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Playstation Network services will be fully restored this week says Sony. However if you live in Japan, Hong Kong, or South Korea you will still be waiting. In case you have been living under a rock for the past couple of months or are just suffering from a case of "fanboy denial" Sony suffered a security breach in late April that completely shut down all aspects of the Playstation Network and put thousands of credit card holders private information in jeopardy. via Playstation Blog Click here to view the article

Were you one of the people who pre-orderd Duke Nukem Forever way back in the day? Well we have some good news for as long as you have a receipt from all those years ago as proof of your pre-order. GameStop announced over the weekend that they will be honoring all pre-orders for Duke Nukem from back when most of you probably weren't even a thought and that those pre-orders will receive "Duke's Big Package" which includes the black and red trucker hat along with the game. Now would be a good time to scour through your old receipts that you have been collecting for years and have been "meaning to go through". via The Escapist Click here to view the article

The stage has been set for Ezio and Altair's final chapter in the Assassin's Creed saga. For fans that are anxiously awaiting for E3 to arrive, Ubisoft has put together this little teaser which is sure to build up even more anticipation as E3 approaches in the coming weeks. http://youtu.be/ClloTWxH7Lg via Click here to view the article

Joystiq claims that they discovered that Ghost Recon: Future Soldier may be Kinect enabled. Joystiq is claiming that an image appeared late lastnight on Xbox.com that showed the cover of the game sporting a "Better With Kinect Sensor" purple logo. That image has since been taken down and replaced with regular looking cover art. If you pay attention to the differences in both covers you will see that Ubisoft logo has also been moved and both versions of the cover are extremely different. What do you think Ghost Recon fans? Would a Kinect enabled experience enhance or destroy your gaming experience with Future Soldier? via Joystiq Click here to view the article

Max Payne 3 is "still in development" according to a recent posting on Eurogamer after they had an investor call with Take-Two's CEO Strauss Zelnick, but would not say anything else regarding the game which seems to have slipped into the shadows. Max Payne 3 was originally suppose to see a release date of 2009, but unfortunately has been pushed twice and is not on the release calendar for Take-Two in the 2011-2012 year. via Eurogamer Click here to view the article

Internet name generators never get old, especially when you combine video games with random and somewhat naughty terms. The end result is a hilarious titled video game that could easily pass as a cheesy music playing skin flick. Gamercide Honorable Mentions From Our Members: Fisher Price Driving in Middle-Earth Tiger Woods' Juggalo Wars No One Can Stop The Fun Noodle Hunt Enraged Porn vs. Street Fighter Spooky Porn in the Desert via Videogamena.com (Thanks DD) Click here to view the article

If you happen to sign into Xbox Live at some point today you might have noticed that there are issues with Xbox Live Marketplace. Those problems are not your imagination and are widespread. Microsoft released a small statement regarding the Marketplace outage on their support page and said that Xbox Live users are experiencing issues when browsing the Games Marketplace, checking out Indie Games from a 360 or Xbox.com, and issues are being reported with the Games for Windows on a PC. Now we can all await the rumor mill to start saying that hackers have broke Xbox Live Marketplace. via Microsoft Support Update: Major Nelson tweeted this last night: At this point, it looks like everything is back up and going. Go forth and spend your Microsoft Space Bucks. Click here to view the article

As a reward for reaching the 500,000 fan mark on the Silent Hill Facebook page and Silent Hill: Downpour's producer Devin Shatsky is giving fans of the series a sneak peek look at what they will showing at E3. http://youtu.be/xwqMaTxgoCY via Click here to view the article

The intro for EA's and Spicy Horses's highly anticipated sequel, Alice: Madness Returns has been released for your viewing pleasure. The intro has Alice remembering a memory that makes her "sick". Just what is reality in that memory dear Alice? Fans will have to wait until June 14 to find out. http://youtu.be/RwyoaSA-0wg via Click here to view the article

Starbreeze CEO, Mikael Nermark made that statement to CVG as the studio who developed the first game of Jackie Estacado's adventure in The Darkness, opened up about not making the sequel, The Darkness II. 2K Games instead chose Digital Extremes who has worked on BioShock, BioShock 2, and various Unreal Tournament games. The Darkness II is set for release on October 4, 2011 and the story will pick up two years after the events in first game and finds that Jackie used his powers to become the head of the Franchetti crime family. via CVG Click here to view the article

If you participated in the Gears of War 3 beta the following set of stats might be of interest to you considering that you along with 1.29 million players clocked in about 249 years worth of matches. That's correct, 249 years. 1.29 million people participated in the beta 145 different countries participated in the beta 249 years worth of matches played More than 11 million matches completed More than 927 million kills recorded More than 131 million executions performed More than 23 million deaths by chainsaw Nearly 23 BILLION bullets fired 4.9 billion ribbons and 291 million medals earned 435,000 people earned the beta-exclusive Thrashball Cole skin to use in the retail game when it launches in September 234,000 people earned the beta-exclusive Gold Retro Lancer to use in the retail game when it launches in September Microsoft and Epic Games released those impressive stats in a press release along with another little nugget of information. Gears of War 3 is the new record holder for having the fastest number of Xbox pre-orders in the history of the Xbox's release. via Joystiq Click here to view the article

