Shippin' Out August 14-20: El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron

New Release slate led by Ignition's action adventure game; No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise lands on PS3 alongside Bastion and Age of Empires Online for the PC.

Last week's new release slate was decidedly short, with Fruit Ninja Kinect leading all new releases. This week's offerings are heartier, with Ignition's action adventure game leading the way next to Travis Touchdown's first outing on the PlayStation 3.

El Shaddai lights up PS3 and Xbox 360 this week.

First out of the gate this week is El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. El Shaddai takes its premise from the apocryphal Old Testament Book of Enoch. When a group of seven angels betray heaven to build the Tower of Babel, God appoints the mortal Enoch to set things right or else condemn the world to a great flood. Assisting Enoch along the way will be Lucifel, the angel who would later become Lucifer.

As Enoch, players will jump into a series of visually distinct levels, each one with a style reflecting a specific angel's ideal world. The premise allows for levels to vary not just in appearance but also gameplay, as players will find themselves exploring 2D as well as 3D worlds. Development on the game was led by Sawaki Takeyasu, one of three lead character designers on Capcom's Okami.

Also due out this week is AQ Interactive's adaptation No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise for the PlayStation 3. The game's protagonist, Travis Touchdown, is tasked with ascending the ranks of an assassin's guild by murdering all of his competition. In addition to becoming the world's greatest assassin, Travis hopes his efforts will win the affections of his beautiful and mysterious benefactor.

No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise arrives for the PS3 this week.

Along with a distinctive visual style, the game features motion-sensing controls to slash with Touchdown's Jedi-esque lightsaber or perform pro wrestling moves on foes. Whereas these controls were handled by the Wii Remote in Nintendo's version of the game, Heroes Paradise will make use of Sony's Move motion-controller setup.

Move controls aren't the only addition made by AQ. The studio has also added more boss characters to the game, as well as tweaked the artificial intelligence of No More Heroes' enemies. Players will also be able to face off against previously defeated bosses in the newly added Rebout mode. Lastly, Viewer mode lets players watch the cutscenes without playing through the game.

PC gamers hoping to get their hands on Supergiant Games' Bastion can pick up the action role-playing title this Tuesday. Initially, Bastion for the PC will be available only on Valve's digital distribution warehouse Steam. Its availability will expand later in the month when the game is released on other PC download hubs.

Like its Xbox Live Arcade counterpart, Bastion for the PC will cost $15. On Steam, the DRM-free game will leverage the service's Steamworks functionality, support cloud saves, and let gamers track their progress via leaderboards and achievement records.

Another high-profile PC game out this week is Microsoft's Age of Empires Online, which will be available at retail and online on Tuesday. The historical real-time strategy game will be available to play for free, but gamers can also purchase Premium Content Packs, which include booster packs and additional game modes, for a fee.

The free version of Age of Empires Online is in development at Gas Powered Games. The gameworld is described as "evolving and persistent," blending the real-time strategy elements for which the franchise is known with massively multiplayer qualities.

For further details on the week's games, visit GameSpot's New Releases page. The full list of downloadable games on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Live Marketplace, and the Wii Shop Channel will be revealed later this week. Release dates are based on retailer listings and are subject to change.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 16
Age of Empires Online--PC--Microsoft Game Studios
Bastion--PC--Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron--PS3, X360--Ignition Entertainment
Get Up Family Game Sports--Wii--O Games
Jerry Rice and Nitus' Dog Football--Wii, PC--Judo Baby
Junior Island Adventure--DS--Maximum Family Games
No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise--PS3--Konami
Puzzler World 2--DS--Ubisoft

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17
From Dust--PC--Ubisoft
Toy Soldiers: Cold War--X360--Microsoft Game Studios

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Christian Police Associations call for Darkness II ban

[UPDATE]: International coalition asks gamemakers, legislators to stop the sale of violent games, takes specific exception to upcoming 2K shooter; publisher responds.

At the opening of The Darkness II, protagonist Jackie Estacado has risen through the ranks of organized crime to become the don of the Franchetti clan. And while it might go without saying that the police in the game's world will be set against him, it turns out some authorities in this world have an issue with him as well.

The Darkness II is being targeted by the boys in blue.

