Gamers mark your calendars as the first of four massive Downloadable Content (DLC) Pack offerings for Call of Duty: Ghosts, the #1 most played multiplayer title currently for Xbox 360 on Xbox Live online entertainment network from Microsoft, is on the way with Call of Duty: Ghosts Onslaught.  Set to launch on 28th January first, exclusively on Xbox Live for both Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft and the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft, Onslaught debuts four unique multiplayer maps, each with their own distinct environments, small to medium scale and varied gameplay, as well as the all-new “Maverick” dual-purpose Assault Rifle/Sniper Rifle. Anchoring Call of Duty: Ghosts Onslaught is “Episode 1: Nightfall,” the first instalment in Extinction’s four-part episodic narrative that delves deeper into the storyline and features new characters, a new weapon and new alien species including a towering, three-story tall alien enemy.

Onslaught is also included as part of the Call of Duty: Ghosts DLC Season Pass, which gives fans access to four epic Call of Duty: Ghosts DLC Packs** planned to release in 2014 – Onslaught,Devastation, Invasion and Nemesis. Additionally, Call of Duty Ghosts DLC Season Pass holders get instant access to the downloadable multiplayer map, “Free Fall,” as well as the Team Leader Digital Pack, which comes with a unique multiplayer character head, weapon camo, reticle, player patch, player card and player background.

"We know our fans have an appetite for new gameplay content all year long and the team here is committed to delivering a full season’s worth of amazing new maps, weapons and more, starting withOnslaught in January,” said Mark Rubin, Executive Producer at Infinity Ward. "This year will see an assortment of content for players to dig into, with new, uniquely themed maps, new multiplayer weapons and an episodic Extinction story arc that introduces new characters, new locations and new weapons as they try to uncover the genesis of the aliens’ existence.”

Call of Duty: Ghosts Onslaught will deliver the fast-paced multiplayer experience fans love, with four classically designed Call of Duty® multiplayer maps, each with their own distinct environments, small to medium scale and varying gameplay. The first map, “Fog,” is a small to medium sized map set alongside the banks of a murky lake. Every area within “Fog” is a chilling homage to classic horror films, from an eerie campsite, flickering TVs, torture chamber and seemingly abandoned structures as players try to unlock the map’s dark secret.  If a player happens to find and complete a specific Field Order, they become the embodiment of evil and don the persona of one of cinema’s most iconic horror characters, Michael Myers.  Additionally, the entire soundscape changes to the eerily familiar Halloween Theme music so other players know to run for their lives.  Next is “BayView,” a close-quarters map set on a coastal Californian boardwalk packed with seaside gift stores and an aquarium, offering players fast-paced run-and-gun matches. Players must also be wary of the deadly artillery strike enemies can call-in from a Naval Destroyer anchored just offshore.

The third map “Containment,” transports players to a war-torn Mexican village, where the battle rages along both banks of the dried out riverbed.  The action in this compact map centres on the remains of a small bridge holding a hi-jacked truck filled with leaking radioactive material. Surrounded by a myriad of abandoned bars, cafes, a church and a pool hall, “Containment” also features elevated rooftop vantage points for players who prefer longer-range engagements. Onslaught’s fourth map “Ignition,” launches players into an aging Florida space launch facility. Inspired by “Scrapyard” – the fan-favourite multiplayer map from Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 2, reimagined with dynamic gameplay elements – “Ignition” packs plenty of action both above and below ground amongst abandoned warehouses, flame trenches and a massive transport crawler. As if rockets crash-landing into the map weren’t enough, the close-quarters combat is further complicated via two separate rocket test engines sites that opposing forces can trigger, sending massive fireballs into the already intense firefights and the failed launch of a massive rocket has a dramatic effect on the combat.

Call of Duty: Ghosts Onslaught also arms players with a deadly new addition to the Call of Duty: Ghosts’ weapons arsenal with the “Maverick,” a dual-purpose Assault Rifle or Sniper Rifle that players can choose how to use depending on their tactical needs – a first for Call of Duty.  Outfitted with a lightweight wood stock this weapon can be selected in either the Assault or the Sniper Rifle class.  As an Assault Rifle the weapon’s fire rate becomes fully-automatic with high damage at a decent range and as a Sniper Rifle the “Maverick” sports an advanced scope and a semi-auto rate of fire.

