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'Unreal Tournament 3' didn't launch to the nigh-universal praise of its 2004 precedecessor -- it had to contend with critics ragging on its ho-hum bots and general lack of ingenuity. But if you steered clear of UT3 the first time around, you might want to take a second look this weekend.

Yesterday, Epic Games released the "Titan Pack" -- a massive DLC overhaul of the game that adds new levels, game types, weapons, Steam achievements, AI and UI improvements, and the ability to morph into that fifteen-foot-tall rocket-launching beast you see immediately above -- for free on Windows PC. Read the rest...

Is Ubisoft's "Prince of Persia Epilogue" DLC worth your $10? That depends on what you're looking for. Read the rest...

Online video game rental service GameFly has extended its "universe into the physical world" with the opening of its first rental kiosk, the "G-Box," on the campus of Texas Tech University. Similar to the DVD-rental vending machines currently available in grocery stores and kwik-e-marts across the country, the G-Box kiosk instantly dispenses video games without any of the hassles of human interaction. Renters can browse hundreds of titles by genre or console, swipe their credit cards and receive bacon. Rented games can be kept indefinitely without due dates or late fees, but incur a daily charge ranging from $1.99 per day for Wii games to $2.49 per day for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 games. According to campus newspaper The Daily Toreador, the G-Box will also offer a rent-to-own option.

GameFly says it plans to install G-Box kiosks at colleges and universities nationwide.

[Daily Toreador via Kotaku]

Today, with absolutely no fanfare (no press release, no Major Nelson spotlight and a surprisingly low mention on this week's PlayStation Store update), Ubisoft has released the "Prince of Persia Epilogue" DLC on Xbox LIVE Arcade and PlayStation Network.

$10 (or 800 Microsoft Points) will buy you the game's true ending and an estimated three additional hours of gameplay.

If the unusual lack of press surrounding this hotly anticipated update makes you wary, then feel free to hold off on your purchase -- we'll have thorough impressions of the DLC for you to read tomorrow morning.

Update: Those impressions are now available right here.

On March 9, game journalists stationed in Montreal will attend a presentation by EA's Alain Tascan. On March 16, their embargo will lift, and they will likely provide you with full details about an heretofore unannounced game developed at EA Montreal.

But we've already got a pretty good idea of what they'll be showing, because viral marketers at EA have begun targeting certain individuals with "Army of Two" T-shirts and the acronym "TFD" -- and a variety of foreign game websites list the existence of a product dubbed "Army of Two: 40th Day."

The last, but not least major hint is this website, in whose source code PlayStation Lifestyle not only found the phrase "ARMYOFTWOTFD" and the development studio acronym "EAM," but also the phrase: "Army to Two. The definitive third person co-op shooter is back."

[via Army of Two Forums, Joystiq]

GameStop CEO Dan DeMatteo has responded to the launch of internet mega-retailer Amazon's used game trade-in program. In an interview with Edge Online, DeMatteo placed the probability of Amazon's success with the program squarely at zero.

Read the rest...

There's something in the sea... and it smells like viral marketing. Today, 2K Games has launched a teaser website for "BioShock 2: Sea of Dreams," complete with antiquated world map, missing child poster, and a picture of what looks like a Big Daddy voodoo doll -- with a corkscrew-thimble drill on his right hand, and a baseball studded with thumbtacks for a head.

The map currently points out the country of Ireland, dating one particular spot 2/20/67. The original "BioShock" took place in the year 1960.

No doubt further marks and thumbtacked items will appear on the map during the weeks and months to come.

The website appears legit -- domain name servers for the teaser site point to 2K Games and Rockstar, and a moderator on the 2K Forums is currently directing users to the page.

Update: An astute Kotaku reader found that 2K Games is teasing their viral website in real life as well.

[Somethinginthesea.com via Chris Remo's Twitter]

"It's not a Rock Band game, it's a Beatles game," said Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos in late October.

But today, Apple Corps, MTV Games and Harmonix announced that their hotly-anticipated music game will be both. "The Beatles: Rock Band" will arrive in stores worldwide on Sept. 9, for Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii, at a $60 price point.

Limited edition bundles, including special peripherals "modeled after instruments used by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr throughout their career" will be available for $250, and standalone "The Beatles: Rock Band" guitars for $100, on the very same day.

However, existing music game lovers won't necessarily need new instruments to play. Harmonix has announced that "Beatles" will be compatible with all existing "Rock Band" hardware, and a selection of  "other current music-based video game peripherals," likely referring to the peripherals for rival "Guitar Hero."

