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Game Earns Rave Reviews, Sells 2 Million Units in Week One EDMONTON, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)--40 perfect scores. 2 million units. One pop culture phenomenon. BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), announced today that Mass Effect™ 2 has sold-in over two million units worldwide in its first week of release. Lauded for its intense shooter gameplay and deep, hand-crafted story, Mass Effect 2 has earned an average review score of 96 — making it the second highest rated game of all time on the Xbox 360® platform. Mass Effect 2 has earned 40 perfect scores, amassed over 30 editor’s choice awards and has donned the covers of 45 magazines worldwide. On launch day, the term “Mass Effect” was in the top 10 trending topics on Twitter and most searched on Google News. MSNBC.com said, “Mass Effect will go down as one of the most influential video game series of all-time." “Mass Effect 2 is poised to be one of the biggest games of 2010. We could not be more proud of the game’s universal acclaim and early commercial success.” Dr. Ray Muzyka, co-founder, BioWare and Group General Manager of the RPG/MMO Group of EA said, “Mass Effect 2 is poised to be one of the biggest games of 2010. We could not be more proud of the game’s universal acclaim and early commercial success.” Mass Effect 2 launched this week hot on the heels of BioWare’s Dragon Age: Origins, the studio’s dark fantasy RPG which shipped in fall 2009. Dragon Age: Origins has earned an average review score of 91, making it the highest rated original intellectual property from EA in the last year. Mass Effect 2 follows in BioWare’s tradition of delivering excellence on every front: gameplay, story, character development and visuals. Mass Effect 2 is an epic shooter/RPG set in a vast universe filled with dangerous alien life and mysterious, uncharted planets. In Mass Effect 2, players step into the role of the heroic Commander Shepard, leading a crew of some of the most dangerous operatives from across the galaxy on a mission so challenging that it’s potentially suicidal. Featuring intense action, a rich storyline, space exploration and engaging character interaction, Mass Effect 2 delivers an unparalleled gaming experience. Mass Effect 2 is available for the Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system and the PC and is rated ‘M’ for Mature by the ESRB and ‘18+’ by PEGI. For more information, follow the development team on Twitter at http://twitter.com/masseffect2 or visit http://masseffect.bioware.com/. Click here to view the article

Game Trailers has released the latest trailer for Heavy Rain and let me tell you, it is one of every parent's worst dreams come true. Video Games | Heavy Rain | Exclusive Mall Gameplay HD XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii How does it all end? Fortunately, gamers won't have to wait too much longer to find out. Heavy Rain is set to hit game shelves near you on February 23. Click here to view the article

MotoGP 9/10 is set to race onto a tv set near you in March and already Capcom is announcing free DLC for the game. The first DLC pack will feature the 800cc bike class with bike, riders, team liveries, and the new tracks for the 2010 season which are Silverstone and Hungary. The second DLC pack will include the 600cc and 125cc bike, riders, and team livery updates. Capcom says that both DLC packs will be available shortly after the game releases in March and that they are both free to download. Capcom will also be releasing a demo for both the 360 and PS3 “about a month prior to launch”. In the demo, gamers can play on the Mugello race track and will have access to all three bike classes. Click here to view the article