Included in Call of Duty: Ghosts’ initial DLC Pack is the first instalment in Extinction’s four-part episodic narrative, “Episode 1: Nightfall.” Introducing a narrative driven by two new characters and featuring two all-new alien species and an exclusive weapon, “Episode 1: Nightfall” is a fast and frenetic, action-packed continuation of the original Extinction experience in Call of Duty: Ghosts. Set in a remote facility hidden deep within the Alaskan wilderness, the shadowy Nightfall Program has been researching the origins of the newly revealed alien threat. A small recon team of elite soldiers must infiltrate the site to retrieve intel and exterminate the hordes of savage creatures and along the way uncover a three-story tall terror unlike anything they’ve faced before.

Although not a firm favourite with some Hardcore Metal Gear Solid fans. Revengeance was an amazing title, filled with action and humour. Paul reviewed for the PS3 early last year and you can get a broad idea on the game by reading his review here. One thing is for sure the PC version should be a tasty delight and we would encourage people to give it a go.

The day is finally here! METAL GEAR RISING: REVENGANCE is now available on Windows PC.

Developed by Kojima Productions and PlatinumGames, METAL GEAR RISING: REVENGEANCE takes the renowned METAL GEAR franchise into exciting new territory with an all-new action experience. The game seamlessly melds pure action and epic story-telling that surrounds Raiden, a child soldier transformed into a half-human, half-cyborg ninja who uses his High Frequency katana blade to cut through anything that stands in his vengeful path.

A huge success on both Xbox 360® and PlayStation®3, METAL GEAR RISING: REVENGEANCE comes to PC with all the famed moves and action running, within a beautifully-realised HD environment. The new PC version includes all three DLC missions: Blade Wolf, Jetstream, and VR Missions, in addition to all customized body upgrades for Raiden, including: White Armor, Inferno Armor, Commando Armor, Raiden's MGS4 body, and the ever-popular Cyborg Ninja.

METAL GEAR RISING: REVENGEANCE is rated "M" for Mature by the ESRB and is currently available for PlayStation®3, Xbox 360®and Windows PC. The PC version is available starting today for $29.99.

To purchase the game, please visit http://store.steampowered.com/app/235460/

The world Tolkein created seems to be a very fertile breeding ground for video games, but unlike the Lego franchise this title is going for the more gritty end of the spectrum. We have attached a few screenshots and pieces of concept art but also a few points  on what these are trying demonstrate to the viewer. With the game coming to both generations of gaming we hope it will be able to live up to this early promise.

Talion 
•       Players take the form of Talion, a ranger who loses his family and everything he holds dear, only to be returned from death by a mysterious Spirit of vengeance.
Mordor 

•       Set between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings,  Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor  begins on the night of Sauron’s return to Mordor, throwing the region into turmoil.

Nemesis System 
•       Discover a powerful and dynamic next-gen gameplay mechanic that allows players’ actions to shape enemy relationships and characteristics, creating personal and unique stories and gameplay arcs that remain persistent even after death.

Wraith abilities
•       Players command Wraith Powers to orchestrate and execute their vengeance to outwit enemies, infiltrate the ranks, and dominate within an adaptive world. 

Melee combat
•       A multitude of enemies will require different tactics, encouraging the player to advance their skills, abilities and weapons to become legendary through a system of rune rewards crafted according to the player's strategy. 

If Telltale did not steal the VGX limelight with their Game of Thrones game, the announcement of a Borderlands title certainly pushed the developer over the edge of expectation. It seems fitting that Handsome Jack be the one to tell you more about the upcoming title but its looking great and you can see and read below.

Leading and award-winning developer and publisher of digital entertainment Telltale Games, in collaboration with leading and award-winning developer Gearbox Software, and publisher 2K, announced today their partnership to create an all-new story-driven episodic game series entitled, 'Tales from the Borderlands: A Telltale Games Series', set to premiere digitally in 2014 on home consoles, PC/Mac, and mobile devices.

"Gearbox shares the independent spirit that Telltale was founded on, and like Telltale, they've broken the boundaries of what to expect within a gaming genre,"said Dan Connors, co-founder and CEO of Telltale Games. "Our partnership is something that we are very excited about, because it will unite the incredibly rich world of Borderlands with Telltale's focus on story-telling driven by player choice, and characters that people truly care about."

'Tales from the Borderlands' will explore and expand on the stories of existing and all-new characters from the world of Pandora, as seen in the critically-acclaimed and best-selling Borderlands® 2 from Gearbox and 2K.

