions presented to them to take – each one with new environments, challenges and enemies along with new tools and equipment to dispose of them with. “We’ve been working hard since the launch of Dead Nation to bring exciting new content to the fans of the game,†says Housemarque CEO, Ilari Kuittinen. “Since the launch of the game, Dead Nation has been a top selling PSN title having fans all around the globe. After being included in the Welcome Pack offering, the game has reached over 3.8 millions downloads, which is simply mindboggling and unheard of for a PSN game.†Pricing and the release date will be announced soon. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Happy Resistance Day! The September 6 edition of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/pulse/">PULSE </a>kicks off with <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/resistance-3/">Resistance 3</a>, of course, and also features the latest games in the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/psn-play/">PlayStation Network PLAY</a> program - <a href="http://www.majescoentertainment.com/games/playstation-network/bloodrayne-betrayal/">BloodRayne: Betrayal</a> and <a href="http://www.sega.com/games/renegade-ops/">Renegade Ops</a>. This edition also features a preview of the September episode of Qore with Veronica Belmont and looks back at the Top 10 downloads of August. The new video releases section includes Hanna, starring Cate Blanchett and Eric Bana, and Red State, directed by Hollywood bad boy Kevin Smith. Watch the full episode of PULSE right here, and in <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psn/playstation-home/">PlayStation Home</a>, or download in HD to your PS3 (SD to your PSP) when the PlayStation Store updates later today. More...

It’s with a lot of pleasure that I write today’s post. It has been nearly three years since you last played <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/resistance-2/">Resistance 2</a>, and in a studio where we keep up a game-a-year schedule, that seems like a very long time to wait. I’m very happy to announce the release of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/resistance-3/">Resistance 3</a> in North America today, as well as the release across Europe over the next 2-3 days. The team here has poured three years of their lives into bringing you the heroic survival of Joseph Capelli on his cross-country trip to New York. This brutal alternate 1957 America is our most polished take on the Resistance universe yet. Along the way, you’ll see the dust storm from a Chimeran Terraformer, a flooded town, young rebels fighting to take back St. Louis from the Chimera, haunted mine towns and a snow packed New York City. To make it even better, you can experience the whole game in 2-player co-op, either split-screen or online. Still not sold? Check out the launch trailer –which gives you the first-ever glimpse at the 12th and final R3 weapon: The Cryogun: More...

We hereby announce exciting news for Dead Nation players around the globe! We've been hard at work creating a new downloadable expansion called "Road of Devastation"! Before we say more, we’ll take this moment to acknowledge an epic milestone in the number of zombies killed worldwide: over 11,700,000,000 - and counting! To put that number in perspective, that's more than 1.5 times the entire world's population of today (though the game takes place in the near future where Earth's population has grown much bigger...so don't worry, there's still plenty of zombies left). From the ashes of the apocalypse, an organization has worked in the shadows, tampering with the human gene, modifying and improving upon it to create the perfect soldier, the ultimate zombie-killing machine - you! Continuing from the events where the original game left off (or, is it actually the other way around...), Road of Devastation will put your skills to the ultimate test. You'll find yourself waking up in a laboratory with only one way out. Outside the door you're presented with a choice - a crossroads leading to three different paths, each with their own unique environments, challenges and enemies waiting for you. If you manage to overcome the challenges, just when you think it's over, you'll make a startling revelation... More...

We recently announced our <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/08/17/directv-and-playstation-bring-nfl-sunday-ticket-to-ps3/">partnership with DIRECTV</a> to bring their most popular sports subscription service, <a href="http://www.directsattv.com/directv/NFL_Sunday_Ticket.html?mm_campaign=dfdf1626a0ce18eb0630d0fbe6648740&keyword=NFL%20sunday%20ticket&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=nfl+sunday+ticket&utm_campaign=NFL+Sunday+Ticket&utm_mt=e&gclid=CJa-usuJ16oCFRRggwodOUZZ8g">NFL SUNDAY TICKET</a>, directly to you via your <a href="http://us.playstation.com/ps3/">PlayStation 3</a>. Starting later today, you can access the direct link in the My Channels category under the TV/Video Services icon on the XMB (XrossMediaBar) or head over to the media category of the <a href="http://us.playstation.com/psn/playstation-store/">PlayStation Store</a> to download the app in anticipation of the new 2011 NFL season. More...

