God of War: Ascension single-player demo arrives February 26, and here's how to get early access

So play another game to get early access to THIS game

Looks like the God of War: Ascension single-player demo has been dated. Expect this early look at the upcomingGod of War on February 26, but hey, if that's too long for you, there's a way to try the game even earlier. A week earlier, even.

If you'd rather play the game on February 20 than February 26, just participate in Sony's little God of War social experience, titled Rise of the Warrior. It's a bit like an interactive graphic novel you can take part in, along with others, and learn the story that leads up to Ascension. It's probably a lot easier said than done though, since playing the thing only gives you a chance to net an early access code. Here're a few points Sony laid out:

• The official global-wide release date of our Ascension Single-Player demo has not been officially announced yet. You will know the date soon.
• The Early Demo Access date will be THIS MONTH and a "worthwhile" time prior to the wide release - you deserve it
• Everyone who earns Early Demo Access from Rise of the Warrior will receive their promo codes on the same exact dayEarly Demo Access codes will be distributed via your Rise of the Warrior account right here at GodofWar.com. You will get your code here, not through email.

Now in addition to that chance at gaining early access to the demo, the social game also allows players to unlock a number of items for Ascension's multiplayer, which you can check out below. Going by Sony's description on the website, it sounds like the more you do in Rise of the Warrior, the more bonus rewards you'll unlike, such as that early access code.

Steam for Linux officially available, celebrates with a sale of 50 games

Save 50-75% for one week

Good news for the Linux faithful, as Steam is now officially available on the open source OS. The Linux client had been in a closed beta and then an open one over the past few months, but now everyone running Ubuntu 12.04 and higher. Steam can be downloaded from the Ubuntu Software Center. To celebrate the official launch, Valve is discounting more than 50 Linux games between 50 and 75% until Thursday, February 21, at 10AM PST.

Games such as FTL: Faster Than Light, Bastion, World of Goo, Crusader Kings II, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, and, of course, Half-Life 1 are among some of the 50 titles discounted. Serious Sam 3: BFE, Penumbra: Black Plague, and Penumbra: Overture are even 80% off, so there's really no reason to pass up any of these games. Any Linux user who hops into the free-to-play Team Fortress 2 can even gain an exclusive in-game version of Tux, the famous penguin mascot. He's only available for a limited time, so be sure to get him fast.

Canonical's Director of Consumer Applications, David Pitkin, had the following to say on Steam for Linux:

The introduction of Steam to Ubuntu demonstrates growing demand for open systems from gamers and game developers. We expect a growing number of game developers to include Ubuntu among their target platforms. We’re looking forward to seeing AAA games developed with Ubuntu in mind as part of a multi-platform day and date release on Steam.

In addition to bringing Steam over, Valve has also included Big Picture mode with the Linux client. This is perfect for anyone with an Ubuntu-powered HTPC in their living room, as it immediately grants access to Steam in a format designed for big screen TVs and game controllers.

Fire Emblem: Awakening demo available January 17, plus plans for downloadable maps

In addition to StreetPass, SpotPass and all the jazz

Hooray! Instead of having to wait the the entire remaining three and a half weeks until Fire Emblem: Awakening's release date, Nintendo and Intelligent Systems have put together a demo for us that will be available January 17. Only one week away! In addition, Nintendo has gone over plans to release a variety of content though assort means, such as standard in-game DLC, StreetPass and SpotPass. Considering how long it usually takes to get new Fire Emblem games, DLC will be welcome.

Fire Emblem: Awakening will periodically release maps for purchase and download, the first of which will be available at launch. The first of which will be free for a limited time, likely to persuade fans to buy the game early without the negative connotation of preorder DLC. These maps will have varying price points depending on size and scale.

SpotPass and StreetPass will both have implementation, as well. Nintendo will release free maps through SpotPassfrom time to time, with new stories, characters and items available. StreetPass will allow players to swap 10-man team information, and friends' teams will appear randomly in maps to battle against or make purchases from.

Expect Fire Emblem: Awakening's 3DS debut on February 4, or check out the demo on January 17 (next week). I ... think it looks good. It's hard to tell from a 10 second trailer.

Pokemon X and Pokemon Y are the next evolution of the Pokemon world, coming to 3DS October 2013

Introducing Chespin, Fennekin and Froakie

Good morning, everyone! I hope the wait wasn't too excruciating. I'm excited to reveal the announcement o fPokemon X and Pokemon Y, two new evolutions in the Pokemon franchise coming to the 3DS worldwide in October 2013. Yes, worldwide! Pokemon's first global release. "Your new 3D Pokemon adventure is about to begin."