"At the 2012 Spike TV VGAs, our studios and games - Borderlands 2 and The Walking Dead - were fortunate to do incredibly well that night winning more awards than any other games! So we met up later for a great first date, one thing lead to another and, well, we're having a baby," said Randy Pitchford, President of Gearbox Software. "Borderlands is incredibly important to us, so it is meaningful to share that with this partnership. I have great confidence and excitement for what Telltale has in store for its all-new adventures in our universe."

Developed by Gearbox Software, and published by 2K - a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. - the Borderlands franchise has sold-in more than 15 million units worldwide, won more than 55 editorial awards, and was a breakout original property that invented a new genre, the FPS/RPG hybrid known as "shooter-looter."

Tales from the Borderlands: A Telltale Games Series will be published digitally by Telltale Games in partnership with Gearbox Software.

Keen gamers celebrate project’s release in Himalayas

“Although it’s not the first time we’ve climbed in the Himalayas, this expedition has been an amazing and special journey for us all,” says the team’s leader Arseniy Gerasimenko. “We’ve broken several new trails, which was a hard, but satisfying experience. On our way upward, we stopped to get some rest and play World of Warplanes.” The hardy Russian and Ukrainian sportsmen, who are also avid World of Warplanes players and fans, spent over a month climbing in the steep flanks and ice covered cliffs, eventually reaching an altitude of 5000 meters. The group celebrated the official launch of the flight combat MMO action game by setting up the World of Warplanes flag on one of the Himalayan peaks.

About World of Warplanes

World of Warplanes is a flight combat MMO action game set in the Golden Age of military aviation. Throwing players into a never-ending tussle for air dominance, the game allows aircraft enthusiasts to pursue full-scale careers as virtual pilots, earning their wings in intense 15-vs-15 battles where supremacy in the air depends not only on a fast trigger ringer, but also coordinated teamwork.

Players can choose from three main warplane classes: swift fighters capable of engaging enemies in close dogfights, heavy fighters with deadly straight attacks and formidable armor, and ground-attack planes, able to unleash bombs and other armaments against even the most fortified ground targets.

World of Warplanes features more than 100 vehicles from Germany, the Soviet Union, USA, Japan, and Great Britain. Every warplane has multiple modular configurations, allowing for customization across weapons, ammo types, engines, and other aircraft components. These components can be mixed and matched to provide players with the ability to outfit their warbird for any combat situation or role.

Join World of Warplanes:

• www.worldofwarplanes.com (North America)
  
• www.worldofwarplanes.eu (Europe)
  

This weekend, Friday November 22nd through Sunday November 24th, hit the beaches of Vespucci, Chumash and Paleto Bay for the very first Grand Theft Auto Online Social Club Event Weekend.

All weekend long, plunge into a special Social Club Event Playlist of brand new Jobs from the freshly landed Beach Bum Pack, a hand-picked selection of ten of our favorite new Jobs. Drop some sea shells, go for a fuel-injected run on the beach, and take in some of the most spectacular stretches of coastline in the Los Santos Bay area in modes including Sea Race, Parachute, Team Deathmatch and more. The best performers in the Social Club Event Playlist on each platform will score themselves a special vanity license plate reward for bragging rights and to commemorate their achievement.

In Free Roam, look out for an influx of special Event Crate Drops dropping frequently all weekend containing more than double the usual amount of RP plus high-powered weapons, bonus cash and clothing. They'll be unlocked for every player to help you pack more than just sunscreen on the blazing sands.

This inaugural GTA Online Social Club Event also features exclusive sweepstakes giveaways of beach-ready GTAV collectibles, a very special live stream broadcast on Friday and more. We'll be on the lookout for your sun-kissed Snapmatic pics all weekend so be sure to tag them #VespucciBeachParty so that we can find them easily and we might feature them next week here at the Newswire.

Here’s a full rundown of all the action to expect:

Special Event Playlist

Available this weekend only is a special Social Club Event Playlist of new Jobs curated to test your mastery of land, air and sea:

• View of Vespucci (Parachute)

Show some Vespucci beach bums the true meaning of 'spaced out' with this steep parachute descent from 2980ft. See how many checkpoints you can hit before opening your 'chute.

• Up the Creek (Bike Race)

Dirt bike point to point going along Cassidy Creek and ending at the Alamo Sea. Shred from gravel and pavement to the beachfront and try to trump the rest for fame and fortune.

• Water Rings (Sea Race)

A challenging and scenic boat race weaving around the islands North of Paleto Bay. Tip: Look out for a ramp to help you get one over on your competitors.

• Vespucci Beachfront (Team Deathmatch)

Stop the gentrification of Vespucci Beach dead in its tracks with this Team Deathmatch around and on top of the businesses along the beachfront.