Qore Episode 40’s lead story provides an in-depth preview of Insomniac’s <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/ratchet-clank-all-4-one/">Ratchet and Clank: All for One</a>. Jump right into this true 4 player experience that features a brand new co-op mode with tons of those crazy weapons we’ve come to expect. Don’t miss the weapons guide gallery to get a peek at all the gear you’ll want to enjoy when the game drops on October 18th. If you enjoyed Qore’s profile of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/07/05/qore-episode-38-journey-captain-america-ted-price-no-more-heroes/">Ted Price back in July</a>, we hope you’ll also enjoy the quality time Veronica Belmont spent with Naughty Dog creative director Amy Hennig. Qore profiles the career of this industry leader from her beginnings as an artist/animator to how the PS3 system allowed her to realize her vision for the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/uncharted-3-drakes-deception/">UNCHARTED</a> series. Qore also checks out Neverdead and subscribers have access to an exclusive ICO and Shadow of the Colossus Collection theme. More...

Challenge of the Week #27 is an NL East match-up. The Phillies' recently acquired Right Fielder faces the Atlanta Braves' veteran pitcher. Climb the leaderboard and get as many hits as you can for a chance to win a $250 <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/index.jsp">MLB.com</a> gift card. Week #27 begins on <strong>Monday, September 5th at 5:30am Pacific Time</strong> and ends <strong>Monday September 12th at 4:30am Pacific Time.</strong> To play, simply select the Challenge of the Week option in the main menu. This week kicks off a new August monthly prize period - $2000, cold hard cash. Every 4 weeks a monthly prize will be awarded to the player with the most Challenge of the Week points. More...

Read MoreBefore we get to what’s coming to PlayStation Plus, we wanted to let you know that starting today, we’re making a slight change to how we communicate PlayStation Plus updates. Instead of posting twice per month on what’s coming to Plus, we’re going to be making one post that gives an overview of all the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/09/05/playstation-plus-september-offers-10-free-games-including-plants-vs-zombies/"></a> More...

A few weeks ago we <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/06/27/modnation-monday-show-us-what-you%E2%80%99ve-got/">challenged</a> you to build us a waterpark track using the recent Water World DLC. Just in time for Labor Day (U.S.) you delivered some really fun, wet ‘n wild waterparks that we might actually pay admission to visit in the “real†world! It seems as there is no challenge that the genius of the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/modnation-racers/">MNR</a> community cannot handle. Our Top Tracks this week feature five of our favorites. Dive in and treat yourself to some really fun racing! More...

<p style="text-align: justify;">Arm yourself with the <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/playstation-move/">PlayStation Move</a> and a pair of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/07/01/stereoscopic-3d-on-ps3-updated-list-of-all-3d-games-and-movies/">3D glasses</a> and join the resistance when Insomniac Games drops <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/resistance-3/">Resistance 3</a> on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/ps3/">PS3</a> this week. Naughty Dog combines their award winning greatest hits titles; UNCHARTED: Drake’s Fortune and UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/08/31/uncharted-greatest-hits-dualpack-in-stores-september-6th/">on a single blu-ray</a>, to help all new (and current) <a href=" ">Nathan Drake fans</a> catch up on his previous two adventures before they embark on <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/uncharted-3-drakes-deception/">UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception</a>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Greek mythology’s man in white and lover of war, gets ahead of himself and dishes out a <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/category/psn/">PSN demo</a> for <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/08/29/god-of-war-origins-collection-demo-on-psn-this-week/">God of War: Origins</a>, continuing our first party domination this week.*<a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/03/25/dead-island-trailers-and-entrails/">Dead Island</a>, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/09/02/bloodrayne-betrayal-for-psn-all-the-bloody-details/">Bloodrayne: Betrayal</a>, a quintuple of minis and a PSone Japan import, is the barbecue sauce on your*succulent*PlayStation ribs this Labor Day weekend. Enjoy this week’s <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/the-drop/">The Drop</a>.</p> More...

