Leading up to the events of "X-Men," "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" tells the story of Wolverine's epically violent and romantic past, his complex relationship with Victor Creed, and the ominous Weapon X program. Along the way, Wolverine encounters many mutants, both familiar and new, including surprise appearances by several legends of the X-Men universe.

Raven are developing the accompanying game, details of which can be found here.

Check out the new trailer here.

Based on the long awaited “Watchmen” film directed by Zack Snyder, Watchmen: The End is Nigh will be released as a long-form downloadable game timed to the March 2009 film release. Watchmen: The End is Nigh will go beyond the film and delve into the characters, rivalries and challenges in a mature action-brawler. The game features bloody, visceral combat in rich settings while it explores the crime-fighting partnership of urban vigilantes Rorschach and Nite Owl.

From the developers of the award-winning Mafia comes Mafia II, a beautifully crafted look into the dark and unforgiving world of the Mob. Expanding upon the original hit that captivated more than 2 million gamers around the world, 2K Czech takes players deeper into the Mafia with a mature and exciting experience that will immerse players like never before.

Powered by 2K Czech’s next-generation engine built specifically for Mafia II, players will experience the true evolution of the Mob game that defined a genre. Gunfights, hand-to-hand combat and vehicular exploration feature new depth and dimension that allow players to experience the world of Mafia II in a way that will keep them coming back for more. Mafia II will be available for PC, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 come Fall 2009.

Story

Born the son of a poor immigrant, Vito is a beaten down Italian American who is trying to secure his piece of the American Dream. Looking to escape the life of poverty that consumed his childhood, Vito is soon swayed by the lure of power and wealth that a life of Organized Crime can bring.

A petty criminal his whole life, Vito, along with his childhood friend, Joe, will descend into the world of Organized Crime. Together, they will work to prove themselves to the Mob as they try to make their names on the streets of a cold and unforgiving city.

Key Features

Gangster-Movie Experience: Through strong, authentic characterization and compelling narrative, the mature storyline will make you understand the pull and impossible escape of life in the Mob.

Action-Packed Gameplay: Take part in heart-stopping car-to-car gunfights, white-knuckled hand-to-hand combat and intense gunplay, all of which come together to form an intense and exciting experience.

All-New Engine Powers the Next Generation of Mob Videogames: 2K Czech’s next-generation engine, allows gamers to travel from beautifully rendered outdoor environments to intricately designed interiors seamlessly without the need for loading times.

Authentic Script From the Writer of Mafia I: The writing team from Mafia I returns to deliver another powerhouse script that portrays a stunning tale of survival, camaraderie and the pitfalls of pursuing the American Dream.

Music as Environment: Players will be immersed in the Golden Era of America as Mafia II features tracks from some of the era’s most influential artists.

Q: How did this game come about?

Flores: I think their interest in the project really fueled it. Both Lars' and (singer) James (Hetfield's) kids play Guitar Hero and they were really excited about it. They wanted to do it and, of course, we wanted to do it, so it made sense.

Ulrich: I think my kids decided for me. I was first introduced to Guitar Hero in my house about a year ago by my kids (sons Myles, 10, and Layne, 7; he also has a 1-year-old son, Bryce, with his girlfriend, actress Connie Nielsen). They became big fans of Deep Purple and Black Sabbath and all the bands I grew up on. It seemed like this was the first video game that really brought the family together.

We were all sitting there and we were all sharing it. It wasn't something that was just about the person playing, it was about everybody. It became a collective thing. This thing on a worldwide basis was obviously turning into a phenomenon. There is a saying in Metallicaland: "This is what we call a no-brainer."

Hammett: I don't play video games very much, but I love what Guitar Hero does for young kids, actually kids of all ages.

Time Warner has purchased another 10 million shares in Eidos, bringing its total stake in the troubled publisher up to 52.5 million, approximately 20 per cent of the company.

The news is relatively unsurprising given the interest that Warner has shown in SCi - recently renamed Eidos - and rumours of a takeover have been rife for some time.

Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, and global videogame publisher, 505 Games, announced today a new partnership to develop next generation console and iPhone videogames. The first title is scheduled to release in spring 2010 and will be developed by 505 Games’ newly formed U.S. operations in Los Angeles.