Humble THQ Bundle arrives with Metro 2033, Company of Heroes, and others

Steam and Windows-only, however

A new Humble Bundle has arrived and instead of a selection of fine indie games, this one is full of AAA titles. The Humble THQ Bundle has launched, with a name your own price for Metro 2033, Company of Heroes, CoH: Opposing Fronts, CoH: Tales of Valor, Darksiders, and Red Faction: Armageddon. Anyone who beats the average also gets a copy of Saints Row: The Third. How's that for a bundle?

The only caveat is all of these titles are Steam and Windows-only, so Mac and Linux gamers are left on the side. Still, five games plus DRM-free soundtracks for any price is a hard deal to pass up for Windows gamers. The average to beat for SR3 is $5.17 at press time, so that means six fantastic games for a little more than a Lincoln.

Proceeds can go directly to Child's Play, the American Red Cross, THQ, the Humble Bundle team, or any combination of the four. There are a little over 13 days remaining to pick up this bundle, so don't delay too much. The eerie depths of the Russian Metro, Mars, war-torn Europe, and other locales can only sit idle for so long.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skryim's latest DLC trailer introduces the first Dragonborn

You didn't think you were the only one?

Bethesda's latest trailer marks the official announcement of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim's latest add-on,Dragonborn. Teased last Friday and leaked a few weeks earlier than that, Dragonborn returns Elder Scrolls faithful to the island of Solstheim, first shown in The Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon. Dragonborn isn't about an island, however, it's about a person. Specifically, it's about the first Dragonborn.

All we're shown of this first Dragonborn is a mask to accompany this small introduction:

LucasArts goes Disney as the multinational acquires Lucasfilm for over $4 billion

Will LucasArts go the way of Black Rock Studio?

The Walt Disney Disney Company has made another huge acquisition, following up their purchase of Marvel in 2009 with Star Wars and Indiana Jones film production company Lucasfilm. Included in the deal is Lucasfilm subsidiaryLucasArts, the game development studio behind The Curse of Monkey Island, Sam and Max, and dozens of Star Wars games. What this means for the future of LucasArts is unknown, but hopefully it doesn't turn into a Black Rock Studio scenario.

LucasArts is currently neck deep in the development of Star Wars 1313, the sexy, gritty, Unreal Engine 3 project revealed during E3 this year. Considering how involved Lucasfilm is in the development of the project, on top ofLucasArts recent leadership changes, just how the acquisition will affect the studio is up the air. Hopefully there are no dramatic consequences, but a comment from the studio could go a long way.

What Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm means for the greater Star Wars franchise and films (Star Wars 7 promised in 2015) is a discussion better left for the comments. In terms of gaming, however, the possibilities are very exciting. What will Disney want to do with all of those classic adventure games? Will they encourage the resurrection of fan-favorite Star Wars franchises? Or will LucasArts carry on relatively independently? 

Team Meat of Super Meat Boy fame announces their next game, Mew-Genics

It's a game about cats... kinda

Oh, Team Meat, is it fair to question your sanity and sobriety at this point? Over the weekend Team Meat, of Super Meat Boy fame, announced the next title they are developing -- Mew-Genics. The title is a combination of two terms: mew, a sound that an adorable kitty cat might make, and eugenics, the science of improving the genetic make-up of a population. Oh dear, this is going to be a dangerous game in the hands of Team Meat.

Edmund, half of the Team Meat pair, promised that they're moving fast on Mew-Genics and will start talking platforms and gameplay soon. He also provided a brief summary of the game:

"Mew-Genics is by far the strangest project I've ever worked on.. and that's saying something. Tommy and i are very happy with how development has been going on it and decided that Mew-Genics will be the next official Team Meat game. We don't want to spoil too much here, but we can say the game will be randomly generated, strange and involve cats. 

It's something, isn't it, when Team Meat says they're working on a project stranger than any other of theirs. Especially when their last game was about a boy with no skin chasing after a fetus in a fishbowl wearing a top hat and monocle.

Don't fret, Super Meat Boy fans. Edmund also takes a moment to promise they're still hard at work on a new Super Meat Boy for iOS and PC. When you're a two person development team, sometimes you need to take a break and make a game about cat eugenics, is all...  hmm. Look forward to more news on Mew-Genics soon, ya crazies.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Wii U Edition will include DLC characters unlocked

Not too surprising anymore

Whenever Tekken Tag Tournament 2 arrives for Wii U, the game will already have DLC characters and stages from the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions unlocked. So confirms producer Katsuhiro Harada during a private Namco Bandai event this week.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Wii U Edition already bundles in some extra content, but Harada felt that all versions should have access to the same characters. During the event, he also downplayed the recently discovered content found on the Xbox 360 disc, noting that "not all the content [Namco Bandai] bplanned for the PS3 and 360 has been revealed yet, so there's still some stuff left."