Gamers Worldwide Invited to Experience the Next Chapter of Storied RTS Franchise LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) today announced that PC gamers worldwide can get early hands-on experience with Command & Conquer™ 4 Tiberian Twilight by joining the open multiplayer beta before the game’s release in North America on March 16 and in Europe on March 19, 2010. The multiplayer beta gives players a unique opportunity to experience all-new RTS gameplay in the game’s new, fast-paced, strategic 5v5 multiplayer mode across four different maps. Gamers can get access to the beta by signing up at http://www.commandandconquer.com/news/get-cc-4-public-beta. “We could not be more excited to give fans a taste of what’s in store for Command & Conquer 4 Tiberian Twilight with the new multiplayer beta” "We could not be more excited to give fans a taste of what’s in store for Command & Conquer 4 Tiberian Twilight with the new multiplayer beta,” said Lead Designer, Samuel Bass. “Players can expect the fast-paced strategic RTS action they’ve come to know and love in the Command & Conquer franchise augmented with new gameplay elements that really ratchet up the intensity, especially in our 5v5 multiplayer modes.” The Command & Conquer 4 Tiberian Twilight open multiplayer beta features four maps including the new Afflicted Arena. This new map features a once lush, Polynesian landscape transformed into a military dock by the Global Defense Initiative (GDI) and currently besieged by Brotherhood of Nod forces aiming to claim the tactically important location and take control of the Pacific Rim. Players in the roles of the Offense, Defense and Support classes will engage in strategic battles to win key vantage points across the map and secure a majority of the TCN Hubs to take control of this vital location. Experience earned through the new Persistent Player Progression system during the multiplayer beta period will be transitioned to the full game upon its release. Command & Conquer 4 Tiberian Twilight brings the 15 year-long fan-beloved Tiberium saga to an epic and stunning conclusion, giving players a new innovative and compelling strategic gameplay experience through the epic battles between the GDI and the Brotherhood of Nod, with its enigmatic leader Kane. With its new experience and class-based systems that are persistent across all game modes, Command & Conquer 4 Tiberian Twilight sticks to the action-packed gameplay fans have come to love while offering them entirely new ways to play Command & Conquer. Whether conquering alone, in co-op mode or in an all-new 5v5 objective-based multiplayer mode, Command & Conquer 4 Tiberian Twilight delivers an innovative social real-time-strategy experience never seen before in a Command & Conquer game. Pre-orders* are now available at http://www.commandandconquer.com/preorder and include the official soundtrack of Command & Conquer 4 Tiberian Twilight, as well as an exclusive bonus mission. Command & Conquer 4 Tiberian Twilight is being developed for the PC at EA Los Angeles and will be available in North America on March 16th 2010 and in Europe on March 19th. The game has not yet been rated by the ESRB or PEGI. For more information about the game, and the multiplayer beta please visit www.commandandconquer.com or follow the community and development team on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ea_apoc. Click here to view the article

If you answered no, then get ready to do a while lot of crying, kicking, screaming, and name calling. According to Game Informer, a Microsoft rep has confirmed that gamers will have to pay again for the classic arcade games that they might have already in the game library, because the Game Room classic's are different from the "revamped" versions of the classic titles on the XBLA so they will not transer over. How much will this cost you again to purchase? The games will range in price from 240 MS points to 400 MS points. With this announcement I am left to wonder if Microsoft is losing their marbles. Why on earth would I pay again for something that I have purchased prior to the announcement of the Game Room? Being a self described "Arcade Junkie" I have downloaded 40+ XBLA titles with many of them being the classics and I am not going to rebuy them just so that I can play them in the Game Room. Microsoft you can eat my shorts with that one and I'm sure you can eat the shorts of many other gamers with that announcement. Click here to view the article

Can't wait to get your hands on the highly anticipated Heavy Rain that has already gone gold in North America? If you can't wait until the game's release on February 23 for the US or February 26 for Europe, then keep your eyes peeled for the demo that Sony announced will be available on February 11. If February 11 still seems like a long way off then you can wet your appetite by watching the new trailer below via GameTrailers Video Games | Heavy Rain | To Catch a Killer Trailer HDXBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo WiiClick here to view the article

That ashy white and red chiseled body that makes up Kratos on Sony's hugely successful God of War series, will be launching God of War III officially on March 16, 2010 in the US, March 19, 2010 in Europe, and March 25, 2010 in Japan. The release date for North America was never confirmed until today by Sony. God of War III will be the final installment of the current Kratos storyline. Will Kratos succeed as him, Gaia, and the Titans head towards Olympus or will Kratos have to live with his revenge never seeing the light of day? Thankfully we don't have to wait too much longer to find out! via VGReleases Click here to view the article

Who wants a new Dead or Alive game? I know I do, but not this kind. Following in DOA: Xtreme 2's footsteps this DOA which will be launching sometime this year for the PSP features sun, sand, water, odd looking jiggling boobs, and barbie doll rear ends. Click here to view the article

Gather round my fellow achievement whores and trophy hoarders. Make sure that you grab a tissue as well before you continue. It brings me great sadness to announce that the new DLC add on for Assassin’s Creed II, The Battle for Forli does not have any new trophies or achievements. This sad piece of news was confirmed from Ubisoft's UK Community Manager Korina Abbott to VG247. The Battle for Forli which comes out tomorrow will cost 320 MS Points and $3.99 on the PSN. The second part of the DLC will be launching in February. Click here to view the article

This tweet made by EA APOC today has left many wondering how soon the beta for Command and Conquer 4 will be coming out. Nobody knows for sure other than what a follow up tweet said stating, "....details on our official website later this week." via Games Arena Click here to view the article