The heads of the International Christian Police Fellowship, the Christian Police Association, the Swiss Christian Police Association, and the Germany Christian Police Association last month drafted a letter to politicians and game producers explaining their objection to the violent content in many games. Specifically, the organizations called out The Darkness II, saying it and games like it create a distorted perspective of police officers for young players.

The groups are appealing to lawmakers and publishers to immediately stop the sale of such games, referencing the Biblical verse, "[F]or whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

The Darkness II is set for North American release February 7. For more on the title, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.

[UPDATE]: 2K Games has provided a comment on the police associations' objections, saying, "Reported stories regarding police officers in The Darkness II were erroneous. To be clear, there are no police officers in the game."

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Joe Danger: The Movie dropping in

Hello Games lifts veil on follow-up to last summer's PSN-exclusive motorcycle stunt game; no platforms or release date announced.

Last June, indie developer Hello Games released motorcycle stunt game Joe Danger on the PlayStation Network to a warm reception. The stuntman survived his first run, but now he's back for more.

Joe Danger: The Movie is in fact not a movie at all.

Joe's second outing will be called Joe Danger: The Movie. Hello Games describes the title as "kind of a sequel to Joe Danger, but it's mostly something entirely new."

Joe Danger: The Movie takes place after the events of the original. As Joe, players are discovered by a "mysterious" Hollywood director and are tasked with making their own action film by performing every stunt themselves.

According to a mock poster for Joe Danger: The Movie (above right), it appears the game will have players taking part in a range of activities, including skiing, mine-cart riding, jetpack flying, and more.

The original Joe Danger was released only on the PlayStation Network. And while Hello Games is not talking about platform availability just yet for Joe Danger: The Movie, the poster says the game is coming to consoles and lists "Not Sure" next to "What Platform?" in the credits.

Whatever the case, gamers will have answers soon, as Hello Games has promised "some surprises" for GamesCom, which lands next week in Germany. For more on the original Joe Danger, check out GameSpot's review.

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NHL 12 drafts Gretzky, eight more legends

The Great One, Chris Chelios, Ray Bourque among the retired pros lacing them up again in EA Sports' latest pucks sim; demo debut set for August 23.

Last year, EA Sports benched its NBA series and watched rival 2K Sports capitalize on the absence by featuring arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan, in NBA 2K11. Turnabout is fair play, so with 2K Sports sending its NHL series to the showers for this season, EA Sports today announced that NHL 12 will feature arguably the greatest hockey player of all time, Wayne Gretzky. This marks the second time the Hall of Famer has been prominently featured in an EA game, as he served as cover athlete for last year's NHL Slapshot on the Wii.

The Great One in his office.

Throughout his career, the Great One was known as much for his team play as individual accomplishments (he has more career assists than the next highest-scoring player, Gordie Howe, has goals and assists combined). So it's only fitting that EA Sports is bringing him into the game with a worthy supporting cast of his fellow NHL legends. The publisher will feature eight other former players in the game, with big-time blueliners Ray Bourque and Chris Chelios the first revealed.

The legends won't just be for show, either. EA Sports is featuring them in the new Be a Legend mode, which challenges players to match up to their namesakes' accomplishments over the course of a Be a Pro career. Players will also be able to add the game's greatest players to their roster in Be a GM, Hockey Ultimate Team, and Battle for the Cup modes or try them out in exhibition and online games.

Apart from the legends, EA Sports has updated this year's version of the series with a new "Full Contact" physics engine. The publisher aims to increase realism in the game, adding in such features as goalies that can be interfered with more realistically, as well as net battles. EA Sports has also added new events, such as the 2011 NHL Winter Classic, which will be played at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, and it has revamped the Be a Pro career mode.

An Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 downloadable demo for NHL 12 will be available worldwide beginning August 23, with the game itself launching September 9 in Europe and September 13 in North America. For more on NHL 12, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.

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Star Wars: The Old Republic could sell 3M - Analysts

Cowen and Company firm cites "increasing confidence" in BioWare's upcoming MMORPG; Battlefield 3 to sell 11 million.

Last month, Wedbush Securities' Michael Pachter stated that BioWare's Star Wars: The Old Republic has the potential to sell 2 million units. However, another firm has higher expectations for the massively multiplayer online role-playing game.

