The ‘Rezurrection Map Pack’ for Call of Duty: Black Ops, is now available on the Playstation 3 Network for download and Windows PC.  Having being previously only available on the Xbox 360, now available for everyone is the new Zombie Map ‘Moon’, which pits you up against zombies in space for the first time.  You have to give it up for Treyarch as far as originality goes for this map, as you rush to get your space suit on before you run out of oxygen as the map starts.

The map pack also features all the Zombie maps that were in Call of Duty: World at War including, “Nacht der Untoten”, “Verruckt”, “Shi No Numa” and “Der Riese”.   If you purchased the Hardened or Prestige Edition of Black Ops the map pack is free otherwise it will run you $15.00.  The soundtrack has also been enhanced to include the song ‘Nightmare’ by Avenged Sevenfold as well as a new theme available.  You can view the full press release below.

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Call of Duty® gamers lock and load in low gravity today with the release of Call of Duty®: Black Ops Rezurrection, the fourth downloadable content pack for the best-selling first-person-shooter, Call of Duty®: Black Ops.  Rezurrection’s top-secret cargo features the massive Zombies frag-fest Moon, as well as four re-mastered levels from Zombies past, an enhanced soundtrack and new Moon theme.

Moon features all-new weapons, futuristic gear and hordes of low-gravity loving undead, delivering Black Ops’ deepest and most intense Zombies experience yet. Meanwhile, strengthened with the firepower and visual splendor of Black Ops, players can relive the nightmare of “Nacht der Untoten,” escape the zombie madness in the asylum of “Verruckt,” battle back the undead Imperial Army of “Shi No Numa,” and pull the plug on “Der Riese,” the zombie factory that started it all.

“The enthusiasm of our incredibly loyal Zombies community is infectious,” said Treyarch Studio Head, Mark Lamia. “With Rezurrection, we are delivering to our fans the most comprehensive Zombies content package so far, with four critically acclaimed Zombies experiences, plus our latest creation Moon, the biggest and most elaborate Zombies adventure yet.”

For our fans who purchased the Black Ops Hardened or Prestige Editions for the PlayStation 3 system, and have already downloaded the Classic Zombies Pack with re-mastered maps, Rezurrection can be downloaded via the in-game store or through the PlayStation®Store for free.  This includes Moon, the Zombies Soundtrack and the Moon Theme.

Treyarch is also delighted to announce that they have once again partnered with hardcore Call of Duty fans and rock superstars, Avenged Sevenfold, featuring their classic track, Nightmare, in Rezurrection’s Moon level.

To mark the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops Rezurrection on the PlayStation 3 system and Windows PC , the team will host Double XP from Friday, September 23rd through Monday, September 26th.

Developed by Treyarch and published by Activision Publishing, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI), Call of Duty: Black Ops is rated “M” (Mature) by the ESRB for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence and Strong Language. PS3 players who purchased the Call of Duty: Black Ops Hardened or Prestige Editions can download Rezurrection in its entirety for free by going to the in-game or PlayStation Store. For full details on download options, please visit http://www.callofduty.com/intel/492 for in-depth instructions.

For additional Call of Duty updates and information, visit us on the web at www.callofduty.com/blackops, www.facebook.com/codblackops, and also via Twitter @Treyarch.

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com.

Call of Duty and Activision are registered trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.

“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Windows PC is a registered trademark of the Microsoft group of companies.

The achievements for the new Lord of the Rings game, Lord of the Rings: War in the North.  Check them out below… there are plenty of secret achievements too.  Check out the trailer/dev diary above.  The game will be out on November 1st for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC (Games for Windows) on November 1st.

