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Comic book and video game nerds unite! DC Direct announced a new lineup of action figures based on 2009's hit Batman Arkham Asylum and 2011's followup, Batman Arkham City. These highly detailed and gorgeous action figures include Titan Joker who is due out in November and Killer Croc and Mr. Freeze who are both hitting retail shelves in June. Also announced were The Penguin, Batman, Clown Thug, Ra's al Ghul, and Azrael which are all releasing in September. via Game Informer

You now have until April 2nd to pre order the $100 special edition version of Max Payne 3. Rockstar made the announcement shortly after the delay of the release of the game was announced. The fancy pants special edition of Max Payne 3 comes with a collectable statue of Max, copper and brass bullet shaped keychain with a screw off back, original still life art prints, classic multiplayer character pack with characters from previous Max Payne games, mulitplayer weapon pack, the soundtrack to the game, and of course one copy of Max Payne 3. The multiplayer classic character and weapon packs you will not be able to get anywhere else other than the special edition. Max Payne 3 is set to release on May 15, 2012 here in the US and on May 18, 2012 in Europe. via CVG

EA has once again proven that being the bigger man is not in their vocabulary when it comes to dealing with their Origin's competition, Steam. On a post in the Bioware forums for the upcoming Mass Effect 3, Bioware states that the RPG will only be available on Origin "initially" and not Steam. Why do you ask? According to Bioware's Chris Priestly it's because of Steam's "restrictive terms of service". "During initial release Mass Effect 3 will be available on Origin and a number of other 3rd party digital retailers, but not on Steam at this time. Steam has adopted a set of restrictive terms of service which limit how developers interact with customers to deliver patches and other downloadable content. We are intent on providing Mass Effect to players with the best possible experience no matter where they purchase or play their game, and are happy to partner with any download service that does not restrict our ability to connect directly with our consumers." Apparently limiting your consumer base is a great way to ensure sales of your game! Go EA! via Bioware

Max Payne 3 may have been delayed until May disappointing fans of the series, but Rockstar has released a new video to keep you all satisfied for the time being. The latest released video showcases the weapons and targeting system along with the series staple, Bullet Time. http://youtu.be/9FTvPSnkV5Avia Eurogamer and

Those of you that are eagerly waiting to get your hands on Platinum Game's Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance will be getting an early surprise. Kojima and Platinum Game's CEO Tatsuya Minami and Producer Atsushi Inaba, who incase you missed the memo, are now working on Revengeance have all confirmed to Famitsu Magazine that the Raiden only action game will be playable at this year's E3 in June. The now action only spin off featuring the white haired, somewhat disliked, and newly metal bodied Raiden has no set release date other than sometime in 2012. via Andriasang

A viral video of a woman crying for help and saying that she would be safe indoors, photos of random towns across the world with "No Hope Left" spray painted everywhere, and biohazard symbols popping up along with a date of 19.01.12 which could be translated to January 19th, 2012 have all surfaced on NoHopeLeft.com leading many to believe that a Resident Evil 6 announcement could be coming soon. Of course all of this could mean any number of things, but the users at NeoGaf did a bit of undercover work and discovered that the No Hope Left website is registered to the same name that had ties to the upcoming new take on the horror series, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City. As one user also points out there is an upcoming event in Japan for the 15th anniversary of the Resident Evil series that is happening on January 20th. Interestingly enough, the Resident Evil seriesis called Biohazard over in Japan which the mysterious website is big on plastering in photos. Without Capcom confirming anything this is all just speculation. This viral website could even be to promote the upcoming release of Resident Evil Revelations which is releasing for the DS on February 7th or maybe the zombie apocalpyse is actually happening and we all just need to stay inside. If you have a minute check out the website and let us know what you think. http://youtu.be/p3HsO0hZuUY via IGN

Oh Mr. Payne, it appears that you are really turning out to be a pain. Take-Two has announced that Max Payne 3 has been delayed until May 2012. Reasons behind the delay were not revealed in the press release, however Take-Two stated Rockstar would give details later today. Take-Two also announced a net loss for the fiscal year. They were expecting to make around 1 billion in revenue from their products and instead are reducing that number to somewhere in between $120 million and $239 million. via Take-Two

