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Star Wars: The Old Republic – Rise of the Hutt Cartel First Look Video

BioWare and LucasArts have unveiled the “First Look” video for Star Wars: The Old Republic’s new digital expansion – Rise of the Hutt Cartel.

In addition, players can now pre-order Rise of the Hutt Cartel to receive in-game rewards including an exclusive title and two new in-game items once the digital expansion launches:

• The Dr. Oggurobb Hutt Holostatue: Train under the illustrious Hutt scientist Dr. Oggurobb with this portable training device that he created in his own image.
• “Scourge of the Hutts” Title: Republic and Imperial forces that adorn this title will be revered across the galaxy.
• The Makrin Seedling Mini-Pet: Get your very own Makrin Seedling to follow you around and creep out your enemies! Possessing bark-like skin and grass-like nerve-rich tissues that blend in perfectly with Makeb’s environment, the Makrin Seedling has a distinguishing and eerie look!

Terraria – Console Trailer

Ahead of the release of Terraria on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade next month, 505 Games has released a new trailer that shows off the new console controls, 4 player split screen, 8 player multiplayer and all new content including: maps, weapons and armor, enemies, and more.

Resident Evil Revelations Coming to Consoles and PC

Capcom today confirmed that Resident Evil Revelations will release at retail for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii U on May 21st. The title will also be available to download digitally on PlayStation 3 and PC on May 21st, with digital versions for Xbox 360 and Wii U to follow.

The console version of Resident Evil Revelations will deliver additional content including a new enemy, extra difficulty mode and improvements to Raid Mode such as new weapons, skill sets and the opportunity to play as Hunk and other characters from the series. Raid Mode, which was first introduced to the series in the original version of Resident Evil Revelations, sees gamers play online in co-op mode or alone in single player taking on the hordes of enemies across a variety of missions whilst leveling up characters and earning weapon upgrades.

Nintendo Unveils Future Plans for Wii U

Nintendo President Satoru Iwata unleashed Wii U news in an installment of Nintendo Direct today as he outlined Nintendo’s future plans for the console. The many announcements included:

Game News

• Two Zelda Games: Eiji Aonuma, the producer of The Legend of Zelda series, revealed two entries in the series for Wii U.
• Super Mario is on His Way: The Nintendo EAD Tokyo Software Development team that created the Super Mario Galaxy games for Wii and Super Mario 3D Land for Nintendo 3DS is working on a new 3D Mario action game for Wii U. The game is scheduled to be playable at this year’s E3.
• Racing Ahead: Nintendo is also working on a new installment of the Mario Kart franchise. This game is also planned to be playable at E3.
• Yarn Yoshi: The team that created Kirby’s Epic Yarn is hard at work on the first console game to feature Yoshi as the main character since 1998’s Yoshi’s Story for Nintendo 64. Takashi Tezuka, director of Yoshi’s Island and Yoshi’s Story, is supervising the development of the new game, which is set in a fanciful world of yarn and textiles.
• Wii Fit U Communities: New features coming to Wii Fit U include letting players create user communities on Miiverse from within the game. Community members can discuss exercises, BMI or weight changes and other health topics with other players as a way to encourage one another to reach their fitness goals. Similar functionality for other games is also planned.
• Pikmin 3 Photos: The upcoming Pikmin 3 game includes a feature that lets players use the Wii U GamePad as a camera to share the same perspective as Pikmin and take close-up pictures of landscapes and creatures in the game and share them in Miiverse.
• The Party Continues: A new instalment in the Wii Party franchise is planned to launch this summer. The game features various play styles, including one that lets both players compete head-to-head using just the GamePad.
• RPG Mash-up: Nintendo and Atlus are working on a collaboration that features the Fire Emblem and Shin-Megami Tensei franchises.
• A New Game from Monolith Soft: Tetsuya Takahashi and the team at Monolith Soft that worked on Xenoblade Chronicles for Wii are working on a new game.
• More on the Way: The Wonderful 101 and Game & Wario are scheduled to launch in the first half of 2013. Bayonetta 2 and the new Super Smash Bros. installments are still on the way, but will need more development time before details can be revealed.

Virtual Console

• Virtual Console for Wii U: A spring system update will add Virtual Console software to Nintendo eShop on Wii U. The service will launch right after the spring update and will include a selection of NES and Super NES games, with Game Boy Advance games to be added in the future. The prices for NES and Super NES Virtual Console games for Wii U will be the same as they were for the Virtual Console on Wii. People who have already purchased the Wii version of a certain NES or Super NES Virtual Console game and transferred it to their Wii U console can buy the enhanced Wii U version of the same game for the reduced price of $0.99 for NES games and $1.49 for Super NES games.
• Classic Games for 30 Pence: To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of the Famicom in Japan (which was known as the NES in North America), Nintendo is making one NES or Super NES game available each month now through to July at the anniversary price of just $0.30. Each game will be available at that price for 30 days, and the first is the NES game Balloon Fight, which is now available in the Nintendo eShop for Wii U.

