Microsoft announced that beginning on May 22 until September 3 if you purchase a new Windows 7 PC that is valued at $699 or more you will receive a free 4 GB Xbox 360 S model at participating retailers. All you have to do is show your proof of college student ID or make a purchase online using your .edu email. The offer is only valid in the United States, however this deal will be coming to France and Canada soon.

via Windows Team Blog

"Fans of the franchise will be excited to learn that yes, more Wake is coming! But to be absolutely certain to avoid confusion, this next Wake instalment will not be Alan Wake 2. And neither will it be DLC,” - Oskari Hakkinen, Head of Franchise Development

Instead Alan Wake: Night Springs is rumored to be an Xbox Live Arcade release and according to Eurogamer Remedy was hiring for motion controller experts last year making some wonder if Alan Wake: Night Springs will be Kinect enabled.

via Eurogamer

http://youtu.be/1Prqt6Qv60Q

via Joystiq

OnLive has announced that Duke Nukem Forever will be launching on their game streaming platform coinciding with the games US launch on June 14th. Partnering with Gearbox Software and 2K Games, they have also announced that with each pre-order, you will receive either a free game or the OnLive Micro Console. This deal is very similar to things they have done in the past with high profile game releases. John Spinale, OnLive VP of Games and Media had this to say:

"The satirical and action-packed gameplay of the Duke Nukem brand makes it a fantastic fit for next-level, easy-access gaming on the OnLive service. Members can laugh, taunt and quote Duke-isms in real-time as they battle alien invaders stealing Earth's women. This title is all about laugh-out-loud, engaging action -- and we're excited to bring the 'King of all shooters' to our members."

If you have ever wanted to try OnLive's Micro Console and plan on picking up Duke Nukem, this may be the way to go. Duke Nukem Forever lists for $44.99 for pre-order on the OnLive website.

Head over to http://www.onlive.com/go/duke and jump on this deal.

No exact details have been released regarding the big reveal rumor other than a huge number 3 in green appearing on the Playstation UK Magazine that says, "The biggest game in the world returns".

Rumors are also on the rise that Infinity Ward will be making a Call of Duty game in the future and it will most likely be a prequel starring Ghost, the masked operative from Modern Warfare 2 once the legal battle ends between Activision and former Infinity Ward employees.

Modern Warfare 3 has no confirmed release date, however the wiki for the game states that Activision is trying to make a fall 2011 release. Raven Software who made Singularity, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Soldier Fortune will work on the multiplayer of Modern Warfare 3, while Sledgehammer Studios will be heading up the single player campaign.

via Modern Warfare 3 wiki and Game Rant

"Gagaville" will debut on May 17th and Zynga announced via their the Gagaville Facebook page that the game will have sheeps on motorcycles, unicorns, and all other things that are in Lady Gaga's world including songs from her new album, "Born This Way".

"In a new deal with Zynga — the biggest name in casual games — the edgy pop starlet will appear in ...her very own hamlet within the Zynga universe. On May 17, you can virtually visit GagaVille, a digital farm that's decked out in Gaga's trademark outlandish vibe, which naturally means it will include "crystals, unicorns and sheep on motorcycles. The partnership is a Facebook-centric promotional tie-in for her upcoming album, Born This Way" - Zynga via Gagaville Facebook

Now that the life changing announcement has been made, we will resume regular posting in 3, 2, 1.

via Gagaville Facebook

The fine folks at Zen Studios are holding a tournament for fabulous prize packs going to the top 3 scorers on the new Mars table for Pinball FX2. There will also be random entrants for prizes like Mars candy bars, DVDs, and game codes. Take a look at the full press release below and go check out the new table. Be sure to let us know what you think of the table in the forums. Also, be on the lookout for our forthcoming reviews of Zen Studios games.

Finding life a little lonely on Mars? The Red Planet is about to get invaded by pinball wizards seeking a

SuperScoreRocketBoost and Martian themed prizes. Download the Mars table now on Xbox LIVE®

Arcade for your chance to compete over the next two weeks to determine the Mars pinball champion.

There will be official prize packs for the top three scores, and prizes for random entrees such as MARS

candy bars, DVD’s, and game codes.

1st Place

• 4,000 MS Points
  
• Choice of Mars Attacks!, Martian Chronicles, or Total Recall Special Edition
  
• Codes to future games from ZEN Studios
  

2nd & 3rd Place

• 1600 MS Points
  
• Choice of Mars Attacks!, Martian Chronicles, or Total Recall Special Edition
  
• Codes to future games from ZEN Studios
  

The tournament will run April 29 – May 13, 2011. Winners will be notified via private message following

the conclusion of the tournament.