It seems that Ubisoft's upcoming Ghost Recon: Future Soldier does not want to release. After originally being announced in 2009, the futuristic military third person shooter fell off the radar altogether, re-appeared, and then a week ago received a video that claimed it was releasing in March 2012. Ubisoft has again changed that date to May 22, 2012 in North America. Europe will be receiving it a couple days later on May 24th. Also announced is that the January mulitplayer beta has been pushed back until April and the might exist, oh wait cancelled in December, PC version has once again been given the green light and according to Ubisoft's press release will release at a later date. In Ghost Recon: Future Soldier gamers will take on the "future" of military warfare with things like active camo to make them invisible to the enemy and a highly customizable interface that allows for pre-testing in a simulated environment of weapons. Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is also Kinect enabled and allows gamers to use their voice to customize their weapons and use their hand as if they were preparing to engage in combat in real life. via Joystiq and Ghost Recon: Future Solider wiki

During Microsoft's CES 2012 keynote speech, it was announced that Kinect for Windows will be launching on February 1st. Amazon currently has the PC Kinect device listed at a sale price of $249.99. The Kinect for Windows supports voice commands and hand gestures and features an improvement over the Xbox 360 Kinect version when it comes to how well the Kinect picks up movements at a closer level which is something many Kinect gamers have been complaining about with some games including the popular workout regime, Your Shape Fitness Evolved series. I myself am one of those complainers and can vouch for the issue with the recently release Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2012. One has to wonder with Microsoft implementing Kinect into what seems to be all of their major brands, what exactly is the end game plan for this motion controlled device that made the Wii look like child's play? via TG Daily

Fusible did a tiny bit of detective work regarding Activision's record breaking Call of Duty: Black Ops and discovered that not only was blackops2.com switched over recently to MarkMonitor which happens to be the privacy service that Activision is a client to, but also that in August Activision bought the domains blackops3.com, blackops4.com, blackops5.com, and blackops6.com making it appear that not only is Call of Duty Black Ops 2 is on the horizon but that there will be a total of 6 in the Black Ops series. This should not come as a surprise to anybody with the never ending supply of games that share the name Call of Duty, but Black Ops 6? Really Activision? via Fusible

Eager Silent Hill fans who were waiting for January 24th to come so they could get their hands on the Silent Hill HD Collection will have to wait a couple more months. Konami has yet to confirm anything however many gaming retailers like GameSpot, GameFly, and Amazon have all pushed the release date back to March 6th. The Silent Hill HD Collection contains HD versions of Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill 3. via Joystiq

In a gaming world where gamer stereotypes are abundant and the thought of being accused of not being a "hardcore" gamer would bring some to tears, you find a gem like this. An unidentified father threatened to "whoop" his young son over purchasing Mirror's Edge and a purple controller all of which was a gift from his older brother. This all unfolded at a gaming retail store right in front of the manager Kristin Wolfe. Kristin whoHuffington Post

Those of you looking to get your hands on Gotham City Imposters, the downloadble title coming to the Xbox Live Marketplace, Playstation Network, and PC will just have to wait a bit longer. The previous launch date of January 10th, has been pushed back to February according to a press release from Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment. In the first person shooter title Gotham City Imposters, gamers can choose which side of the law that they want to be on in order to take over Gotham City, the do-gooder Batman side or the evil hijinks Joker side. Once the decision has been made, gamers can then create their own imposter versions of their favorite character and battle it out against their enemies using homemade and traditional weapons all while wearing crazy and off beat looking costumes. via Piki Geek

The creator of all things Mario and backbone of Nintendo, Shigeru Miyamoto has announced in a video where he reflects on his years in the industry that he is not only working on two named titles, but also an unnamed original title. In the short video clip, Miyamoto also confirms that he is not retiring and cites that it is because he is not old enough to retire. Rumors have been swirling that Miyamoto was going to announce his retirement due to a comment he had previously made in an interview with online gaming website Wired. Miyamoto offers no information on the new game he is working other then perhaps hints throughout the video reflection including one where he says, "I personally want to make something really different". http://youtu.be/IHA9FS3D9vw via , Wired

Just like every other game before it, Mass Effect 3 is getting pre-order content, but of course it all depends on who you pre-order with and if you pre-order it at all. Gamers who pre-order from GameStop will get N7 Warfare Gear along with the N7 Valkyrie assualt rifle. Origin pre-orders will be receiving the AT12 Raider shotgun and the M55 Argus assault rifle. This is where the pre-orders get confusing. Anybody who pre-orders at any retailer will be receiving the M55 Argus assualt rifle. So technically Origin users are only getting one pre-order item and GameStop pre-orders are getting another. All of the Mass Effect 3 pre-order goodies will be available the day that the game releases on March 6, 2012 and will expire on March 6, 2013. In Mass Effect 3, gamers assume the role of their versions of Commander Shepard and will embark on his or her final appearence in the Mass Effect trilogy. http://youtu.be/AXOLSPh-0Fs via Bioware and The Mass Effect Website