The Old Republic will spread to 3 million homes, says Cowen and Company.

In a note to investors obtained by Gamasutra, Doug Creutz and Jason Mueller of financial firm Cowen and Company stated "increasing confidence" in The Old Republic has convinced the company to update its sales forecast for the title from 1.5 million to 3 million units.

The firm remarked that preorders for The Old Republic on Amazon are tracking "well or better" than StarCraft II and World of Warcraft: Cataclysm at the same period in development, two titles that have sold over 3 million units each.

Additionally, the firm believes The Old Republic has the potential to land 2 million subscribers in its first year, up from the 1 million it forecast earlier. If the game reaches such a subscriber base, The Old Republic would be a big hit by the publisher's standards. Electronic Arts said in February The Old Republic would be "substantially profitable" with just 500,000 subscribers, with anything above 1 million monthly users making the game "very profitable."

Cowen and Company also updated its sales forecast for DICE's upcoming modern shooter Battlefield 3. The company now believes Battlefield 3 is "tracking well" ahead of its release and will sell 11 million units during its first year on the market.

For more on Star Wars: The Old Republic, check out GameSpot's latest preview of the game.

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Kojima clarifies Metal Gear HD collection contents

Xbox 360 and PS3 compilation to feature Subsistence version of Metal Gear Solid 3, complete with emulated versions of original Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2.

At this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo, Konami confirmed the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, saying the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 compilation would bundle together Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, and last year's Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. Today, series creator Hideo Kojima revealed players will be getting even more for their money with the package.

The Metal Gear Solid HD Collection will include more than previously thought.

In a series of posts on his Twitter feed today, Kojima offered a bit of extra information on the bundle. Specifically, he confirmed that the version of Metal Gear Solid 3 included in the package is Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, the 2006 follow-up that packed in an additional online mode, the ability to control the in-game camera with the right analog stick, and other tweaks.

However, Subsistence also featured emulated versions of the original MSX versions of series progenitors Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2. That makes the collection a little more comprehensive than before, with the original Metal Gear Solid now the most glaring omission. (Kojima did note that the Japanese Metal Gear Solid HD Collection will include Metal Gear Solid, but it omits Peace Walker.)

The HD Collection isn't the only bit of Metal Gear nostalgia on the way. 3DS owners can look forward to the release of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater 3D later this year.

For more on the HD Collection, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.

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BioShock: Infinite could ship 4.9 million units - Analyst

Janco Partners' Mike Hickey believes Irrational Games' upcoming shooter has potential to move nearly 5 million copies.

Although Irrational Games' BioShock: Infinite isn't taking flight until next year on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, one analyst is already setting expectations for the game, stating that he believes its shipment total will soar when it is released.

One could say expectations for BioShock: Infinite are "sky high."

In a note to investors today, Janco Partners' Mike Hickey expressed his belief that BioShock: Infinite will ship 4.9 million copies and generate $221 million in sales. If the game does achieve such success, it will easily outpace predecessor BioShock 2, which has shipped 3 million units as of March 2010.

As for the upcoming title, BioShock: Infinite is set in a chaos-plagued airborne metropolis called Columbia. Gamers assume the role of Booker DeWitt, a former member of the feared Pinkerton National Detective Agency, which was the nation's largest security company in the late 19th century.

For more on BioShock: Infinite, check out GameSpot's latest preview.

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Counter-Strike: Global Offensive firing up early 2012

Valve working with Hidden Path Entertainment on new entry in shooter franchise for PC, Mac, XBLA, and PSN due out next year; series life-to-date sales at 25 million.

Valve updated its Counter-Strike formula in 2004 with the release of Counter-Strike: Source, a new entry in the shooter franchise that Valve completely overhauled using its Source engine. Now, Valve is updating its franchise again, today announcing Counter Strike: Global Offensive.

Counter-Strike comes back to life early next year.

Debuting in early 2012 on Steam (for the PC and Mac) Xbox Live Arcade, and PlayStation Network, Global Offensive features new game modes, weapons, maps, and characters to the franchise. This will mark the series' first appearance on XBLA and the PSN.

Additionally, gamers will be able to be able to fight on updated versions of original Counter-Strike maps including de_dust and others. Lastly, Global Offensive will support matchmaking and leaderboards.