To participate in the tournament, select the tournament icons in the Pinball FX2 menu bars. Choose

Mars, and your score will automatically register upon game completion.

Stay in touch! Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

What was speculation has now been confirmed by Major Nelson.  Hulu Plus will launch tomorrow on Xbox 360 and for one week (Through May 6th), it will be free for all US Xbox Live users.   That's right, thanks to Jack's Links beef jerky, everyone (Gold and Silver) will get to try it out for free.  Now go mess with Sasquatch while watching SNL and The Simpsons.

Source:  Major Nelson's Blog

The fiscal year ending in March 2011 has proven to be a bloodbath for Nintendo as their loss of earnings has been reported.

Nintendo's shares dropped 66% and according to Joystiq, this marks the third year for profit declines which is not what Nintendo previously predicted.

Also reported from Nintendo's camp is that the previously rumored "Wii Successor" will be at E3 in the form of a playable model.  Nintendo has the new console that is supposedly more powerful than the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 set to launch sometime in 2012.

via Nintendo Investors

On Saturday, April 23 gamers from all over the world will have one chance to break the Guinness World Record for "the most people running a virtual 100m dash at one time."  All you have to do to participate is download your entry in the form of a free Xbox Nations gamer picture.  Turn on your console on April 23, make sure that Kinect is running, pop in Kinect Sports, and complete a sprint mini game.  Rare has stated that if you choose the entire Track & Field event, it will not register.

For those of you who complete the sprint mini game during the specified times mentioned below, Rare is giving out a free Guinness World Records t-shirt for your avatar.

Saturday, April 23 @ 10 am PDT ~ 1 pm EST ~ 6 pm UK ~ 7 pm CET

via Rare

Game Informer is also claiming the same thing by citing mulitple sources and that the new console will be able to run games at HD resolutions.

The new console is expected to get a 2012 launch and Nintendo is supposedly hoping that they can bring back third-party developers and "hardcore" fans.

One of the most successful casual gaming companies in the industry is bringing a new slightly edgy studio into the mix.  PopCap Games announced that their new studio "4th & Battery" will be situated in Seattle and that the name comes from where the studio is located.

Jason Kapalka, Co-Founder and Chief  Creative Officer at PopCap Games says to "expect weirdness" from the new label that gives their designers free range.

"4th & Battery is a purely experimental, creative label with none of the typical concerns like schedules, profitability, or even target audience. It’s kind of the video game equivalent of B-sides or short films.  Expect weirdness."

The studio has already announced their first game, Unpleasant Horse.  The game will be a free download on the Apple App Store and is geared towards mature audiences.

Some may worry, but we here at Gamercide have full faith in Gearbox and know they need the extra time for making sure this game gets the polish it deserves.  It also gives us more time for the impending demo, whenever that comes out.

Do you have a little gamer living in your house or know of a child who is interested in working in the gaming industry?  If so, then this little piece of news might interest you.

From now until May 10, Microsoft will be accepting submissions for the Kodu Cup 2011 that uses Microsoft Kodu Game Lab technology for the PC and allows younger gamers to develop a game fron the ground up and according to Lili Cheng, the General Manager of Microsoft's Future Social Experiences Labs will help promote creativity and self confidence.

"Our research has shown that Kodu Game Lab appeals equally to girls and boys and helps promote creativity, self-confidence, critical thinking and technology skills.  Kids don't feel like they're programming so much as playing, even though they're creating sophisticated worlds, characters and storylines."

The competition is open to younger gamers that are between the ages of 9-17 who will then be placed into one of the two age appropriate categories, 9-12 and 13-17.

To download the free software, go to Kodu Labs and choose download.  The grand prize winners in each age category will receive $5,000 for themselves and their school and a trip to New York to the Imagine Cup 2011 Worldwide Finals.

via Microsoft Newswire

Fans eager to get their hands on the next chapter of the Batman: Arkham series can rejoice.  Warner Bros. has announced the Europe, Australia, and North America release dates.

The caped crusader and Joker hijinks will be available for gamers to enjoy in Europe on October 21, Australia on October 19, and North America on October 18.

via Joystiq

In the Community Channel on the dashboard you will find a new "Xbox Live Labs" tab.  You can sign up for the volunter testing from there and with each test you complete, you will receive three different avatar awards that include a lab coat, crazy lab hair,  and a brain helmet.  You will also hear everybody's favorite "blip" giving you three zero point achievements showing that you completed the testing and have helped out Xbox Live.