Microsoft released a statement earlier about how they plan on making sure that Xbox 360 users who have been affected by the new dashboard update still get to play the games that they love and it involves a new console. The new mandatory update has not been compatible with some older models of the Xbox 360 when it comes to the new disc format and Microsoft has announced that they will be replacing those consoles for free with a new Xbox 360 Model S and a 250 GB hard drive. If you are finding yourself having an issue with reading retail copies of your games after applying the update, Microsoft has said to get in contact with support immediately. If you are planning on scheming Microsoft and just trying to get a new console, do not bother. Microsoft will be verifying your console to ensure that is one of the models that has been affected. Microsoft has also said that they "we are also able to detect this issue over Xbox Live and are proactively reaching out to customers that may be impacted to replace their console." via Eurogamer Click here to view the article

The actors that led their talents and likeliness to the recent Call of Duty: Black Ops Escalation zombies mode map Call of the Dead, speak out about their experience with Call of Duty and some look down right awkward doing it. http://youtu.be/EasuwXCp-aQ via Joystiq and Click here to view the article

Honest Hearts, the first of three DLC packs that were announced for the somewhat buggy RPG from Bethesda, Fallout: New Vegas has been released today for the Xbox 360. The Playstation 3 release is being halted until the Playstation Network gets back up and running. In Honest Hearts, you will find yourself going on an adventure that will ultimately lead you to Zion and the "Burned Man". New missions have been added, along with new perks, characters, and achievements that will boost your gamerscore up by 140 points. Honest Hearts will cost you 800 Microsoft Points. via Fallout: New Vegas wikia and Xbox Live Marketplace Click here to view the article

Apparently the upcoming release of Infamous 2 in Europe is deserving of not one, two, or even three, but four different bundles and of course the purchase of the game seperately, when the game releases in Europe on June 8th and June 10th of this year. The Lenticular Special Edition - "with a powershot of extra digital content including the Electrocution Grenade power, Golden Amp and an exclusive Cole MacGrath skin from inFamous 1" The Luxury Hero Edition - "complete with Lightning Hook downloadable power, Kessler skin, a Cole MacGrath figurine and inFamous comic from graphic novel legends DC Comics, a replica Cole MacGrath messenger bag and the inFamous 2 digital soundtrack" The "Good" DUALSHOCK 3 Bundle - "your copy of the game will come with a limited edition ‘cosmic blue’ wireless controller. And for the more morally ambiguous out there, take home the ‘evil’ bundle which comes with an exclusive ‘crimson red’ wireless controller" The Infamous 2 PS3 Bundle - "comes with a copy of the game, 320GB PS3 console and standard black DUALSHOCK 3 Wireless Controller" The Playstation Blog also announced that these bundles will only be available in certain regions. via Playstation Blog Click here to view the article

Confirmed today via Mass Effect 3's Executive Producer Casey Hudson's Twitter is the same-sex friendly option meaning that Commander Shepard can engage in relationship acts with anybody regardless of sex. Mass Effect 3 is slated for a quarter one 2012 launch and EA will have the game at this year's E3. via Twitter Click here to view the article

Assassin Creed: Revelations Creative Director, Alexandre Amancio, sat down recently with Game Informer to talk about Ubisoft's upcoming Assassin Creed game, Revelations. The taped interviews which you can find on Game Informer, shows Amancio talking about the gameplay, historical elements, how Revelations will relate to Assassin's Creed III, and why Revelations didn't get a number. "We are setting all of the records straight. We are sort of closing all of the loops that have been started that have been left in suspense, and we're going to reveal not only alot of stuff about the first civilization plot line, but we are actually going to conclude the Ezio/Altair storylines and we are going to sort of explain why first of all Ezio is such an important character for the franchise, what his actual role is in all of that plot line, what role Altair plays in that destiny, and ultimately what role Desmond plays..." - Alexandre Amancio, Creative Director Assassin's Creed: Revelations It was recently revealed through a unique advertising campaign on Facebook that involved fans who "liked" the page, that "master assassin Ezio Auditore walks in the footsteps of his legendary mentor, Altaïr, on a journey of discovery and revelation. It is a perilous path – one that will take Ezio to Constantinople, the heart of the Ottoman Empire, where a growing army of Templars threatens to destabilize the region." via Game Informer Click here to view the article

Fans and newbies of Sid Meier's long running RTS series, Civilization will be able to get their hands on the Facebook version of the game sometime this summer. In an interview with CNN regarding Civ World, Meier opened about what the social version of the game can do that playing over the PC cannot. We will have to wait and see whether or not long time fans of the popular PC series will support the social, Facebook version of Civilization. via CNN Click here to view the article