“505 Games is proud to partner with Michael Phelps to create innovative new game play experiences that celebrate active lifestyles, the spirit of competition and the inspirational dream of becoming a champion,” said Adam Kline, president of 505 Games U.S. “Through swimming, Michael has become an international superstar and role model for people of all ages. With 505 Games’ global reach, we look forward to leveraging the powerful digital entertainment medium to bring Michael’s passion for sports and competition to new audiences around the world.”

505 Games and Phelps are currently in the development stages for the first-of-its-kind videogame that may also include some of his teammates. In addition, 505 Games will donate a portion of the videogame proceeds to the Michael Phelps Foundation.

“I am really excited to partner with 505 Games and work with them to develop a game that is reflective of my personality, lifestyle and competitive nature,” said Phelps. “I believe this will be a tremendous opportunity to help continue my quest to raise the profile for the sport of swimming.”

Building on the critically acclaimed Ferrari Challenge racing simulation engine, SuperCar Challenge heralds the addition of the sexiest supercars on the planet while improving on its spiritual prequel in every way.

Over 40 cars will be available to throw around the most celebrated corners on the racing calendar. Experience the thrills and spills that come with harnessing the full grunt of an Aston Martin DB9, the Lamborghini Murcielago RGT, the McLaren F1 and many more! Of course, the game caters for the Ferrari fans too with a selection of favourites making the cut from 2008’s Ferrari Challenge.

More than 20 tracks will also be available, with old favourites such as Silverstone and Spa mixed in with the joys of N¸rbergring. More new tracks will be announced over the coming months.

Further information about the enhanced $20 port can be found here.

Unfortunately, supply-chain issues have caused the retailer to stop game-related sales on their website, so you'll have to head down to your local store to grab a bargain.

"We have large shoes to fill following the success of the previously released God of War titles," said Stig Asmussen, Game Director for God of War 3. "But with refined gameplay and jaw-dropping visuals, I guarantee that God of War will give fans what they have been eagerly waiting for, and much more."

Set in the realm of Greek mythology, God of War 3 is a single-player game that allows players to take on the climatic role of the ex-Spartan warrior, Kratos, as he treads through the intimidating heights of Mt. Olympus and the dark depths of Hell once more to seek revenge on those who have betrayed him. Armed with double-chained blades, Kratos must take on mythology's darkest creatures while solving intricate puzzles throughout his merciless quest to destroy Olympus.

Utilizing a new game engine built from the ground up and state-of-the-art visual technologies, the development team behind God of War 3 have made significant strides in giving players the realistic feel of actually being on the battlegrounds. With texture resolutions being quadrupled since God of War 2, God of War 3 will feature fluid, life-like characters, as well as dynamic lighting effects, a robust weapon system, and world-changing scenarios that will truly bring unmistakable realism to Kratos' fateful quest. Players will have a chance to join battles on a grand scale with many more enemies on-screen and be able to interact with levels like never before.

An abducted soul, a lifetime of sins, a journey to the depths of despair. Electronic Arts Inc. announced today that EA Redwood Shores, the studio behind hit horror game Dead Space, is making Dante’s Inferno – a third-person action adventure adaptation of the medieval epic poem The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. The dark fiction gave birth to the Tuscan Italian dialect and is widely considered to have defined the western world’s contemporary conception of hell and purgatory. The poem tells the tale of Dante who journeys through the twisted, menacing nine circles of hell in pursuit of his beloved Beatrice.

Written in the 14th Century, The Divine Comedy was published and read aloud in Italian (unlike the Bible), thereby making the poem accessible to the mass public. The poem delivers a striking and allegorical vision of the Christian afterlife and the punishments of hell. In part one, known as Dante’s Inferno, Dante traverses all nine circles of hell; limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, wrath, heresy, violence, fraud and treachery.

“The time is right for the world of interactive entertainment to adapt this literary masterpiece, and to re-introduce Dante to an audience that, until now, may have been unfamiliar with the remarkable details of this great work of art,” said Jonathan Knight, executive producer for Dante’s Inferno. “It’s the perfect opportunity to fuse great gameplay with great story.”

PC

• Defense Grid: The Awakening - Frictionless Insight - 3.5/5
• Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods - D Minus - 1Up
• Grand Theft Auto IV - 1Up - B
• Hired Guns: The Jagged Edge - PC.IGN - 5.9/10

  360
  

• Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway - Gaming Nexus - B+
• Fable II - Megawarp - 7/10
• Need for Speed: Undercover - ActionTrip - 5.2/10

Crispy Gamer:. For the record, I really loved Mirror's Edge. It's in my top 10 for the year. No game looked like it; no game played like it, and for those reasons, it became one of my favorite titles of 2008. But not every critic agrees with me.