Valve also today shared new sales statistics for Counter-Strike. The publisher said that the Counter-Strike franchise--which debuted 12 years ago this month--has sold over 25 million units. Global Offensive is currently in development at Valve Software and Hidden Path Entertainment, which also codeveloped Counter-Strike: Source.

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Battlefield 3 for PC will require Origin

Retail copies of first-person shooter will still need Electronic Arts' digital distribution client installed in order to run.

Battlefield 3 is coming to a long list of digital retailers in addition to Origin, but there's no avoiding Electronic Arts' own digital distribution service for PC gamers set on playing the military first-person shooter, regardless of how they get the game.

Battlefield 3 is also taking the fight to Steam.

Global Battlefield community manager Daniel Matros confirmed the Origin prerequisite through Twitter this week. When asked by a Twitter user about rumors that Battlefield 3 would require Origin even for players who had the DVD copy of the game, Matros simply replied, "Yes those 'rumors' are true :)"

The tactic to push EA's new social networking store platform is not a new one. Valve has been requiring Steam to be installed on PCs for its games since Half-Life 2 launched in 2004, regardless of whether the game was acquired digitally or through a retailer, while Blizzard insists World of Warcraft and Starcraft II players use Battle.net to get their game on.

For more on Battlefield 3, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.

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July US retail sales lowest since Oct. 2006 - NPD

Stat-tracking firm reports dour results as total revenues slip 26 percent to $707.7 million last month; NCAA Football leads software, Xbox 360 tops consoles.

Global financial markets may be fluctuating wildly of late, and if one thing can be said for US game industry retail sales, it's that they've at least been consistent. That is to say, they've been consistently down. Today, the NPD Group issued its monthly US retail sales report, revealing total revenue that fell a precipitous 26 percent year-over-year to $707.7 million.

It may not be a bull market, but NCAA Football 12 is still doing well.

Total US retail sales of new games, accessories, and hardware was a particularly sore spot for the industry, as sales fell 20 percent to $687 million. According to NPD analyst Anita Frazier, those results signify the lowest revenue for sales in the new physical retail channel since October 2006.

"Despite the very rough month, new physical retail sales are down just 4 percent year-to-date and based on seasonality trends observed over the last 10 years, which have been remarkably stable year-in, year-out, industry sales in this particular channel are poised to land in the flat to -2 percent range once the total year is completed," Frazier said.

Further parsing the numbers, new hardware sales fell 29 percent to $223 million. Though NPD did not officially announce unit sales figures, Microsoft claimed victory for the month with its own announcement.

The Xbox 360 sold 277,000 units in July, according to Microsoft, with the company going on to note that its hardware has been the best-selling hardware in the US for 13 of the past 14 months. However, even that victory lap was somewhat doleful, in that Xbox 360 sales were down year-over-year.

"This was the first month that the Xbox 360 saw a year-over-year decline since December 2009," said Frazier. "This is more of a reflection of robust sales last July, which was the biggest month for unit sales of the 360 in 2010 outside the holiday months (November and December). Last year's sales of the 360 hardware platform were driven by the introduction of the Kinect-ready slim form factor SKU."

In its own statement following NPD's report, Sony touted only that PlayStation peripheral sales rose 18 percent year-over-year. Meanwhile, Nintendo also omitted mention of its platforms in response to NPD's figures, though it did call out the performance of Ubisoft's Wii-exclusive Just Dance 2. The game sold 122,000 units during the month, according to Nintendo, making it the eighth title to sell more than 5 million units on the Wii in the US.

New US retail software sales for consoles, handhelds, and PCs slipped 30 percent during July to $356.9 million. Leading the month was EA Sports' NCAA Football 2012. Cars 2, which debuted on NPD's chart in June in the ninth position, shot up to second in July, and it was followed by Activision Blizzard's stalwart shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops.