Social and System Enhancements

• Miiverse Expands to Smartphones: Starting this spring, people will be able to browse Miiverse from their smartphones. Initially the experience will be browser-based, but Nintendo plans to create a dedicated Miiverse app in the future.
• System Updates: Two major updates are on the way, one in the spring and one in the summer. The updates will introduce a wide range of functionality, such as Virtual Console capabilities and shortening the time it takes users to launch software or return to the menu screen.

The Cave Released

Sega, in partnership with Double Fine Productions, today announced the digital release of the new adventure game, The Cave, available now for download on PlayStation Network, Nintendo eShop for Wii U, Xbox Live Arcade and Steam.

The Cave is a new adventure game from Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion creator Ron Gilbert. Players can assemble their team of three from seven unlikely adventurers, each with their own unique personalities and stories, and then descend into the mysterious depths of The Cave.

Crysis 3 Multiplayer Beta Coming Next Week

Electronic Arts and Crytek today announced an open multiplayer beta for Crysis 3 will be available starting January 29th for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. Including two team-based modes and two maps, the beta will give players an opportunity to master the superpowers of the Nanosuit. The multiplayer beta will be available for two weeks before Crysis 3 launches on February 19th.

Beginning on January 29 and ending on February 12, the Crysis 3 multiplayer beta will feature two of the eight modes included in Crysis 3. In Crash Site, players must secure and defend specific locations, earning points along the way for kills and their ability to hold those locations. The all-new Hunter mode makes its debut in Crysis 3. This asymmetrical, time based mode pits two players vs. ten (two vs. 14 on PC) in matches that begin with two cloaked hunters stalking 10 opposing CELL troopers. Armed only with enhanced Nanosuits and the Predator bow, hunters must stalk and kill the CELL operatives, who in turn must work together as a team as they fight to stay alive before the round ends. The twist is that once a CELL trooper is killed, that player will then respawn as a hunter, joining the others in their attempt to eliminate the remaining CELL operatives before the clock strikes zero. The Crysis 3 multiplayer beta will also showcase two of the game’s twelve maps, Airport and Museum.

Also included in the Crysis 3 multiplayer beta is the New York Feed, a brand new in-game social feed that will showcase the accomplishments of gamers and their friends while offering dynamic challenges to complete. Crysis 3 multiplayer also contains new gameplay features including Rip & Throw, which allows players to interact with the elements of the environment to use as weapons or shields as well as the chance to control the Pinger, an alien tripod war machine.

NCAA Football Cover Vote Down to Eight Schools

EA Sports today announced the eight finalists for the NCAA Football Cover Vote. Below are the schools advancing into the round of eight:

1. Alabama
2. Texas A&M
3. Michigan
4. Ohio State
5. Oregon
6. Notre Dame
7. Georgia
8. Florida State

Voting for the next round begins today on the NCAA Football Facebook page, in an effort to trim the eight schools to four.

Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen Details Revealed

Following the announcement of Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen last year, Capcom today confirmed details about this expansion. Scheduled for release April 23rd on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen will be available as both a physical disc and a full game digital download, delivering a brand new area, missions, enemies and more.

Just off the Gransys mainland is the cursed Bitterblack Isle where gamers will embark on an all-new quest to discover an underground realm, complete with new foes and treasure. Owners of the original Dragon’s Dogma will be able to export their existing characters and all other saved data to continue their journey as the Arisen, and face a new threat that has emerged from the cavernous depths. Players will be able to take their characters to new heights with brand new high-level skills and augments as well as all new weapons and armor sets. Furthermore, owners of the original Dragon’s Dogma will receive 100,000 Rift Crystals, unlimited Ferrystones and the Gransys Armour Pack consisting of six brand new costumes for free, upon purchasing Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen.

For those that missed Dragon’s Dogma the first time around, Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen provides the opportunity to start their journey from the very beginning before tackling the all-new content.

Based on player feedback, Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen will add to Dragon’s Dogma gameplay experience with improvements such as easier travel and a more intuitive menu system. For those who already own Dragon’s Dogma and then purchase Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen, these improvements will be automatically retrofitted to their original game save data.

So, what does Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen deliver? All of the content from the original Dragon’s Dogma plus:

• A massive new underground realm to explore featuring over 25 new enemies
• More skills/equipment/augments:
  • Level 3 Skills
  • Over 100 pieces of new equipment
  • 14 new character/Pawn augments
  • New tiers of equipment enhancement
• And there’s more:
  • Increased character customization options
  • Item appraisal
  • Option to select Japanese voice over

Eye-Brawl and Thumpback Join Skylanders Giants

Activision today introduced two new characters for Skylanders Giants — Eye-Brawl and Thumpback. Eye-Brawl, an endead element giant, and Thumpback, a water element giant, are new giants that bring the roster to seven currently available giants characters.

StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm – Opening Cinematic

Blizzard Entertainment has released the opening cinematic for StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm. The expansion arrives March 12th.