A lawyer from Horsham, PA is claiming that he has been misled about the Microsoft Points that he “purchased” to buy things through the Marketplace. Samuel Lassof is letting the accusations fly after he received an invoice stating that he made transactions buying points, but Lassof is saying that it’s Microsoft fault, because he couldn’t complete those transactions due to the way their download system works. The lawsuit which was filed in late January details these complaints that include "fraudulent handling" and that he feels that other XBL members are being taken advantage of as well. Microsoft is not the only company that Lassof has tried suing in the past. He sued Google in 2006 for “click fraud” for search ads and in 2005 he sued Bally’s Casino in Atlantic City after claiming he was attacked by a drunken casino goer while sitting at a table. via Information Week Click here to view the article

Besides the free DLC that was leaked today, the sex scenes from Mass Effect 2 were also leaked. EA has since pulled all of the videos except for the Miranda Lawson scene. Interested? What, I'm not judging. You can view it below. via VG247 Click here to view the article

Capcom has announced that they have added Tricell CEO Excella Gionne as a playable character in RE5: Gold’s Mercenary Reunion mode. Why? Your guess is as good as mine considering that fan favorite Leon should have been added, but who am I to get in the way of a gamer staring at video game boobage. Keep in mind that besides boobs, RE5: Gold will be offering new costumes for Chris and Sheva, along with the anticipated story of what really happened to Jill Valentine during the Spencer Mansion and gamers will also get to play through the race between Jill and Josh to get to Chris and Sheva after she was rescued by them in the events of RE5 before the “final” confrontation between RE enemy number one, Albert Wesker. I use the term “final” loosely, because anything involving Wesker is never final, only appears to be that way. RE5: Gold is set to hit shelves on March 9, 2010 for the 360 and PS3 for $49.99. Gamers who already own RE5 will be able to purchase the extras as DLC on the PSN and Marketplace. via VG247 Click here to view the article

—The Behemoth will donate 100% of DLC revenue to help victims of Haiti quake— San Diego, CA, January 20, 2010— The Behemoth pledged today to donate 100% of all revenue generated by downloadable content (DLC) for their XBLA games Castle Crashers and Alien Hominid HD through January 24th directly to Haiti disaster relief. In addition, The Behemoth will match the amount generated by all DLC downloads, doubling the amount to be donated. All money raised will be donated to American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development. About The American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development: On January 12, a series of earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 6.5 to 7.3 devastated Haiti. The American Red Cross is working with its partners in the global Red Cross and Red Crescent network, including the Haitian Red Cross, and other partners to assist those affected by this disaster. About Castle Crashers: As Xbox LIVE® Arcade’s Game of the Year, Castle Crashers® delivers unique hi-res illustrated visuals like nothing you've ever seen before. Play with up to three friends locally or over Xbox LIVE to save your princess, defend your kingdom, and crash some castles with an arsenal of combos and magical attacks to choose from! Priced at 1200 Microsoft points, Castle Crashers boasts 20 levels, over 40 weapons, and 20 unlockable characters, making this one of the largest games available on Xbox LIVE Arcade. About The Behemoth: The Behemoth is an independent console game developer that specializes in making games that are fun to play and beautiful to look at. Founded by a small group of veteran console developers in 2003, the Behemoth is headquartered in San Diego, California. For more information, please visit www.thebehemoth.com. Click here to view the article

Konami has revealed the bundles that will be released with the upcoming Metal Gear Solid PSP game, Peace Walker. The Premium Bundle is priced at $295 and comes with the game, a PSP, a carrying case, cleaning cloth and a wrist strap, while the Konamistyle Bundle (shown above) will have you digging even deeper in your pockets at a price of $400. The Konamistyle Bundle which is available only online comes with the game, a PSP, cleaning cloth, leather case and strap, PSP stand, dog tags, and a booklet. via Game Watch and Joystiq Click here to view the article

Capcom is being a tease. On Japan’s official Xbox Live website, Capcom has an ad running on the front page under tab 3, that is teasing at an “Xbox 360 Title Premiere” that will take place on January 26, 2010. Commense the speculation and rumors....Now! via Joystiq Click here to view the article

There is an update in the works for L4D2 says Valve. The PC and Xbox 360 update expected to be released in the coming weeks will provide gamers with an AI bot while playing as the infected team if they lose a player. The multiplayer auto spawn in the versus finales will also be removed from the game. Valve is also hard at work at the DLC pack, The Passing. The Passing will reunite gamers with their favorite survivors from the original. Valve is not stating how the survivors from L4D and L4D2 will meet up, but did Doug Lombardi the VP of Valve released the following statement regarding the new DLC, “The Passing will become the most important campaign in the Left 4 Dead story, as all the Survivors are being called together in one campaign, “It will also be a huge offering of new gameplay content, with something new for every game mode plus a new uncommon common and weaponry”. via Unigamesity Click here to view the article

