I'm sure there are many sci-fi inspired pants-tent parties in at least a few computer rooms as I write this: Mass Effect 3 has gone gold ahead of its March 9 release. And that is of course confirmation there be no further delay and we'll all be playing as Shepard very shortly. If you're not sure what going 'gold' is, it simply means the game is finished and is ready to be written to discs for distribution. Joy....

I've spent the last three weeks getting married, going on a honeymoon, diving The Great Barrier Reef and getting The Bends. It seems a lot went on while I was gone, but rather than spam your RSS, Twitter and Facebook feeds with a dozen new articles, I thought a summary of those stories would be best, prior to business as usual.

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It looks like we're stuck with another Origin exclusive for the third instalment of the massively popular Mass Effect franchise. Being released on March 8, BioWare has made the announcement that the game will be available through EA's Origin service and a number of third-party retailers, but due to "restrictive terms of service which limit how developers interact with customers to deliver patches and other downloadable content" we won't see it on Steam. "We are intent on providing Mass Effect to p...

Another treat has been gifted to RPG fans at the Video Game Awards, this time in the shape of a new Mass Effect 3 gameplay trailer. In it, Shepard mounts an attack against the odds as a spectacular sequence of events unfold. It's excitement++ all-round. Also: giant sand worm things.

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BioWare has revealed not just a single player demo, scheduled for January 2012, but an accompanying multiplayer beta! For those that aren't aware, Mass Effect 3 ships with an online co-op mode titled Galaxy at War. No specific platforms for either have been confirmed apart from PC, but what we do know is that you'll find early access in new copies of Battlefield 3.

Here's the wrap-up of what we know so far:

• Owners of Battlefield 3, on any platform, who activate their Online Pass will

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The first ever EB Games Expo starts tomorrow morning on the Gold Coast, where participants will be able to have a play with games such as Mass Effect 3, Uncharted 3 and Batman Arkham City. Lex, Bam and I will be there for all three sessions and look forward to keeping you all up to date with photos and updates from the event.

We don't plan on spamming the news page with every little bit of information however, nor fill your Facebook feed. Instead, we'll give Twitter a work-out. To keep...

The debut EB Games Expo hits the Gold Coast this weekend! Excitingly, a press release has revealed what games that will be playable at the event. Lex, Bam Stroker and I will be there, who all look forward to some hands-on time with Mass Effect 3, Uncharted 3 and Batman Arkham City. Other games available to play include Battlefield 3, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3, Saints Row the Third, Assassins Creed Revelations, Darkness 2, Super Mario 3D Land, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Mario Kart ...

Another gem from the currently running GamesCom in Cologne is this Mass Effect 3 trailer, showcasing the combat system. Part 1, titled Squad Leader, shows us a bit about that paired with some exciting gameplay. The blurb from EA says "Mass Effect 3 a classic, high-octane alien adventure. The scale of the emotion and action are at an all-time high. Mass Effect 3 is the ultimate action RPG -- this is all out galactic war. Check out this latest trailer which debut at Gamescom 2011." ...

There was plenty of murmurs at E3 2011 about BioWare's interest in multiplayer, even in regards to the Mass Effect universe. Eurogamer is now claiming that information from undisclosed sources confirm that Mass Effect 3 will feature a standalone, four-player co-operative mode. It's said the co-op missions won't tie into the main storyline, and are designed around replay value....

Mass Effect 3 has been delayed until March 2012, but Bioware assure us the delay will be worth it. And while it has been confirmed that this will be the end of Commander Shepard's story, it has also been confirmed that this is most certainly not the end of the Mass Effect universe. EA has just released a new trailer, a live action trailer, to show off at the winding-up E3 2011 expo. Have a look...

Shit just got real. The battle is coming home to Earth. Check out Mass Effect 3's debut teaser trailer right here, thanks to the Spike VGAs. The final installement of BioWare's epic sci-fi trilogy will arrive during the Christmas holiday season, 2011...

work has commenced...

Casey Hudson, project manager at Bioware, has revealed to IGN that the last chapter in the trilogy is already being worked on. No further details were revealed, but based on his comments it seems the project is still in its infancy and there isn't actually anything else to tell......