Developer Harmonix says that the title will be "an unprecedented, experimental progression through and celebration of the music and artistry of The Beatles." Giles Martin, co-producer on The Beatles' "LOVE" album, will serve as music producer on the game.

You can find a sparse official website for "The Beatles: Rock Band" right here; but if you're interested in hints and details about what to expect from the new game, you'd probably be better served reading our teleconference report from October.

[press release via The Beatles Official Website]

Didn't get your fill of Vin Diesel while controlling drones in yesterday's "Riddick: Dark Athena" demo? Today, you can take him out for another joyride with a 1.31GB demo of "The Wheelman," available now on Xbox LIVE Arcade and coming to PlayStation Network March 12.

The demo reportedly features "a sample of the Wheelman story mode," as well as two of the game's 105 side missions. The full game is currently slated for March 24 in the North America, and March 27 in Europe.

But if you're an Xbox 360 owner, don't go away -- there's even more free gameplay available today. XBLA also received the 911MB "Wanted: Weapons of Fate" demo this morning, featuring all the tutorial levels and parts one and two of the game's Airplane level, and a demo of "WWE Legends of Wrestlemania."

Both "Wanted" and "WWE Legends" demos were spotted on the European PlayStation Network today, so expect them on North America's PSN soon as well.

After a month's delay, Bethesda's next "Fallout 3" DLC "The Pitt" has finally been given a release date of Tuesday, March 24. The DLC will be available for download for 800 Microsoft Points ($10) on both the Xbox Live Marketplace and Games for Windows Live.

Additionally, Bethesda has released three new screens for "The Pitt," which sees the "Fallout 3" protagonist journeying to the steel yards and ruins of a post-apocalyptic Pittsburgh, PA.

[Fallout Official Site]

Internet mega-retailer Amazon.com is the latest company to make a foray into the pre-owned games market, following in the footsteps of Toys R Us with the beta-test launch of its Video Games Trade-In service.

To promote the service's launch, Amazon is currently offering a 10% discount on a single video game or accessory purchase to users who trade in a game before March 19th. For the gist of Amazon's new trade-in service, see the graphic above or check out the Video Games Trade-In page

Could Amazon be poised to break GameStop's stranglehold on the used game market? It will likely depend on the ease-of-use of Amazon's trade-in/mail-in process and the rapidity with which funds are deposited into user accounts. Whereas Amazon users must wait for their games to ship and be processed before receiving compensation, GameStop provides the instant gratification of in-person transactions at hundreds of brick-and-mortar shops worldwide. However, GameStop's customer service is notoriously both boon and bane for the retailer.

In an interesting side note, Cheap Ass Gamer reports that games traded into the Amazon.com service are actually purchased by third-party merchant NorAm International, a wholesale group specializing in media sales through online storefronts including Half.com, Amazon.com and Alibris.com.

[via Cheap Ass Gamer]

According to MTV Multiplayer, GameStop is currently passing out flyers that show a June 2 release date for "StarCraft II."

Now, when it comes to providing rock-solid video game release dates, GameStop doesn't exactly have a perfect track record. Call it occupational hazard -- games have bugs that need to be ironed out, and marketers have windows of opportunity to meet. Games get delayed all the time, and so the rough estimates GameStop gets from publishers months and years ahead of time rarely match up to reality.

In short, it's not particularly likely that "StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty" will actually ship June 2. 

(Also note: Atari has officially announced "Riddick" will arrive April 7, not April 1.)

But the exact release date of "StarCraft II" isn't what we're getting from this GameStop ad. What we're getting is a good idea of which Blizzard title, out of the three possibilities ("StarCraft II," "Diablo III" and Blizzard's unannounced MMO), is the "one front line release" that Activision Blizzard COO Paul Sams promised would arrive this year.

[MTV Multiplayer]

Following yesterday's announcement that it will remake "A Boy and His Blob" for Wii in celebration of the the NES classic's 20th anniversary, Majesco has released the game's first screens, and they are adorable.
Read the rest...

Fans can officially stop dreaming: there will be no free-to-play relaunch of "Hellgate: London" in the United States.

Although "Hellgate: London" will continue to receive updates created by a US developer, and press releases for those updates will likely continue to appear in English, HanbitSoft global PR manager Janelle Ha today clarified that the company still does not hold the publishing rights for "Hellgate" in either the United States or Europe.

Those publishing rights remain with Namco Bandai, who decided to shut down "Hellgate: London" for good on February 1st.