Where there’s life, there’s hope – 10G
-Revive a fallen ally.
Foe-hammer – 10G
Kill 200 enemies in a single playthrough.
-Sudden Fury – 10G
Perform 3 critical hits within 10 seconds.
-Strength of Our Alliance – 25G
Slay one enemy together with 2 other players.
-Seeker – 20G
Discover 25 secrets in a single playthrough.
-Gem-studded – 10G
Slot an elfstone into an item.
-Relentless 20G
While in Hero Mode, perform a streak of 50 hits.
-Now for wrath, now for ruin! – 20G
Kill 4 enemies simultaneously.
-Troll’s Bane – 10G
Slay the wild snow trolls.
-Battle-master – 20G
Unlock every active-cast ability in one character’s skill tree.
-War-hardened – 10G
Achieve at least 1 rank in a tier 3 skill.
-Like a Thunderbolt – 20G
Deal 3000 damage with a single ranged strike.
-Fell-handed – 20G
Deal 1500 damage in a single melee strike.
-Living Shield – 20G
Absorb 25,000 total damage during the course of 1 level.
-Many deeds, great and small – 20G
Complete 15 quests in a single playthrough.
-War-machinist – 20G
Kill 150 enemies with war machines in a single playthrough.
-Well-arrayed – 25G
Equip a complete magical armor set.
-Keen-eyed Marksman – 20G
Kill 50 enemies with headshots in a single playthrough.
-Swift-winged Warrior – 20G
Summon Beleram 10 times in a single playthrough.
-Warrior Exemplar – 25G
For one character unlock every skill that provides a modification to War Cry, Sanctuary or Evasion.
-Defender of the North – 10G
Achieve level 10.
-Champion of the North – 20G
Achieve level 20.
-Herb-master – 10G
Create 15 potions in a single playthrough.
-Bane of Mordor – 25G
Kill 600 enemies in a single playthrough.
-Dragon-hoard – 20G
Amass 25,000 coins.
-Expert Treasure-hunter. – 25G
Locate 5 gilded treasure chests in a single playthrough.
-Victorious in Battle – 25G
Complete a playthrough on at least Normal difficulty.
-Against All Odds – 80G
Complete a playthrough on Legendary difficulty.
-The Lidless Eye – 25G
Complete the investigation of the Cult of the Lidless Eye.
-Hero of Legend – 50G
Complete a playthrough on Heroic difficulty.

Secret Achievements

Secret Achievement 20G
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
Secret Achievement 20G
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
Secret Achievement 10G
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
Secret Achievement 20G
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
Secret Achievement 10G
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
Secret Achievement 20G
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
Secret Achievement 10G
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
Secret Achievement 20G
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
Secret Achievement 25G
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
Secret Achievement 20G
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
Secret Achievement 10G
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
Secret Achievement 25G
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
Secret Achievement 10G
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
Secret Achievement 20G
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
Secret Achievement 35G
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
Secret Achievement 80G
Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.

Sony has released some new screenshots for Planetside 2 as well as some concept art, which can be seen below.  The game has no release date yet but will be out for the PC (Games for Windows).  Planetside 2 is considered a “Persistent Online Shooter” but that just means it is an open-world, massively multiplayer, first-person shooter.

The first 2500 people who make an online purchase for Games for Windows between July 25th and August 1 will receive an email from Microsoft containing a code for 400 MSP- free.

This, apparently, is in celebration of the joining of Xbox.com, Games for Windows Marketplace and Games for Windows. The code that the winners receive can be redeemed from either of the three aforementioned sites.

Microsoft promises the codes will emailed to the winners four to six weeks after the contest closes.

Games for Windows Marketplace will be integrated into Xbox.com. Microsoft states “Now you can get all of your gaming needs in one place. It’s convenient, it’s concentrated, and it’s a whole lot of great games.”  Eurogamer got the latest on what Microsoft had to say about the transition.

‘All of the same content from GamesForWindows.com will be available on Xbox.com so members of communities across Xbox 360 and Games for Windows can purchase and get details on their favorite games, all in one place…  All account information will remain the same and community members can still take advantage of their Xbox Live profile in their Windows games and stay connected to friends who are playing on the PC.’

The first batch of DLC has just been announced for Portal 2 which will consist of Singleplayer and Multiplayer.  The DLC will include new test chambers, leaderboards, different challenge modes for single and multiplayer, and more.  We also know that it is slated to be released sometime this summer for free on all platforms.  Here is the official announcement below.  Free DLC is something you just cant beat.

April 29, 2011 – Valve, creators of best-selling game franchises (such as Half-Life, Left 4 Dead, Team Fortress, and Counter-Strike) and leading technologies (such as Steam and Source), today announced the first game add-on for the year’s highest rated multiplatform game, Portal 2, is in development and targeted for this summer.

Portal 2 DLC #1 will offer new test chambers for players, leaderboards, challenge mode for single and multiplayer modes, and more.

Targeted for release this summer, Portal 2 DLC #1 will be offered free of charge for the PC, Mac, Xbox 360, and PS3.