Somewhere if you listen closely you can hear the faint cries coming from fans of the uber popular cult series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly, because the online developer that was responsible for at one time working on both of their MMO's has closed it doors before the new year began. Multiverse who first gained recognition by allowing developers to create MMO's cheaply through use of their Multiverse Platform announced through a message on their website before 2011 ended that they had to close their doors due to lack of funds. Good news for at least Firefly fans, DarkCryo Entertainment is working on Firefly Universe Online. However for my fellow Buffy fans, we will just have to wait to re-enter the world of our favorite scoobies. via The Sixth Axis, Ten Ton Hammer

While Sony says, "We do not comment on rumors or speculation about our products" when questioned about whether or not God of War IV was on the horizon, a composer who is working on the music for the game has ousted the project without Sony knowing. The award winning Timothy Williams has confirmed to Joystiq that he is indeed helping out with composing the music for God of War IV and that the game is now on his resume as "upcoming". Williams has composed music for several Hollywood hits including Watchmen, 300, and Halloween. He also composed music for video games such as Army of Two: 40th Day, Transformers, and Rise of the Arognauts. via Joystiq and Timothy William's Resume

President Obama was spotted at a Best Buy purchasing Just Dance 3 for the Wii for his daughters and according to the President, he sucks at dance games. "The girls beat me everytime at these various dance games. You guys will never get a picture of me doing it." Photo or no photo, unfortunately Mr. President you were caught on camera buying Just Dance 3 for the Wii over Dance Central 2. That's embarassing enough. via CBS and Joystiq

For those of you that have forgotten or got the chance to play the awful Spec Ops: The Line private beta, it appears that 2K Games wants to remind you that the game is still coming and it appears to have received a bit of a makeover in the following trailer that is full of new gameplay footage. http://youtu.be/eaP1-yCqbUwvia

The first set of DLC has been announced for Modern Warfare 3. Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling made the announcement on Call of Duty's Elite service premium side meaning that unless you paid up for Elite, you can't see the video. Elite subscribers on Xbox Live will be able to get their hands on the DLC January 24th. No date was given for Playstation 3 or PC users. Bowling stated rather vaguely that the content will contain things that players have never seen before and that all three developers Infinity Ward, Raven Software, and Sledgehammer have worked on the unnamed DLC. via Call of Duty Elite and Joystiq

Rocksteady is saying thank you to fans of Batman: Arkham City by giving out a free downloadable Batsuit skin. The Black Batsuit with the familiar yellow emblem will be available on December 21st to download from the Playstation Network, Xbox Live Marketplace, and PC, but only for one day. Rocksteady also provided a cheat code so that gamers who have yet to complete the game can change into the new Batsuit skin. To use the code go to the main menu, select your save slot, and do the following combo: via Batman Arkham City Blog

Capcom has confirmed that The Devil May Cry HD collection that contains Devil May Cry 1, 2, and Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening will be releasing on April 3, 2012. The collection will be releasing on both the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 for $39.99 and Capcom has stated that there will be achievements and trophies as well as new bonus content. via CVG

Today's Fail of the Day is being brought to you by the parents who choose to be uneducated about video games and the associates at a Best Buy who are just plain stupid. Naturally with Christmas comes lists for Santa that are filled with video game requests from little gamers all across the country. It should come as no surprise that Modern Warfare 3 is topping those lists this year. For one news website based in Virginia this "violent" video game is causing some parents concern, because they and what a shocker here, know nothing about it. According to WHSV.com, the mature rating is causing parents to be cautious and they decided to ask the gamer know it alls at a local Best Buy what they have been doing to deal with this mounting issue and one associate says, they have been keeping parents from buying the game. "A lot of times we are going to push them away from it. Just because they need to be over 17 years old. Just for the fact that there is going to be a lot of blood, violence and cursing in that game," states Richard LaBossiere who also said that occasionally people do get upset over hearing those cold hard facts. WHSV also asked Sallie Darling (no I'm not making that name up) who handles the Modern Warfare 3 merchandising in the area what her thoughts were and her response was, "It's always seemed ironic to me, with all the wars going on. That people would still like violent games, in particular war games,". So there you go folks. Ground breaking "advice" and opinions brought to you by the people who work at Best Buy, because apparently they know everything in the world about video games which is why they were chosen as the "go to guys" for advice. Parents listen up. If you want advice and have concern on a video game do some research yourself and pay attention to the ESRB ratings and use them as a guide. Do not walk up to a counter at of all places a Best Buy and address your concerns. Or quite simply, if you have concerns don't buy the game. You of all people know what your child can and cannot handle. Having somebody else tell you that you shouldn't buy that for someone you have been raising since they were born is like walking into a candy store and buying a peanut butter chew for another parent's kid who is allergic to peanut butter and of course you don't know that. Trust your parental instincts and everything will be fine if you decide to purchase Modern Warfare 3 or any other M rated game on your child's list this year. You do not need of all people Best Buy employees to tell you that.