JULY 2011 US GAME SALES
OVERALL DOLLAR SALES
Total retail sales: $707.7 million (-26%)
Total non-PC retail sales: $687 million (-20%)
Non-PC hardware: $223 million (-29%)
Non-PC software: $336.2 million (-17%)
Accessories: $127.8 million (-8%)
Total software: $356.9 million (-30%)

TOP 10 GAMES FOR JULY 2011
Title (Platforms) - Publisher
1. NCAA Football 2012 (360, PS3) - Electronic Arts
2. Cars 2 (DS, Wii, 360, PS3, PC) - Disney Interactive Studios
3. Call of Duty: Black Ops (360, PS3, NDS, Wii, PC) - Activision Blizzard
4. Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game (Wii, NDS, 360, PS3, 3DS, PSP, PC) - Disney Interactive Studios
5. Just Dance 2 (Wii) - Ubisoft
6. Major League Baseball 2K11 (360, Wii, NDS, PS3, PS2, PSP, PC) - Take-Two Interactive
7. Zumba Fitness: Join the Party (Wii, 360, PS3) - Majesco
8. Fallout: New Vegas (360, PS3, PC) - Bethesda Softworks
9. New Super Mario Bros. DS (DS) - Nintendo
10. Mortal Kombat 2011 (360, PS3) - Warner Bros. Interactive

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Driver: SF delayed on PC to September 27 - Report

Ubisoft's California-set racing game to trail console launches by three weeks; no rationale provided.

Ubisoft has had a tough time shipping its PC titles on time lately. Might Magic Heroes VI was delayed to September and From Dust was shifted from July to later this month. Now, the publisher is pushing the release date of another game: Driver: San Francisco.

Driver: San Francisco for the PC has slid to September 27.

According to a Blues News report, Ubisoft's California-based racing game is now scheduled to arrive on the PC on September 27 in North America. The Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii iterations of the title are due out on September 6.

Ubisoft did not provide a rationale as to why the game had been delayed, and as of press time, the publisher had not responded to GameSpot's request for comment. When it does ship, Driver: San Francisco for the PC will require a constant Internet connection, even for single-player modes.

Driver: San Francisco will be a throwback to previous installments in the franchise, featuring a matchup between original protagonist John Tanner and Driver 2 antagonist Charles Jericho. In terms of plot, Tanner, a hard-boiled detective behind the wheel of a 1970s-era Shelby GT500, is on the hunt for Jericho, and the two engage in vehicular duels on the streets of the titular hilly California city.

The game will include more than 100 licensed vehicles, all of which are subject to damage. The game will also feature a supernatural element as Tanner is pursuing his mark from the confines of a coma. Tanner's situation impacts gameplay, as players will be able to pause time to hop to a new vehicle on the fly, as well as get a bird's-eye view of the city to jump to various locations.

For more on the upcoming racing game, check out GameSpot's latest preview of Driver: San Francisco.

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Grand Slam Tennis 2 hits PS3, 360 in 2012

EA Sports tennis sim making long-delayed high-definition debut next year; game to support PlayStation Move controller.

EA Sports is offering gamers a second serving of Grand Slam Tennis. The company today announced that Grand Slam Tennis 2 is in development for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, with an expected release in 2012.

Grand Slam Tennis takes the court again next year.

As the name suggests, Grand Slam Tennis 2 will feature all four of the sport's biggest championships: the French Open, the Australian Open, the U.S. Open, and Wimbledon, which will be exclusive to EA Sports' game. Grand Slam Tennis 2 will also feature more than 20 past and present pros, including John McEnroe (also exclusive to the series), Bjorn Borg, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Maria Sharapova, and Serena and Venus Williams.

Building on that roster, the game will feature an ESPN Grand Slam Tournament Classics mode where players attempt to re-create 25 notable moments and storied matchups like Borg-McEnroe or Nadal-Federer. Grand Slam Tennis 2 will also feature a 10-year career mode for singles and doubles as well as online matches and EA Sports' Photo Game Face customization. In addition, the PS3 edition will support the motion-sensing Move peripheral.

While this will be the first appearance for the series on the Microsoft and Sony systems, its debut is long overdue. In 2009, EA Sports announced that the original Grand Slam Tennis would be released on the Xbox 360 and PS3 a few months after it surfaced on the Wii (where it accompanied the Wii Motion Plus launch alongside Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10). However, the Wii version of the game underperformed, the high-definition versions were delayed, and EA Sports went quiet on the series until today.

For more on the original Grand Slam Tennis for the Wii, check out GameSpot's review.