Portal 2 was released April 19 and currently holds a Metacritic score of 95%, making it the top rated multiplatform game of 2011. Portal also captured the number 1 chart position in the UK, Germany, and the Nordic countries during its first week of availability, making it the fastest-selling Valve release since Half-Life 2.

A hilariously mind-bending adventure that challenges you to use wits over weaponry in a funhouse of diabolical science, Portal 2 features expansive single and cooperative multiplayer game modes.

For more information, please visit www.thinkwithportals.com

Here is over ten minutes of gameplay from the Jurassic Park Game from Telltale Games.  A family vacation seems to go horribly wrong.  We know that the father is extremely knowledgeable on Dinosaurs but has two girls to take care one that seems to possibly be infected by the newly introduced dinosaur in the game.  The gameplay shows you different choices you can make that effect the outcome of the games story.  It looks like a pretty cool feature to me.  The epic tale will be released sometime in the in Fall 2011 for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Windows PC and Mac.  Watch the gameplay above that is just over 11 minutes of a taste of what’s to come.  The game coming to consoles has just been announced, so you can view the full Press Release for that below.

SAN RAFAEL, CA. – April 28, 2011 – Following on from its recently announced status as an official publisher for the Xbox 360^® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Telltale Games, the leading independent digital publisher and developer of episodic interactive entertainment, today confirmed that Jurassic Park: The Game will be coming to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 platforms as a simultaneous release this fall.  The Xbox 360 version of the game will come to market in North America as a retail release containing the full series on disc. This release will be the first product published by Telltale on the platform under their recently signed Publisher Licensing Agreement with Microsoft.

On April 26^th Telltale Games announced a release date change from April 2011 to Fall 2011 for the PC and Mac versions of Jurassic Park: The Game in order to maximize the quality of the game experience.

Keep checking in to http://www.telltalegames.com/jurassicpark for all release details and up to the minute news on Jurassic Park: The Game.

About Telltale, Inc.

Telltale is a leading independent digital publisher of interactive stories playable on every major gaming platform. Telltale is also the pioneer of episodic delivery of content developing games as series and successfully releasing on a schedule to create a longer consumer engagement for each release.  Founded in 2004 by LucasArts veterans with decades of experience, Telltale has quickly become an industry leader, establishing the model for successful episodic game creation and digital publishing.  Telltale has sold more than 3.5 million episodes since 2005. Telltale’s reputation for quality has been established across more than 25 published releases that have cumulatively earned an average Metacritic score above 80%. Telltale’s titles have won numerous awards including, “Adventure Game of the Year” accolades from publications such as IGN, PC Gamer, GameSpy, and Adventure Gamers, and have been recognized by mainstream outlets ranging from USA Today, to The New York Times to Variety. Telltale currently develops and publishes episodic series on PlayStation® 3, PC, Mac, Wii™ Xbox 360® and iPad.

Windows PC, Xbox, Xbox 360, are either registered trademarks or trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

You don’t have to worry about being stuck in a Robe in your Jedi career in the Star War MMO, The Old Republic.  This progression trailer of the Jedi class shows all the armor and goodies you will get as you move along your journey leveling up in the world of Star Wars.  The RPG/MMO will be out later this year if things go as planned exclusively for the PC – Games for Windows.

If it bleeds.. well you know.

We got the chance to preview Brink in my hometown of NYC, which was a pleasure in itself, but since the core gameplay I got to take part in at last years E3, Brink has come a long way.  First off the character customization was so in-depth, you could spend hours changing your skin tone, voice/accent, tattoos, physical attributes and much more.  Simply picking the head on your character will give you the option to change your accent, facial hair, face paint, facial tattoos, facial scars, face gear(masks), hair or head gear.  This goes on for each area of the body giving you the ability to change Jackets, Colors, Body Tattoos, Shirts, Pants and the assortment is huge!  Even with Archetype you can change your look, skin, nose, etc.  That customization also extends itself to the weapons with the ability to have custom skins on your guns as well as choosing specific attachments for each weapon.

There were literally tons of features that I got to see that I have never seen before, for instance one that stood out the most were the ‘controller presets’ to other first-person shooters.  Instead of giving you different control setups, Brink actually lets you choose presets such as Call of Duty, Counter Strike and many more, so you can quickly pick the shooter you like the controls the best in and pick that preset, then your done.  Of course you are not limited to the presets as you can customize the controls exactly how you want them.

