Gears of War's 5 month delay means it isn't arriving until later 2011, but it's not all frowns and black finger nails. The Xbox LIVE multiplayer beta is just around the corner, commencing early next year, and unusually for console shooters it will support dedicated servers!...

The long-rumored zombie mode for Activision's Call of Duty: Black Ops have been officially revealed. Treyarch studio head, Mark Lamia explains: "Zombies have been such a hit with our community that we were committed to bringing brand new zombie experiences to Call of Duty: Black Ops. We've taken extra special care to retain the essential ingredients of our Zombie game, and have also crafted a nice surprise for the fans." ...

Far from the underwater city of Rapture is Columbia, an immense city in the sky. That's where you'll play out the next Bioshock sequel, fighting indoors and amidst the clouds with "dozens of new weapons and abilities". Click through to the full article view for the debut cinematic trailer. Oh, and thanks to Reslo on the forums for the heads-up!
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So, Halo: Reach is here. This latest entry to the acclaimed franchise currently sports a 92/100 review average, encompassing over 60 reviews. Impressively, it made $US200 million in sales in the United States and Europe in the first 24 hours of its release. Oh, and within 24 hours of release the highest number of concurrent Halo 3 players was surpassed. Want more numbers? Here's how things panned out 5 days after it hit store shelves:
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It's a bit Duke Nukem, it's a bit Gears of War, and it's kinda bad-ass. I'm not entirely sure yet if it's my type of game, because what I'd coin as 'mindless shooters' generally don't interest me, but this looks atmospheric, energetic, cinematic and down-right gorgeous. Forget my jaded ranting though, a demonstration of gameplay has been shown at GamesCom, so you can make up your own mind. ...

Dead Space 2 looks to carry on all of what was loved in the original, but rips us out of those claustrophobic corridors and sends us hurdling into daunting, vast and eerily silent space. For a while, at least. See for yourself in this space walk demonstration streamed from GamesCom. ...

March 8 has been revealed as the release date for BioWare's epic fantasy RPG, Dragon Age 2, which was accompanied by an excellent cinematic trailer. There's no gameplay footage involved, but I'm not sure you'll care - it's riveting stuff, I must say. ...

Only 5 months ago did Australia's first gaming bar, Mana Bar, launch in Brisbane. I live a mere 30 seconds walk around the corner, and pass it each and every day to and from the train station. Unsurprisingly to me, it's always packed. The screens light up the bar with animated gaming ambiance and the button-mashing can be heard from the street.

What has been created here is an evolution and revitalisation of arcade culture, but without the need to insert coins. The promise and potential offered by such an establishment leaves any retro gamer that likes a drink all warm and fuzzy inside. As does the bourbon. Could we soon see the city streets of Australian capitals littered with like venues?
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Finally, some real news on the highly anticipated Batman: Arkham Asylum sequel - Thanks to Reslo on the forums for the heads up! What has now been confirmed is that the game will take place in a "heavily fortified" district of Gotham City, will feature Catwoman, and can be expected at the end of 2011. Rocksteady assure is that they "won't let anyone down" with this return of the Dark Knight. Previously confirmed characters are Two-Face, Robin, Mr. Freeze and The Joker....

Directed by Linkin Park's Joe Hahn, "The Catalyst" is the latest trailer for DICE's first Medal of Honor set outside of WWII. It's a mix of live action and gameplay, featuring some never seen before in-game footage. If you like the song, it too is called "The Catalyst" and is from Link Park's soon to be released album, A Thousand Suns. If you're like what you see from Medal of Honor, it's out October 12. ...