Hope you're enjoying the long Labor Day weekend. It looks sunny out, but currently, I can't tear myself away from Deus Ex. <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/08/30/long-live-play/">LONG LIVE PLAY</a>! A good week coming up with the release of <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/tag/resistance-3/">Resistance 3</a> on Tuesday. I'm curious to hear what you all think; I've played through the campaign and it's my favorite in the series. After that, <a href="http://tgs.cesa.or.jp/english/">Tokyo Game Show</a>! A story or two related to that in the list below. Going to be a strong PS Vita presence there. I wish I had one for the 12-hour flight out there... <strong>The PS.Blog weekly reading list (Week of August 29, 2011)</strong> <ul> <li><a title="Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Cargo Plane Demo - Giant Bomb" href="http://www.giantbomb.com/uncharted-3-drakes-deception-cargo-plane-demo/17-4821/">Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Cargo Plane Demo - Giant Bomb</a></li> <li><a title="New Section 8: Prejudice maps hit PSN September 13 - Destructoid" href="http://www.destructoid.com/new-section-8-prejudice-maps-hit-psn-september-13-210395.phtml?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Destructoid+%28Destructoid%29&utm_content=Google+Reader">New Section 8: Prejudice maps hit PSN September 13 - Destructoid</a></li> <li><a title="DC Universe Online gettin' some free DLC Sep 6th - Destructoid" href="http://www.destructoid.com/dc-universe-online-gettin-some-free-dlc-sep-6th-210476.phtml">DC Universe Online gettin' some free DLC Sep 6th - Destructoid</a></li> <li><a title="Xseed's Mystery PSP Game Is Indeed Corpse Party - Siliconera" href="http://www.siliconera.com/2011/09/01/xseeds-mystery-psp-game-is-indeed-corpse-party/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+siliconera%2FMkOc+%28Siliconera%29&utm_content=Google+Reader">Xseed's Mystery PSP Game Is Indeed Corpse Party - Siliconera</a></li> More...

Read MoreThis week saw new details for PSN’s upcoming horror game Amy, Resistance 3′s orchestral score, the final phase in PlayStation Home’s Dead Island infestation, a preview of The House of the Dead: OVERKILL – Extended Cut‘s second PS3-exclusive level, a new Resistance 3 developer diary focusing on Chimeran weapons, an update on Dyad‘s music-gameplay fusion, <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/09/03/the-playstation-recap-long-live-play-edition/"></a> More...