Brink and it’s drop-in/drop-out 8 player co-op draws you away from just wanting to stick to one class as there are four different ones.  You can simply find a near by hub that lets you change your class depending on the situation at hand.  There is the Engineer, Medic, Soldier and Operative.  You can level up and gain abilities that are specific to each class as well as ones that are in place no matter what class you play as.  I did notice a ‘Buy abilities’ tab leading me to believe you use XP to get them, but don’t quote on that as our time was limited during the event.  I played as a Medic quite a bit as I was able to heal myself on the go and getting near downed team mates I could toss them a epipad/ syringe and the cool thing about this is that the downed player does not have to use the syringe I through to him to get back up as he has a choice to also re-spawn at our base.  This can be for a number of reasons.

As you can see the customization is endless.

Our main mission of many different ones, was to escort our tank to a designated area while we played against the AI trying to slow us down by damaging the tank and killing us so no one can be there to escort the tank halting it.  There are also side tasks each class might have for instance, I switched to my soldier class to learn that I could set a charge in a area that would give our team a short cut back to the tank we had escorted a ways up, after re-spawning at our base, giving us a nice advantage.  As soon as I switch back to a medic I see an AI Engineer patching up the shortcut I just made!  His life ended quickly.  The Engineer is also the one who must repair the tank if it has taken too much damage in this mission.  So this leaves me from wanting to switch from class to class doing side tasks to help the team rather than sticking to one class and one class alone.

There are also Challenges in the game that are separate from your normal unlocks.  These challenges give you much more rewarding things.  In each challenge you can unlock three stars with each star unlocking something new.  Now Splash Damage went about a little differently as that third star might be the hardest to unlock but it might not be the best item, so players don’t have to be limited to getting all the cool stuff based on their skill.  These challenges are also tracked on a friends only leaderboard.  One example of a Challenge called “Parkour This” which requires you you to race around check points as a light body type.  All these awesome features in the game, but by far one of the coolest things is SMART system which allows you to flow over object jumping and sliding making you feel like Spiderman.  Just pressing the button won’t bring you to a halt in any situation, getting you into places fast when you need to be and out of places quickly when your in trouble.

Fighting In The War Room

Here are some things about Brink you should know:

Publisher:     Bethesda Softworks
Developer:    Splash Damage
Release Date:    May 20th
Platform:    Games for Windows / Xbox 360 / PlayStation®3 system
Genre:    First Person Shooter
Description:
Brink is an immersive first-person shooter that blends single-player, co-op, and multiplayer gameplay into one seamless experience, allowing you to develop your character whether playing alone, with your friends, or against others online. You decide the combat role you want to assume in the world of Brink as you fight to save yourself and mankind’s last refuge. Brink offers a compelling mix of dynamic battlefields, extensive customization options, and an innovative control system that will keep you coming back for more.

Story:
Brink takes place on the Ark, a man-made floating city that is on the brink of all-out civil war. Originally built as an experimental, self-sufficient and 100% “green” habitat, the reported rapid rise of the Earth’s oceans has forced the Ark to become home to not only the original founders and their descendants but also to thousands of refugees. With tensions between the two groups growing, Security and Resistance forces are locked in a heated battle for control of the Ark. Which side will you choose?

Key Features:

Not Just Another Hero – Brink’s advanced player customization offers a near-endless combination of looks for your character – allowing for the appearance of your character to be truly unique.  As you progress through the game and acquire more experience, you’ll have even more opportunities for customization.
Two Sides to Every Story – Choose to fight through the single player campaign as either a member of the Resistance or the Security and then take your same character online to play cooperatively or competitively against other players.
Blurring the Lines – Take your unique character online at any time you choose!  Brink allows you to seamlessly move between your single player campaign, co-op with friends, and intense multiplayer action. Multiplayer takes the story online where you can play with up to seven other people (or AI characters) cooperatively as you take on the opposing faction or with up to 16 players competitively.
Play SMART – Brink uses the familiar shooter controls that you’re used to, without frustrating, artificial constraints and adds a new feature: the SMART button.  When you press the SMART button, the game dynamically evaluates where you’re trying to get to, and makes it happen. Whether you’re a seasoned FPS veteran or someone just getting started, you’ll be able to make more intelligent decisions during the fast-paced action with SMART.
Context-Sensitive Goals and Rewards – Objectives, communications, missions, and inventory selection are all dynamically generated based on your role, your condition, your location, your squad-mates, and the overall status of the battle in all gameplay modes.  You’ll always know exactly where to go, what to do when you get there, and what your reward will be for success.