While running the network test from your console to Xbox Live you will not be able to play games, watch movies, and download items.  Your internet connection might also be slower during the test.

The Xbox Live Lab testing will last from March 10 - 27 and is only available to users in the US for now.

[caption id=" align="aligncenter" width="150" caption="image Major Nelson][/caption]

via Major Nelson

Gaming retail giant GameStop and the successful online gaming website IGN have merged together in an effort to attract more gamers to do what else, but to visit their websites if that was at all necessary.

The details laid out from Kara Swisher's blog, All Things Digital describes the merger regarding the advertising end.

Both websites will be sharing traffic as well as advertising their ads on the other website including buttons on IGN for e-commerce buys from GameStop.

Lara Croft, everybody's favorite busty female heroine is about to go back in time to revisit her past.

Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix issued a statement today regarding the entry into the famed series.

""Forget everything you knew about TOMB RAIDER, we are exploring things that have never been done before in this game,

"This is an origins story that creates Lara Croft and takes her on a character defining journey like no other." ~Darrell Gallagher, Head of  Studio, Crystal Dynamics

For more information on the upcoming Lara Croft adventure, we will have to wait for January's issue of GameInformer.

via USA Today

What all comes with the $99.99 Family Gold Pack?  Four XBL Gold memberships, access to the family center, gifting Microsoft point allowance which allows gifting of Microsoft points to your family members, activity reports, and deals on family friendly games.

If you would like more information on how the Family Gold Pack works and if it is right for you, check out the Family Pack Faq from xbox.com.

InfernoParadox!!!!!

Congrats go out to InfernoParadox who will be receiving a copy of Dead Rising 2 with a t-shirt that comes rolled up like duct tape.  Many thanks to everyone who participated in the contest.

Evildawg731!!!!!!

Congrats go out to Evildawg731.  The Grim Reaper wants to thank everyone who has participated in the contest.  Remember, Dead Rising 2 with a T-Shirt is still up for grabs.  For more information on how to enter, please check out Gamercide's Get Your Ghoul On Contest.

 Medal of Honor Expands Award-Winning Multiplayer Experience with Free Download Pack

Medal of Honor Sells More Than 1.5 Million Units in First 5 Days

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), announced today that Medal of Honor™ has claimed the #1 chart position in the UK according to official GfK-ChartTrack data. In just five days since launching in the U.S. and with just two days of sales in Europe and Asia, the game has already sold through more than 1.5M units. EA also announced that the first-person shooter will expand with the release of an all-new explosive multiplayer mode on November 2, 2010. The free* multiplayer mode titled Clean Sweep is an elimination mode where players must rely on their own skill and teammates’ expertise to prevail as the winning team. This exhilarating mode is playable across two all-new maps (Bagram Hangar and Khyber Caves) as well as redesigned versions of the popular Diwagal Camp and Kabul City Ruins maps. Clean Sweep will be available on November 2 via Xbox LIVE™ Marketplace and PlayStation®Network to owners of Medal of Honor with Online Pass.

Frank Gibeau, President at EA stated, “Medal of Honor is one of EA’s most storied franchises and we’re thrilled to see that fans worldwide have embraced it. In this ultra competitive category, Medal of Honor stands out from the pack. By portraying the Tier 1 Operator as so elite, so tough, Medal of Honor offers a view into a world that has the power to resonate with FPS gamers everywhere.”

Developed by DICE, Medal of Honor multiplayer delivers world-class First Person Shooter action and dedicated server support with all of the same authentic settings, weapons and realistic action depicted in the single-player game. For the first time in its 11-year history, Medal of Honor leaves the WWII theatre and enters the modern setting of war-torn Afghanistan. The game is told through the lens of a small band of fictional characters. Medal of Honor introduces players to the Tier 1 Operator, an elite warrior and relatively unknown instrument of the U.S. Military that operates under the National Command Authority to take on missions no one else can handle.

To find out more information on Medal of Honor please visit: www.MedalofHonor.com. Follow the game on twitter at: www.twitter.com/medalofhonor or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/medalofhonor.

* Free with game registration using single-use Online Pass code enclosed with new, full retail purchase. Additional Online Pass codes available for purchase from Xbox LIVE or PlayStation Network. Additional conditions and restrictions apply. See back of pack for details.