Tom Farrer: [Laughs] No, they certainly don't.

Crispy Gamer: So how do you feel about the critical reception so far?

Farrer: We knew that it was the kind of game that would polarize people. But we were surprised by the extent of that polarization. We saw 90-out-of-100 scores, 10 out of 10s, along with 5s and 6s out of 10s. That was a surprise to us, how differently people perceived and experienced the game.

Q. Can you comment on the general difficulty of the dungeons such as Bilerot Burrow and Bloodwrought Enclave? As it stands now, it seems as though the outcome of the fight is way too dependent on the gear of the tank rather than player skill.

A. Everyone in your group should have at least a few pieces of the appropriately warded gear. If you don’t, then it is likely that you won’t succeed. If you do, then for example with the Bile Lord, you have to skillfully avoid the pestilent puddles, wrangle up the adds, ensure Nurglings don’t die near him (it enrages him), be on point with curing the DoTs, burn his intestines down fast enough, etc. However, just as with any fight, if you are over-geared (i.e. have a full greater ward set) then a group might be able to just weather the damage and burn him down quick enough to avoid any major hiccups.

With a focus on big screen action, Midway was able to add Airjacking to Wheelman. With this move, Vin can come up close on a car being piloted by the computer, hold open his driver's side door, and leap out on to the other car's roof. From here, he'll bust through the new car's passenger's side window, kick the driver to the street, and take off in the new ride. All this is executed by you holding a button and releasing when the arrow goes from red to green. The move fills your Focus Gauge and will be key to surviving missions that have enemy gunfire raining down upon your rides. You can Airjack any car in the game, but if a foe is driving it, you'll have to disarm him and make sure his in-car cronies are down for the count. If you're on an escort mission, you can Airjack, but you'll need to wait for your former passenger to get out of the old car and come find you.

With the latest Title Update, some users are experiencing a Look/Spin/Stuck Key issue that interferes with user input. The temporary fix, described below, will restore Keyboard/Mouse and XInput (360) controller functionality. Support for DirectInput devices is currently limited. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience.

To fix the issue:

A1) Unplug any DirectInput controllers (gamepads, joysticks etc..)
A2) Reboot your computer
A3) Launch GTA IV

If the issue persists, the following instructions are provided as a guide to assist you in deleting the conflicting DirectInput drivers:

B1) Exit game
B2) Go to Start->Control Panel->System->Hardware Tab->Device Manager->Human Interface Devices
B3) Locate drivers for devices
B4) Delete drivers for devices
B5) Launch GTA IV

Some users are able to reinstall the drivers for their DirectInput devices, with the device attached, and have found that it will work in game. If you do attempt to reinstall your device and the problem resurfaces, please follow steps B1-B5 again.

Click here for further info and the game itself.

So why is the PS3 flopping so badly?

1. It's the most expensive console on the market, $150 - $200 more than its rivals. Even if you believe the video game industry is "recession-proof" (it isn't), a tanking economy makes consumers more price-conscious.
2. The PS3's big bonus is its ability to double as a Blu-Ray player. Too bad no one seems to care about hi-def DVDs. The differences between Blu-Ray and DVD are hard to see on a TV less than 50".
3. The PS3 just doesn't have any must-have titles exclusive to the console. "LittleBigPlanet" has generated decent buzz but isn't a game-changer, and neither is Sony's new virtual world "Home."

There's really only one option left for Sony to remain in the game: deep price cuts, and not just for people with good credit. Tell yourself the PS3 has superior graphics if it makes you feel better, but a $400 console with a mediocre game library simply cannot compete against an Xbox 360 priced at $200 in this economy.

Look at the holiday landscape. We're dealing with the worst economy since the Carter years. Deflation looms. Businesses desperately need a big holiday push to boost the bottom line. The Nintendo Wii remains the most popular system in the land, and, at $250, isn't necessarily a budget buster. XBox 360 has made serious inroads by dropping the price of its core system to $199. So how did Sony respond?

By releasing a new version of the PS3 ... that's $100 more expensive. Yes, it comes with a game, and yes, it has more hard-drive space, to which I respond: Who cares? Was the marketplace clamoring for more memory from the PS3? Is that why its market penetration is so low compared to its predecessors and competition? What were the Sony execs thinking?