BrinkTheGame.com

Q1 2010:

While not as good as its counterpart on the Xbox 360, Mass Effect 2 on the PC was still a masterpiece to be missed by no gamers.

The first quarter of 2010 was simply brilliant for the PC, despite the fact that it got no notable exclusives to speak off. But the multiplatforms that were released were simply unforgettable. With January came the release of Mass Effect 2, and while the game was not quite as good as the Xbox 360 version, it still managed to provide with a hell lot of fun, providing an experience deeper, more complex and gripping than any other. After that came a plethora of spectacular First Person games. First came BioShock 2, which, though not as notable as the original BioShock, it still managed to provide a very atmospheric and thrilling adventure. And then came Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Coming with a great multiplayer component, a thrilling and exciting single player campaign mode and a lot of new tweaks and ideas thrown into the mix, with Bad Company 2, we finally had a game that could give fierce competition to Modern Warfare/2. We also saw the release of the Borderlands DLC, The Secret Armory of General Knoxx, which was pretty good as well. Other notable releases were Dragon Age: Origins- Awakening, Just Cause 2, Assassin’s Creed II, Metro 2033 and Napoleon: Total War.

Q2 2010:

Q2 2010 began with a bang for the PC, with the release of Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction. Like it or not, Conviction is a true sequel that has sought after a new style of gameplay, but set it in the same world that old fans of the series will find pleasing and familiar. It took a leap of faith and is all the better for it. But after Conviction, the second quarter of the year went down a bit. There were a lot of good DLCs in these three months, like Mass Effect 2’s Overlord DLC. But other than Blur, Split/Second, Singularity and maybe Lego Harry Potter- Years 1-4, there were no other notably good games to speak off. But the next quarter showed a great deal of promise. The question was, would the huge releases in the coming three months make up for the not so interesting second quarter of 2010?

Q3 2010:

StarCraft II is probably the best game to have hit the PC this year.

Q3 of 2010 were the best three months for the PC. With huge releases like StarCraft II, Sid Meier’s Civilisation V, FIFA 11, F1 2010, Darksiders and many, many more, there was not a single person who could complain of lack of games on the system. The best of all releases were StarCraft II, which has to be the best release on the PC this year, and Civilisation V, which is a spectacular comeback of an already awesome series. Both offered tonnes of hours of addictive and immersive gameplay, and marked a new beginning for both the beloved franchises. FIFA 11 and F1 2010 were awesome pick-up-and-play games with a lot of replay value, and Darksiders was a brilliant action/adventure experience. Other than those, the PC also got the second major Mass Effect 2 DLC- Lair of the Shadow Broker. It was an awesome experience, probably the best DLC to have been released this year. Other games like Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, Dead Rising 2 and Mafia II made these three months even better.

Q4 2010:

Q4 saw the releases of a lot of great games as well. Medal of Honor, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, Fallout: New Vegas and World of Warcraft: Cataclysm are just some of these great releases. We though Black Ops was exceptionally good, and we gave it a 9.5/10, giving the verdict that it was a spectacular game with a few faults of its own, but probably the best Call of Duty game till date. Hot Pursuit was exactly what we wanted it to be- good old crash into everything, cause total mayhem fun. Medal of Honor had a lot of faults, and it definitely did not live up to all that we expected it to be. But still, it had a great online mode, and some really good parts in the single player mode. New Vegas, too, was much like Medal of Honor. A LOT was expected of it, yet it failed to match up to the expectations completely. But it still managed to provide a gripping experience that no Fallout fan should miss. And then there’s Cataclysm. We felt the third expansion of World of Warcraft made the game ever deeper and much, much better, and was definitely much better than the first two expansions of the game.

Conclusion

2010 was a great year for gaming, no doubt. But was it good for PC gaming? Well, in one word- yes. It provided with a hole lot of brilliant titles, the highlights being Mass Effect 2, StarCraft II and Civilisation V. While the PC did not get as many exclusives as we would have wanted, it still saw a great deal of releases in expansion packs and DLCs and mutliplatform titles. People often say that PC gaming is starting to fade. With 2010, that misconception has been washed away.