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Dance Central adding James Brown, Sean Paul, Lloyd

Harmonix announces "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine, Pt. 1," "Get Busy," and "Get It Shawty" arriving for boogie game on August 16 at $3 each.

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Battlefield 3 preorders 24x more than Battlefield 2 - Amazon UK

Online retailer compares reservation rates for upcoming sequels with those of their predecessors at similar distance from launch; Uncharted 3 next biggest improvement with 488% jump.

Last month, Electronic Arts said that preorders for Battlefield 3 were tracking 10 times higher than those of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 at a similar point before release. Today, the UK arm of online retailer Amazon released preorder comparisons of its own, indicating that the multiplatform Battlefield 3 is outpacing its true predecessor, the 2005 PC first-person shooter Battlefield 2, by an even larger number. At a similar point before its release date, Battlefield 3 preorders at the retailer have increased 2,302 percent over those of Battlefield 2.

Battlefield 3 is big overseas.

While that's good news for EA's accountants, Amazon paints a less concrete picture of its chances to topple the latest installment in Activision's reigning first-person shooter series (and explicit target of Battlefield 3), Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. As of press time, the retailer's best-selling preorder page lists the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 editions of Modern Warfare 3 as the first- and third-most preordered titles, respectively. The PC and Xbox 360 editions of Battlefield 3 are in second and fourth place, with the PS3 version trailing in ninth. The PC version of Modern Warfare 3 ranked 29th on the Amazon preorder chart.

As for how Modern Warfare 3 is doing compared to last year's Black Ops, Amazon said preorders for the upcoming game are up 321 percent over Treyarch's 2010 effort. That bodes well for Modern Warfare 3, as Black Ops proved to be the best-selling game in the history of the Amazon UK site.

The retailer also weighed in on a handful of other anticipated sequels' reservation rates, with Uncharted 3 receiving the biggest bump over its past iteration. Drake's Deception preorders are currently up 488 percent over those for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Other games receiving a marked bump over their predecessors include Batman: Arkham City (up 349 percent), FIFA 12 (up 325 percent), and Gears of War 3 (up 216 percent).

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Paul W.S. Anderson confirmed for Resident Evil: Retribution - Report

Series director said to be ramping up production on fifth horror film based on Capcom's long-standing franchise; Milla Jovovich on board.

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Assassin's Creed: Revelations beta opens Sept. 3

PlayStation Plus-, Uplay-only multiplayer trial period runs until September 11; nine characters, three maps, four modes, and eight abilities included.

Assassin's Creed: Revelations isn't due out on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC until November 15. However, not all gamers will need to wait that long to get their hands on the multiplayer component of the game.

Assassins come in all shapes, but apparently not all sizes.

Ubisoft today announced that a multiplayer beta for Assassin's Creed: Revelations will open on the PlayStation 3 for PlayStation Plus and Uplay members on September 3. The trial period will let gamers sample nine characters, three maps, four modes, and eight abilities from the upcoming title's multiplayer component. The beta will end on September 11.

More specifically, the nine characters offered in the beta are The Sentinel, The Vanguard, The Guardian, The Vizier, The Thespian, The Deacon, The Bombardier, The Trickster, and The Champion. According to Ubisoft, the characters sport similar behavior but have differing animations and customizable ability sets.

The maps included in the multiplayer beta for Assassin's Creed: Revelations are Knight's Hospital, Antioch, and Constantinople. Additionally, the game modes inside the trial are Wanted, Manhunt, Deathmatch, and Artifact Assault.

Revelations will follow the story of Ezio, who was first introduced in Assassin's Creed II. This time out, Ezio will seek out the haunts of original Assassin's Creed protagonist Altair, visiting such Middle East strongholds as the Ottoman Empire's Constantinople. There, Ezio will once again take up arms against the Templar order.

For more on the upcoming title, check out GameSpot's latest hands-on preview with Assassin's Creed: Revelations.

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Mortal Kombat: Legacy hits November 8

Nine-episode Web series collected for Blu-ray anthology later this year at a $20 price point; 30 minutes of bonus features included.