Everybody's favorite bald headed, bar code branded hired hand is back and both Square Enix and IO have released new details regarding the long awaited and much anticipated entry into the Hitman series, Hitman: Absolution. "Betrayed by those he trusted and hunted by the police, he finds himself at the centre of a dark conspiracy and must embark on a personal journey through a corrupt and twisted world, in his search for the truth." - Tore Blystad, Director, Hitman: Absolution According to Square Enix and IO, a more darker and serious side of Agent 47 will be unleashed in the new game that begins with 47 being chased down by the police and both the movie that has a budget of $100 million and the new game will hopefully in some way tie in together. The movie will feature original story, characters, and will be along the lines of Hitman video games. "The hope is that the movie will be going in a similar direction, and then when they both come out they will speak the same language. They won't follow the old Hitman games, but rather go with this newer direction." - Tore Blystad, Director, Hitman: Absolution Also announced is that brother to the late Kung Fu actor David Carradine will be in Hitman: Absolution. Keith Carradine known for his roles in Dexter, Kung Fu, and appeared in numerous other television shows and movie will voice the villian that Agent 47 must rise up against. Agent 47's go to girl will not be voiced by Vivienne McKee this time, but instead actress of White Collar fame, Marsha Thomason will be doing the voice over work and says that 47 and Diana have a "very close relationship". "Diana is 47's only true human contact. They've known each other an extremely long time, and in the Hitman world, she is what Q is to James Bond. So she sets the assignments, tells him where to go and who to kill." - Marsha Thomason, actress playing Diana Burnwood Hitman: Absolution is being developed from the ground up and Square and IO are using a dozen Hollywood actors in the game. Hitman: Absolution is due out sometime next year. via RockPaperShotgun and Eurogamer Click here to view the article

Ever imagine what it would be like to be like trapped in a real life version of Treyarch's "Nazi Zombies" mode in Call of Duty? Studio FX Films did and produced an incredible live action short film showcasing their interpretation of everybody's favorite zombie shooting mode. http://youtu.be/N3MUAJ_Xv2A via Joystiq Click here to view the article

During Namco Bandai's "Level up Dubai 2011" press conference, Namco announced that Soul Calibur V will be releasing in 2012 for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. The new story will take place 17 years after the events in Soul Calibur IV and the main character will be Patroclus who happens to be Sophitia's son. http://youtu.be/kHmLtgY3S6c via VG247 Click here to view the article

One of the industries leading titans in technology has bought the innovative internet chat company that allows friends and family to stay in touch over the internet, Skype for a lump sum of $8.5 billion. This transaction beats out Microsoft's previous purchase of aQuantive for $6 billion as the largest purchase that the company has made to date. After Microsoft made the announcement, many were left wondering why Microsoft would take a gamble on Skype who has a long term debt of $686 million and the company suffered a loss last year of around $7 million according to Wired. Microsoft would also be paying an average $1,000 per customer and only receiving $30 back in profit which is another reason many are left scratching their heads at this decision. Microsoft has not offered any concrete details as to why they made the purchase, however one has to wonder if Microsoft plans on bringing Skype to the Xbox 360 via Kinect or even merging Windows Live Messenger with the Skype capabilities. There are many possibilites, but until Microsoft announces their exact plans for their purchase of Skype, we will just have to keep guessing. via Wired Click here to view the article

Summer sucks. Well not the weather, but for gamers the summer months usually bring that long awaited drought that hits right before the madness of the fall and holiday season begin causing us to empty our bank accounts down to nearly nothing all in the name of video games. Here's what's out this week: Xbox Live Arcade The Walking Dead Episode 2 - 400 MS Points Jeremy McGrath's Offroad - 800 MS Points FREEBIE ALERT - Haunt is free for a limited time! Mini Ninja's Adventures - 1200 MS Points Downloadable Content Mass Effect 3 Extended Cut - Free Skyrim: Dawnguard - 1600 MS Points Battlefield 3: Close Quarters - 1200 MS Points Games on Demand Cabela's North American Adventure - $39.99 Cars: Mater-Nation al- $19.99 Grease Dance - $19.99 Retail Games Spec Ops: The Line The Amazing Spider Man Click here to view the article

Curious about how Fable: The Journey will use the Kinect's motion technology? Put your curiosity to rest with the newly released demo on the Xbox Live Marketplace. In the latest twist to the popular Fable franchise set fifty years after the events of Fable III, players take control of Gabriel; a dweller who has been separated from his tribe and later meets up with the mysterious seer Theresa who informs him he must save Albion from the darkness called, The Corruption. Players must use their hands to wield magic and steer their horse drawn carriage to various plot points in the game. Fable: The Journey will be able to read your save files from Fable III and will adjust the world according to your play style and decisions from the previous Fable. Fable: The Journey releases to eager hands on October 9th for the Xbox 360. Kinect sensor is required. via Major Nelson Click here to view the article

Warner Bros. and Monolith's FPS upcoming arcade title, Gotham City Imposters has finally received an official release date. According to Warner Bros., the game will be releasing on the Xbox Live Arcade, Playstation Network, and Games for Windows Live on January 10th, 2012. An open beta will be released to the eager masses sometime this December. In the meantime you can sign up for the open beta by heading over to Gotham City Imposters official website. Keep in mind that even though the name bears Gotham City, you do not get to play as Batman or Joker. Instead you play as their imposters who are running amok on the streets of Gotham all wanting to take the other out in Team Deathmatch styled game modes. via sixthaxis Click here to view the article