People of Scotland can rest a bit more easier at night knowing that their tax payer dollars are going to fund “Brain Training” for inmates in jail that includes the inmates being given Nintendo DS’s that contain brain training software. The decision made by Scottish officials was the right move because in their minds, inmates have a lessor chance of becoming a repeat offender if they play the “brain training” software on the DS by improving their employment chances. Say what? The government is basing their decision off of a study that was conducted about the education of prisoners. This study also concluded that if children benefit from playing “brain” games on the DS, then so will the inmates. “Children who were behind in numeracy using traditional methods of teaching were able to catch up with their peers within a very short space of time using brain training on a Nintendo DS… One of the key factors in reducing reoffending is improving employability. To get a job you have to focus on literacy and numeracy, which these Nintendo DS consoles will do...” says the report. Hmmm, I believe I smell a contender for the Fail of the Week Award. What about you? via Times Online UK Click here to view the article

Fans of Mass Effect 2 may have taken notice to the free DLC that gamers will have access to upon launch showed up early on the Xbox 360’s marketplace. In fact it was a whole day early and contained spoilers. Since then EA has pulled the DLC, however if you managed to snag the freebies before it was taken down, you can still download it. Everyone else will just have to wait until tomorrow. If you can't wait until tomorrow, you will find the list of free goodies that are full of spoilers at IGN. Click here to view the article

Plan on taking a trip to Hong Kong anytime soon? The Hong Kong International Airport has added 14 “PS3 Game Poles” at various spots throughout the airport allowing travellers who are waiting for their flights to arrive to get their game on. Gamers can play Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Assassin’s Creed II, and James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game all for free. I wonder how many flights will be missed because of this? via Moodie Report Click here to view the article

On January 28, 2010 Ubisoft will be launching one out of two DLC add ons for Assassin’s Creed II that was previously announced. In the “Battle of Forli” gamers will be fighting against the Templars with the help of two allies and Ezio will also be gaining six new memories. You will also be able to pilot Da Vinci’s flying machine. The “Battle of Forli” will be available for 320 Microsoft Points on XBL and $4 on PSN. The second of the add ons, "Bonfire of the Vanities" is expected to be delievered in February at the price of 400 Microsoft Points on XBL and $5 on PSN. via Gamespot Click here to view the article

Have you grown tired of seeing all of those "x"'s in your gamertag or maybe the word "Assassin" just isn't cutting it anymore? Well my fellow Xbox 360 gamers you are in luck. From August 2 through August 8, the cost to change your gamertag will be temporarily discounted from 800 MS Points to 560 MS Points. Now that you are counting down the days until your new gamertag, just don't go changing it to "xXSpartanAssassinBeNdOv3RXx". via Major Nelson Click here to view the article

Those of you looking to get your hands on Jackie Estacado in The Darkness II will have to wait a bit longer than the earlier October 2011 release date. The first person shooter which picks up two years after The Darkness will now release on February 7, 2012. In The Darkness II, players will once again control Jackie Estacado who is controlling "The Darkness" powers and has used them to become The Don of the Franchetti crime family. The Darkness II will feature new cel-shaded graphics to give it more of a comic book friendly feel, along with new features and Nolan North taking over the reigns as Jackie Estacado. via Game Revolution Click here to view the article

If you are still managing to play 3D Realms and 2K Games recently released Duke Nukem Forever, then you will jumping for joy with this recent announcement. The over-hyped long awaited Duke that released to mostly negative reviews will be receiving it's first onslaught of DLC later this Fall. Included in the "Hail to the Icons Parody Pack" DLC will be new multiplayer modes and maps that include the names of Call of Duke, 2Forts1Bridge, and others. via 2K Games Click here to view the article

Have you grown tired of seeing someone rushing towards you in Modern Warfare 2 and as you are emptying your clip into them, they lunge and end up killing you with a knife kill? If you said no, then you are lying. The Commando perk that many Modern Warfare fans have been outraged about has been removed from Modern Warfare 3 altogether according to a tweet made by Robert Bowling, Infinity Ward's Creative Strategist. Breaking news....tissues and diapers have been in great supply as gamers who use the "Marathon, Light Weight, and Commando" perks go into a baby rage. Click here to view the article