Story by Michael McWhertor @ Kotaku.com. Year after year, how can Call of Duty‘s massive online shooter remain fresh? With Modern Warfare 3, the game’s developers have focused on what works—player progression, extensive customization, tons of maps and game modes—and are blowing it out. Activision offered a first look at Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 the night before Call of Duty XP officially kicks off. I liked what I saw, even if I’m not the kind of Call of Duty player capable of a 15 kill-long killstreak. It’s still the same hyperfast, 60 frames per second kill or be killed war game at its core: lots of guns, plenty of carnage, tons of explosive action. But developers Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer games are experimenting with a few new gameplay innovations that are designed to both deepen the experience and make playing multiplayer a little bit easier on the casual Call of Duty fan. Infinity Ward’s Robert Bowling promised “more changes to the core experience than we ever have before” and “the most balanced multiplayer experience we’ve ever done” at a preview of the game at Call of Duty XP. He and Sledgehammer’s Michael Condrey blazed through a long list of new additions and tweaks to the very successful multiplayer formula of Call of Duty. They even dove deeply into the waters of Call of Duty Elite, which you can read about right here. On the multiplayer side, here’s what’s new in Modern Warfare 3. Modern Warfare 3′s New Strike Packages and Pointstreaks Before I get into the meat of what Strike Packages mean for Modern Warfare 3, say goodbye to the killstreak. And say hello to pointstreaks, all 28 of them. No longer will player kills be the only way to build up streaks. Sure, kills still count, but in MW3, completing objectives in gametypes like Capture the Flag and Seek and Destroy will reward players with points they can cash in to call in recon drones, attack helicopters, sentries and other power-ups. Kill assists count toward pointstreak numbers too, letting supporting players, not just the dominant virtual marksman have all the fun. Infinity Ward’s Robert Bowling explained the change at Call of Duty XP, saying “the killstreak system was optimized for one game type: Team Deathmatch.” Now, players will be rewarded more handsomely for actually completing each gametype’s objectives. Modern Warfare 3‘s pointstreaks come in three groups, dubbed Strike Packages. Players can customize their classes with one of three Strike Packages, adding a new layer of personalization to COD multiplayer. The three types are Assault, Support and Specialist. Each has its own list of ‘streaks. Here they are. If you like “big body counts, the Assault package is for you. With Assault, you can call in UAVs and care package drops, naturally, but this is also where the big guns live: assault helicopters, AC130, Predator missiles, mortar strikes, Juggernaut suits. Assault brings the pain. Your streak count will reset every time you die, if you go for the Assault Strike Package. Support is about “helping the team win,” not just stacking your body count. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? For the less aggressive team player, Support deals in ‘streaks that lean more defensive. This includes the option to drop a remote gun turret, call in a hacked airdrop, deploy ballistic vests to your team, drop an EMP or, ultimately, call in an Osprey gunship that also delivers five airdrop packages (one of them hacked). With Support, your streak count will not reset upon death. Finally, Specialist is all about perks. Become a super soldier with Specialist, which lets players stack on additional perks. You’ll get up to six perks—including Sleight of Hand, Hardline, Recon, et al—as the ‘streaks pile up. After your eighth kill, however, you get every perk available to you. You become a monster. Here are a few of the new perks coming in Modern Warfare 3. Recon – Explosive damage paints the target on the mini map Blind Eye – Undetectable by air support/sentries Assassin – Undetectable by UAV, portable radar, thermal, heartbeat Quickdraw – Faster aim down sight Stalker – Move faster while aiming Marksman – Identify targets at longer range Some perks you wont see return in MW3. “No One Man Army, no Nuke, no Commando and no Last Stand,” Infinity Ward promises. New Progression Another big change to Modern Warfare multiplayer is Weapon Proficiencies, a new leveling system for firearms. Basically, the more often you use a weapon in MW3, whether it’s an assault rifle, handgun, shotgun or sniper rifle, the better that weapon gets. In real terms, this means players can reduce gun sway, decrease recoil and add more attachments over time—among other things. Click pic below for the Gallery @ Kotaku.com. Oh, and if you really just adore player progression and experience points, know that the leveling up of Modern Warfare‘s multiplayer has been adapted for the Modern Warfare 3‘s version of Spec-Ops mode. You can read more about that mode right here. Modern Warfare 3′s New Gameplay Modes Competitive multiplayer in Modern Warfare 3 will be expanded with at least two new prominent gameplay modes, Kill Confirmed and Team Defender. You may have seen a snippet of Kill Confirmed in the leaked-early multiplayer trailer. That’s the one with the big glowing dog tags that drop from corpses. Those dog tags are how players confirm kills in this Team Deathmatch variant. Kills don’t count as a point for your team until you or one of you allies grabs a dead man’s dropped dog tags. That adds an intriguing layer of strategy to Team Deathmatch, as opposing players can grab the dog tags of their fallen teammates before you do. And if they see one of their comrades lying dead, dog tags floating above their body, they’ll know where your headed if you want to score. Team Defender, which I didn’t get to preview, is a Capture The Flag variant, just without the flag return. Hold onto an enemy flag for as long as possible, sticking together as a team to survive. There will also be new Private Match game types added to MW3, each of which has been “significantly enhanced to allow players to create new, customizable game modes” that they can share with friends. “Through [Call of Duty Elite], subscribers can vote on favorite new modes and those modes could make their way into public playlists,” Activision says. Here are those new Private Match modes. Infection – The infected kills enemies to recruit them for the infected team. Drop Zone – Hold the Drop Zone for Team Points and Care Packages. Team Juggernaut – With the support of a juggernaut, kill players on the opposing team. The first team to reach the score limit wins. Juggernaut – Kill the Juggernaut to become the new Juggernaut. Gun Game – Be the first to dominate with every gun. One in the Chamber – Gain ammo by eliminating enemies. Be the last to survive. We’ll have hands-on time with Modern Warfare 3 (and much more) from the Call of Duty XP convention this weekend. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by Michael McWhertor @ Kotaku.com. Call of Duty Elite, Activision’s new social network and stat-tracking service that will launch alongside Modern Warfare 3—and work with last year’s Call of Duty: Black Ops—is largely going to be free to use. But there are very good reasons for investing in Elite. At the war game maker’s Call of Duty XP gathering, Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg finally put a price on the premium subscription it plans to offer to Call of Duty Elite members: $50 USD per year. That’s ten dollars less than the cost of purchasing a year’s worth of downloadable map packs at $15 a pop, Hirshberg says, which millions of Call of Duty fans seem content to do annually. (Call of Duty: Black Ops players have purchased more than 18 million map packs since the game’s launch last November.) Players who purchase an annual premium membership to Call of Duty Elite will receive “every piece of downloadable content [for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3] for the year,” Hirshberg said during a press preview at this weekend’s Call of Duty XP convention. He estimated 20 pieces of content in all, including map packs, missions for Modern Warfare 3‘s Spec Ops mode, additional unspecified game modes and more. Premium Elite subscribers will also get it first and faster, he said. “In the past, we offered it four times a year,” Hirshberg said of standard Call of Duty map pack releases, typically sold as a bundle every few months. “Premium will get it monthly.” Maps and other content downloaded via one’s premium Elite subscription will still be yours even if you let your premium membership lapse, the company said. Players won’t be required to maintain an ongoing paid subscription (a la Sony’s PlayStation Plus) to access their digital goods downloaded through Elite. Premium Elite memberships also allow players to take part in daily competitions for virtual and real prizes—iPads, for example. Activision says these competitions “aren’t just for the pros.” Players of all skill levels can take part, they say, with competition matches “managed and refereed by real people 24/7.” The premium subscription fee also lets players level up their Elite clans through specific challenges. Leveling up one’s clan unlocks virtual items like camouflage for weapons, badges and name tags, even double XP weekends on a clan-by-clan basis. It also includes video storage capacity eight times what a free membership offers, access to “expert strategy and analysis from the best players in the world,” and the ability to watch Elite TV, the premium episodic video content being created by Hollywood talent like Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Tony and Ridley Scott. Bateman and Arnett will deliver “Noob Toob,” which Hirshberg described as “gamers provide the videos, they provide the smack talk.” The Scotts will bring “Friday Night Fights” to Elite TV, a program built from Modern Warfare 3 game footage. Call of Duty Elite’s annual premium membership will cost $49.99 USD, according to Activision. Players will be able to subscribe via Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Store. Activision also expects to sell Elite memberships at GameStop stores. It will also include one year of premium Elite membership to players who purchase the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 “Hardened Edition,” Activision confirmed. Call of Duty Elite, currently available in beta form as a web-based client, will also come to consoles (Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3) and mobile devices (iPhone, iPad and Android). I got a chance to preview the Elite interface for the Xbox 360—a free downloadable application, I’m told, just like the mobile versions—and found it identical to the web interface. Elite’s mobile apps may feature less functionality than the full-sized versions, but Hirshberg promises iOS and Android versions will still be “deep and rich.” Call of Duty Elite launches wide on November 8 alongside the release of Modern Warfare 3. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by Luke Plunkett @ Kotaku.com. Say what you will of the basketcase this franchise’s singleplayer has become, one thing it still does very well is multiplayer. Which, you know, is the reason 95% of people buying this game buy this game. So…it doesn’t really need a trailer at all! But thanks for making one anyway, Activision. Appreciate it. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by Kirk Hamilton @ Kotaku.com. In preparation for the November 15th launch of Ubisoft’s upcoming open-world stealth/action/swarthiness-simulator Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, the publisher will be running a multiplayer beta for the game from September 3-11th. However, the beta is exclusive to Playstation Plus members as well as “select Playstation 3 Uplay members.” Multiplayer in the new title will be much the same as the surprisingly enjoyable cat-and-mouse of last year’s Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, though with the expected number of new modes and maps. More information can be found at Ubisoft’s official Revelations beta webpage. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...