According to Ha, HanbitSoft can publish "Hellgate: London" in South Korea, and certain other parts of Asia, excluding Japan.

[Game Espresso]

For thirteen years the "Resident Evil" franchise has provided players with countless gallons of blood and gore. Isn't it time you Resi fans gave a little something back?

Read the rest...

Ready to see just how much Butcher Bay has improved since Starbreeze Studios revamped Riddick's prison for the Xbox 360? Too bad -- because the 639MB demo of "The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena" is set on the main deck of the titular Dark Athena starship instead.

Hopefully that won't keep you from picking up the demo, available on Xbox LIVE Arcade today. Atari says it "showcases the evocative art style and breadth of gameplay" available in the full game -- and will let you pilot a Drone (see above).

According to a press release, the PS3 version of the demo is still on its way; we'll see it sometime later in March.

[Atari Press Release]

"Tomb Raider" publisher Eidos has today laid out a tentative schedule for their acquisition by "Final Fantasy" creator Square Enix, according to a release obtained by Britain’s Regulatory News Service (RNS).

Though Eidos' board of directors and upwards of 36% of shareholders are already in favor of the 32 pence per share buyout, Eidos will hold a general meeting on March 27 where the deal will come to a vote.

Should the board obtain the necessary 75% of votes required to approve the transaction, Square Enix will purchase Eidos on April 22, and finalize the deal in May.

[Regulatory News Service]

Looking for information on the new "ExciteBots"? Want final confirmation on WayForward's Wii remake of "A Boy and His Blob"? Are you in need of instruction for the first twenty-three games in the upcoming "Rhythm Heaven" for DS? This month, Nintendo Power's got you covered. Today, they released free digital images of print articles on each of the preceding subjects. You can see them in all their high-res glory by clicking on the thumbnails above and below.

While these images are obviously worlds better than the blurry, pixelated scans one normally finds on the internet, I have to wonder: do these make you want to go out and pick up a copy of Nintendo Power?

[Nintendo Power via Kotaku]

Babel Media -- the game localization and outsourcing company that serves as QA test partner for Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo -- announced it will be "significantly expanding" its Montreal facility, adding to the company's already impressive roster of 350 contract QA testers and 400 in-country translators worldwide.

In addition to the Montreal facility, Babel Media currently holds offices in Brighton, New Delhi and Los Angeles. The Montreal office is the company's most recent addition, but has already seen significant growth since its opening in 2005, with staff size doubling in 2007. Babel Media CEO Richard Leinfeller stated he is delighted to announce the expansion, saying "Babel's expansion will further increase our offering high quality deployment solutions for our clients helping them to improve their profits by giving them the much needed flexibility and allowing them focus on IP generation and exploitation."

News of Babel Media's Montreal expansion follows on the heels of BioWare's announcement just yesterday that it would be forming a new development group within Electronic Arts' Montreal studio.

All of this leads to the inevitable question: What is up with Montreal? Is it a portal to another dimension? The home of an electromagnetic abnormality? Could Montreal be poised to become the next great hub of video games development?

I, for one, welcome our new Quebecois overlords.

[via Gamasutra]

Sony's John Koller has yet to confirm whether or no the next iteration of the PlayStation Portable will have a UMD drive, but he's quite bullish about digital distribution on PSP nonetheless. Today, he told MTV Multiplayer that the company is planning to redouble their efforts on creating and obtaining a catalog of downloadable PSP titles -- including some classics that have never appeared on a PlayStation console.

From the article:

Sony’s internal studios are preparing more internally developed download-only titles.

Sony is working to bring more of its PSOne back catalog to the U.S. market, to catch up with the flood of PSOne releases available digitally in Japan. (”Those are being worked on now,” Koller said. Of the regional disparity, he added: “That’ll change.)”

The company is preparing to being more PS3 PSN titles to PSP for download, in the vein of “Flow” and the upcoming “PixelJunk Monsters.”

And Sony is reaching out to other publishers for their back catalogues, now appearing to expand their interest to non-PlayStation platforms, a broader multi-console appetite seen elsewhere in services like GameTap or Nintendo’s Virtual Console.

While Koller said there might be technical issues with bringing some games to market, he comes across as confident that PSP will see a large infusion of downloadables this year.

Hopefully, Sony's proprietary Memory Stick (currently available up to 16GB) will be able to handle the storage requirements of a PSP Virtual Console. "Geeks and otaku" who own the Nintendo Wii have yet to stop complaining about the limited space afforded for their own retro collection.

[MTV Multiplayer]