Remedy released an announcement trailer last week for the upcoming downloadable episode for Alan Wake, Alan Wake's American Nightmare. Today, they released the full extended trailer which shows Alan Wake doing what he does best. Dodging "omega 3 fatty acid" foes and still managing to get hit in the back during the slow sequence scene. http://youtu.be/n_xaxNeb59sAlan Wake's American Nightmare will be releasing on the Xbox Live Arcade as a downloadable episode. via CVG

While most websites are getting together their top [enter random number here] gaming lists of 2011, I decided what better why to usher in a new year then to go over the list of disappointments from the gaming industry for the 2011 year. I doubt anybody will learn from their mistakes, but hey this gamer can hope. Right? (May contain spoilers for games that you have not played yet. You have been warned) Saint's Row: The Third At the top of my list is Volition and THQ's, Saint's Row: The Third. I waited so long for this as did many fans of the series and then once I got my wanna be gangsta hands on it I was left saying, "What the f*#% did I just play?". Between the high flying airplane escape scenes, to zombies, (seriously guys, WTF?) and Gat's unemotional demise I was not only a tab bit disappointed and miffed, but also confused because there were times when I thought I was missing cutscenes that should have been there. Also aiding in the disappointment department was the utterly short and not worth caring about campaign and the missing of stores, activities, and personalization options with your character regarding clothes, piercings and tattoos. My only hope is that Volition and THQ take this step back and move two steps forward with the next Saint's Row. Modern Warfare 3 Campaign I was eager and extremely anxious to see how the current storyline in Modern Warfare was going to end up when Activision along with the multiple developers who worked on this title released Modern Warfare 3. Unfortunately I expected too much, because in roughly 3 hours this storyline ended and I could have cared less. Sure there was one huge moment when I felt a little tinge of sadness, but where was the intense and insane storyling that I come to love and expect from the Modern Warfare series? Well here's to hoping that with Modern Warfare 4 it is strictly handled by the hands over at Infinity Ward or else the other developers do their research a tad bit longer before releasing a disappointing campaign that uses the name, Modern Warfare. Out of the Box Updates and DLC There are several of you offenders out there this year and you better be listening. 2011 was the year for day one updates and DLC and I for one grew tired of it very fast. There are no amount of excuses that you can come up with to change my frown around. All we want to do on day one of a game release is buy the game, take off the fresh shiny wrapper, and play it. I for one do not want to have to sit there waiting for an update to install and then have day one DLC that I need to purchase, because you know...you "could not" fit it all in. Bull crap. I wish for 2012 to be a day one update and day one DLC free year, but sadly that is a "wish in one hand and poo in the other and see which one gets the fullest" thing. Sony Got Hacked....Say What?! Sony's lack luster response to being hacked in early 2011 lands them here. I do not think I need to say too much on this subject that was not already said, but note to Sony, next time your services are hacked and thousands of your customers private information is at stake, please be kind to let them know immediately. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Before I have rotten tomatos thrown at me for even mentioning Skyrim in the same sentence of disappointment, here me out. When the game first released there were texture issues on the Xbox 360 if the game was installed. Then let's not forget about the patch that broke the game and required another patch to fix it. Xbox Live TV Service/Apps Just when I thought I could finally ditch that lumpy cable box, because of Microsoft's Xbox Live TV service announcement I was sadly mistaken. While the lineup may sound great, the catches are not. To use Verizon FIOS or Xfinity you have to be a current customer of either and an additional fee will be added to your bill. Now how does that make sense? In Microsoft's mind it does, but unfortunately for those of us where either cable service isn't an option we are SOL and the ones that do have an account for either brand, why would they pay an extra $80 a month for something that they can watch on their TV without having to listen to their Xbox sound like it is going to kick the bucket soon? No thank you. So there you have it, my list of gaming disappointments for the year of 2011. Do you agree or do you have a list of your own gaming disappointments? Sound off on our forums with what you think are the biggest disappointments of 2011.