This week's arrival of Freddy Krueger as a downloadable character for Mortal Kombat might mark the end of the announced add-ons for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 fighter, but franchise fans with a taste for more gore still have something on the horizon. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment still has the Arcade Kollection debuting in the coming months, and Warner Premiere today announced a Blu-ray debut for its Mortal Kombat: Legacy Web series.

Jax is just one of the characters featured in Legacy.

Set for release November 8, the Mortal Kombat: Legacy Blu-ray includes all nine episodes of the live-action series, as well as an extra 30 minutes of bonus content, including interviews and behind-the-scenes clips. The package also includes featurettes dedicated to the series' fights, weapons, super powers, and unabashed Mortal Kombat fanatic/director Kevin Tancharoen.

The Web series focuses on a small number of characters in each episode, with spotlighted characters including Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Raiden, Cyrax, Sektor, Johnny Cage, Kitana, Mileena, Jax, Sonya, and Kano. The Blu-ray will launch with a $20 price tag attached.

For more on Mortal Kombat, check out GameSpot's review.

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Donovan, Marquez join Rooney on NA FIFA 12 cover

US striker, Mexican center back to join Manchester United forward on American iteration of EA Sports' latest soccer sim.

Last week, EA Sports announced that Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney would grace the cover of the North American iteration of FIFA 12 as one of three athletes. The publisher today announced the other two footballers, naming rivals Landon Donovan and Rafael Marquez FIFA 12's additional cover stars in North America.

From left: Rooney, Donovan, and Marquez.

Donovan is currently a striker for the LA Galaxy Major League Soccer team. Marquez also plays in the MLS, as a center back for the New York Red Bulls. Donovan and Marquez also play for the US and Mexican national teams, respectively.

While Donovan and Marquez are working together to help promote FIFA 12, tonight in Philadelphia the two will go head-to-head. The United States will look for retribution when the squad takes on Mexico at 6 p.m. PDT. The US squad has lost three straight matches against Mexico, including the Gold Cup final in June by a 4-2 margin.

For more on FIFA 12--due out September 27--check out GameSpot's latest hands-on preview of the soccer sim.

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Scott brothers creating Call of Duty: Elite video content

Sibling directors working with Activision to create original programming for Call of Duty online service; The Office's Ben Silverman also on board.

In early June, Activision announced that it would be bringing a video series to Call of Duty: Elite--the social network surrounding this November's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3--with "top Hollywood talent." Last week, the publisher said Will Arnett and Jason Bateman's dumbdumb production company would be providing content for the service, but now the publisher has attached even bigger names to the project.

The Scott brothers are making Call of Duty video content.

During the 13th Annual Pacific Crest Global Technology Leadership Forum in Vail, Colorado, yesterday, Activision publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg said Gladiator director Ridley Scott, Man on Fire director Tony Scott, and The Office producer Ben Silverman are contributing to the video series for Call of Duty: Elite.

Unfortunately, Hirshberg did not elaborate further on what the contributions of each will be. As of press time, Activision had not responded to GameSpot's request for comment.

Gamers won't need to wait long to get a glimpse at the Call of Duty: Elite programming, as Arnett will be on hand at Call of Duty: XP next month to preview the content for the first time.

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Mad Catz rereleasing Rock Band 3

Peripheral-maker/publisher bringing Harmonix's 2010 guitar game back to retail this holiday season bundled with instruments.

Mad Catz--a company once known solely for manufacturing peripherals--earlier this year entered the publishing business with War Wings: Hell Catz, the first in a flight simulator series from Trickstar Games. Now the nascent publisher has signed a much more prominent act: Harmonix's Rock Band 3.

Mad Catz is bringing Rock Band 3 back to retail this holiday.

Mad Catz has inked a deal with the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based developer to publish Rock Band 3 this holiday season. The publisher will bundle the well-received 2010 software with Mad Catz peripherals for the game. These include the Rock Band 3 Wireless Keyboard Controller, the Wireless Fender Stratocaste Guitar Controller, and the Wireless Fender Mustang Pro-Guitar Controller.

Mad Catz told GameSpot today that it is not ready yet to talk about pricing for the bundles, but did note that information will hopefully be made available "shortly." Additionally, the publisher said there are currently "no plans to publish the game as a standalone product."

For more on Rock Band 3, check out GameSpot's review of the game.

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