Story by Joel Johnson @ Kotaku.com. I’ve never been one for buying consoles painted with a single game, but this year’s Call of Duty Xbox is relatively understated. Pardon the copy-and-paste press release, but really, what else is there to say? Prepare for Domination with the Xbox 360® Limited Edition Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare 3® Console, Wireless Headset with Bluetooth and Wireless Controller Wheels up this Fall in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand UAVs don’t scare you. You laugh in the face of helicopter strikes. You think proximity mines are for rookies. And Prestige? Please, old news. Prepare for the launch of the Xbox 360® Limited Edition Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Console. Xbox, Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games teamed up to create a “Call of Duty” collectible, just in time for the most epic “Call of Duty” experience yet. Aside from its (air)striking good looks, the console will play unmistakable “Call of Duty” sounds when powering up and when the tray is opened. This must-have for “Call of Duty” fans worldwide includes a customized console with graphics from the game, along with two custom wireless controllers, a 320GB hard drive, a copy of “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3,” as well as custom sounds when the console is turned on. A one month Xbox LIVE Gold subscription to Xbox LIVE is included so you can play to your heart’s content, as well as exclusive avatar items that show your Xbox LIVE friends you’re one of the lucky ones to own this coveted console. The console will launch on November 8, 2011 in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and EMEA for $399 (U.S. ERP), and you can pre-order today at participating retailers. At 320GB, the console has the largest hard drive ever available for Xbox 360, with more than enough space to download and save game add-ons, downloadable content, games, music, photos, videos and movies. While “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3″ does not support Kinect functionality, all Xbox 360 consoles are Kinect-ready for when you’re ready to take a break from the battlefield. In addition to the console, Xbox 360 will be releasing two limited edition accessories, both shipping to stores October 11: · The Xbox 360® Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Wireless Headset with Bluetooth provides the ability to chat with friends during multi-player game play or with Bluetooth®-enabled mobile phones, PCs and other devices. Its artwork matches the custom console and includes a charging cradle, ear loop, ear gels, and an Xbox LIVE token for an exclusive download for $69.99 (U.S. ERP). o Users can chat without wires on Xbox LIVE and easily switch between Xbox 360 mode and Bluetooth mode. Use the headset with Bluetooth®-enabled mobile phones, PCs and other devices. The Xbox 360® Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Wireless Headset with Bluetooth is the comfortable, hands-free way to keep the conversations going. · The Xbox 360® Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Wireless Controller allows you to show all your friends your passion for the franchise. The controller includes exclusive artwork and a transforming D-pad that can be rotated to adapt to the user’s game play, as well as an Xbox LIVE token for an exclusive download, all for $59.99 (U.S. ERP). For more information on the Xbox 360® Limited Edition Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Console and accessories, visit http://www.xbox.com and visit MajorNelson.com for a video. Score: 0 (0 votes cast) More...