Namco Bandai certainly aren't the only company trying to lure gamers to Wii U versions of previously released games this way. BioWare and EA are doing the same with Mass Effect 3 on Wii U, which will include an extrasquad member and associated content that is otherwise available only through Collector's Edition or as paid DLC.

Company of Heroes 2 Collector's Edition is $100, Steam pre-orders include Team Fortress 2 hats

Skins, hats, Digital Collector's Edition detailed

THQ has announced a digital special edition of Company of Heroes 2, the RTS from Relic coming out next year, plus a number of pre-order bonuses for the especially eager gamers out there.

For most participating retailers, the pre-order bonus entails two vehicle skins for medium weight vehicles -- the German Rotbraun and Soviet Leningrad -- in addition to beta access during closed beta.

As for Steam, folks who reserve the game there will enrolled in the "Steam Pre-Purchase Tiered Reward Program." That basically entails unlocks for Team Fortress 2 and Dawn of War II.

For Origin pre-orders, you'll get all "global pre-order incentives," with an exclusive Soviet Bryansk Front vehicle skin for heavy vehicles.

Pre-order from THQ and you'll get the same stuff as all other pre-orders, plus the Command Pass, which grants players a download of the new bonus multiplayer maps and take part in members-only events. For everyone else, the Command Pass will be purchasable after the game is out.

If you're looking at the Digital Collector's Edition, that'll be $100 total, but you do get the first three single-player "Content Packs" whenever they come out. On top of that, there's the Command Pass mentioned above, the exclusive heavy German Whitewash and Soviet Winter Cobblestone tank skins, a Veteran badge to display, and the original Company of Heroes with both expansions.

The Humble Indie Bundle 6 is here, pay what you want for Torchlight, Dustforce and more

Beat the average and also get Dustforce

Did the summer video game slump just end or what? The Humble Indie Bundle 6 has just gone live and it's as good as ever, packaging up six epic games that will make everyone say, "Why did I ever spend $60 on a game ever before in my life?" We've got action role-playing game Torchlight (Torchlight II releases on Thursday), action-platformer Rochard, puzzle-platformer Vessel, Breakout style paddle game Shatter, top-down space combat gameSpace Pirates and Zombies, and if you beat the average the indie hit Dustforce is also included. The summer drought is officially over.

As always, pay whatever you want to acquire five of the games, but you'll have to beat the average (currently rushing past $5) to get Dustforce too. And of course, you can split your payment in-between the developers, charity and a Humble Bundle tip. Each title is supported on PC, Mac and Linux...  err, well Vessel still needs like 24-72 hours to wrap up their porting code. Plus, each of their soundtracks is included as well!

If you're interested, head on over to the Humble Bundle website and check out what they're selling yourself. Or, we've got the official Humble Bundle trailer below, too. Oh, and if previous Humble Bundles are good examples, expect some extra goodies to be added sometime between now and 14 days from now when the Humble Bundle 6 expires.

Black Mesa released, return to Gordon Freeman's humble origins

It's not Half-Life 3, but it's still pretty sweet

Black Mesa has been officially released by the aptly named Black Mesa Modifcation team. The Source Engine upgraded version of Half-Life isn't yet available through Steam, but the developer's website has multiple options for download (it's just a little borked right now). The best part is, the modification is completely free! In order to playBlack Mesa Steam will have to installed, as well as as the Source SDK Base 2007 which is also free. Everyone should be crackin' crabs with a crowbar in no time.

In development since 2004, Black Mesa's goals have been to create a modernized Half-Life built on the Source Engine that fans could be proud of. It won't be the first time Half-Life was ported to Source, Valve did that themselves with Half-Life Source in 2004. The Valve port was met with mild dismay that Half-Life hadn't been upgraded to the extent it could have been. At the time, even Gabe Newell acknowledged the port's faults, but insisted the fan community would inevitably create a superior product -- and how.

One of the most anticipated modifications in years, Black Mesa was quickly voted one of the first titles to be accepted through Steam's Greenlight system. Play the classic Half-Life, updated for a modern audience, right now. Nihilanth, the G-Man, and head-crabs small and Gonarch await. 

Nintendo Wii U's North American release date is November 18, base price $299

Beating Japan's Wii U Release date by half a month

During Nintendo's live Wii U event, Reggie Fils-Aime started the show with his biggest reveal: the Nintendo Wii will release on November 18, 2012. It will come in two different bundles, a basic bundle that is colored white, and a premium bundle that is colored white. The first will cost $299 and the latter will cost $349. BAM. Reggie doesn't hold back with that junk; Reggie delivers.

The white, Basic, set will include the following:

• Wii U console
• Wii U GamePad
• AC adapter
• HDMI cable
• Sensor bar

The black, Deluxe set will have all of the content of the Basic set and:

• Extra storage memory
• GamePad charging cradle
• Stands for GamePad and Console
• NintendoLand game 
• Digital Deluxe Promotion

What is the Digital Deluxe Promotion, you may ask. A special service that will reward digital purchases with point that can later be used for more purchases. Reggie promises more on top of this, so expect more details soon. 

The conference is just beginning, so expect more information soon.

Quick note, the European and Australian release date for the Wii U has been confirmed to be November 30, between the North American release date and Japan's on December 8.

Final 'Professor Layton' game releasing 2013

A new Professor Layton game is coming next year. DubbedProfessor Layton and the Legacy of the Super Civilization, it will have new types of puzzles, which could be 'more visual' than in previous games, if Siliconera's impressions are anything to go by.

Legacy will mark the sixth straight up entry in the series, and also the final one, according to Level-5 CEO Akihiko Hino. The games have sold 13 million copies in total as of March 2012.

The fifth game is of course Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask, and is due for North America this year.

Help bring Medabots 7 overseas

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Metal Gear Solid 4 Trophy patch goes live

Patch also offers full installation option

Kojima Productions has released the Trophy patch for Metal Gear Solid 4.

The PlayStation 3 exclusive released back in June 2008, so it's been a long wait for fans who yearned for Trophy support. The patch is now live worldwide and it's around a 9 GB install.

A total of 34 Trophies are included in the patch, which also delivers an option to fully install the game. Before, players had to wait at the beginning of each chapter in order for it to install, but the new option allows players to install all of the chapters in one go. Due to this, it'll also apparently deliver "quick loading times".

A budget-priced version of the game, which includes both the Trophy update and the full installation option, will be released this month in Japan.

NiGHTS into Dreams HD remake confirmed with trailer, due in fall

Coming to PSN, XBLA, and Steam

Looks like that NiGHTS into Dreams HD remake is really happening, and we've got a trailer to prove it. Earlier this week, SEGA released a teaser image to Facebook showing familiar scenery taken from the original NiGHTS into Dreams; today, they've confirmed the HD redo with an announcement video.

Right now, the remake is expected to arrive on PSN, XBLA, and Steam for PC in the fall. Surprisingly, SEGA Japan hasn't given any official word on the Japanese release, but we're thinking it'll be about the same time.

Check the new trailer for a rundown of features and a long look at all the new, enhanced graphics. Still looks like what you'd expect from a SEGA Saturn remake, but still, it's the nostalgia that counts.

Announcement trailer - YouTube

NiGHTS into Dreams is just the latest in a series of HD re-releases from SEGA. Space Channel 5 was the first, followed by Crazy Taxi and Jet Set Radio.

Skyrim: Dawnguard DLC available on Xbox 360

The rest of you: wait a month

The tentatively exclusive Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dawnguard DLC is now available on Xbox LIVE; hit the source to download away.

Dead or Alive 5 Collector’s Edition Comes With Art Book And Swimsuit Costumes

Dead or Alive 5 is getting a GameStop-exclusive collector’s edition, as well as pre-order benefits for those that decide to pre-order the game through either GameStop or Amazon. Tecmo Koei announced details on both fronts this morning.

Pre-ordering Dead or Alive 5 at GameStop or Amazon will get you a set of in-game bunny-style swimsuits for three of the game’s female characters. GameStop pre-orders come with a “DOA Angels” set of white swimsuits for Kasumi, Leifang and Hitomi. Meanwhile, Amazon pre-orders come with a “DOA Devils” set of black swimsuits for Christie, Tina and Ayane.

The collector’s edition is more grand. If you buy the collector’s edition at GameStop, you’ll get exclusive swimsuit costumes for every female character in the game, along with a hardcover art book and a soundtrack CD. Also included will be a poster, and the entire package will come in an embossed steel case for $80.

Tecmo Koei haven’t released images of the pre-order or collector’s editions of the game yet (just the image above), but we’ll keep a lookout for when they do. Dead or Alive 5 will be released on September 25th in North America.

Team Fortress 2 update teases something Pyro related, plus Adult Swim collab

In a rather unexpected update to its Team Fortress 2 blog, Valve is teasing something Pyro related for this coming Monday, June 25.

Today's blog post, though brief, features the Pyro's unique muffled manner of speech, which the community has already managed to decipher using Morse code.