• Grass Route II (Race)

In this sequel to the original popular Grass Route Race, go off-road in an epic heat starting on the North bank of the Zancudo River through the treacherous wetlands with a triumphant finish on the beach in North Chumash.

• Sundae Driving (Bike Race)

Sure to be a new fan-favorite motorbike race, menace Vespucci Beach on your two-wheel rocket, taking breakneck corners as you try and best the competition.

• Procopio Beach (Team Deathmatch)

Home to an infamous truck stop, Procopio Beach has long been known as a place where people come to blow off steam, and this Team Deathmatch along the shoreline at the foot of Mt. Gordo is no exception.

• Gone Coastal (Sea Race)

Hug the coastline, pull off some breakneck turns and leap over treacherous rocks and islets in this rough race that starts in the LS River and takes you through the Palomino Highlands on the East Coast.

• Turn the Tide (Race)

In this off road Race along the coast, up to sixteen speed demons leg it out across Procopio Beach and the North coast down through Paleto State Beach to Paleto Cove.

• The Cove (Parachute)

Enjoy the stunning vistas as you rapidly descend towards Paleto Cove by Mount Chiliad... but not so much that you forget to open your chute. Prepare for a long free fall from 7500ft, weaving and diving between checkpoints and the drop zone.

Three Ways to Join

• Look out for the button prompt in the initial GTAV loading screen (visible to Social Club members only)
• Follow instructions on the loading screen when transitioning into GTA Online from Story Mode (also only visible to Social Club members)
• Select Online > Playlists > Rockstar Playlists > Vespucci Beach Party on the GTA Online Start Menu

In-Game Vanity License Plate Awards

We’ve reserved 20 special and unique vanity license plates to award top performers in the Event Playlist Leaderboard for each Job across both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. By the end of day Monday November 25th, we’ll award the following plates to the 20 people who achieve the below (plates will be added to your collection in your iFruit app).

• VESPUCCI (360), AMPED UP (PS3)
  View of Vespucci - player with the max score who made the quickest descent
• SURFS UP (360), UP CREEK (PS3)
  Up the Creek – player with the best overall time
• SEAMAN (360), POINTBRK (PS3)
  Water Rings – player with the best single lap time
• HANGFIVE (360), HANGTEN (PS3)
  Vespucci Beachfront – player with the most kills
• SUP BRO (360), SUP BRA (PS3)
  Grass Route II – player with the best overall time
• SUNDAED (360), CRUISING (PS3)
  Sundae Driving – player with the best single lap time
• WIPEOUT (360), SURFSUP (PS3)
  Procopio Beach – player with the best KDR
• BIGSURF (360),GOCOASTL (PS3)
  Gone Coastal – player with the best overall time
• SURFINLS (360), TURNTIDE (PS3)
  Turn the Tide – player with the best overall time
• THECOVE (360), LSSURFER (PS3)
  The Cove – player with the max score who made the quickest descent

Note that in the case of two players getting precisely the same stat, we will decide on a tie-breaker stat at our discretion.

Five lucky Social Club member will score a Grand Prize of surf-ready Grand Theft Auto V gear including the rare GTAV Logo Beach Towel and Los Santos Lifeguard Tee as seen below.  Ten Social Club members will also score Grand Theft Auto V Prize Packs consisting of official GTAV tees, stickers and more. Enter to win all weekend from Friday November 22nd through Sunday November 24th at http://socialclub.rockstargames.com/events. See Official Rules.

Getting a next gen console? We've made it easy for you to upgrade your copy of Call of Duty: Ghosts, for just £9.99. If you already own a season pass for current gen, no problem, you can upgrade it for free on Next Gen consoles, and your Ghosts MP player profile will also travel with you when you upgrade.

A legend returns! The Berlin based publisher, Infernum in collaboration with Sony Online Entertainment brings the fabled and renowned EverQuest® dragon Nagafen into the online role-playing game Dragon's Prophet. As of today, three brand-new dragon packages are available that not only include dragon eggs that will hatch into a dragon to have by your side, but also handy items for the fervent adventurer. Whilst the first package contains the sought after dragon Indigo Flare, it is the second package that holds Nagafen, one of the most iconic dragons in RPG history. The final package contains the items of both packages as well as both dragons, forming the perfect dragon duo. Hurry though: All three packages are only available for dragon riders until Tuesday, 19th November! 

For every RPG and fantasy fan, Nagafen is an infamous name to hear. The fearsome EverQuest® dragon has already swooped in and crushed the dreams of countless heroes, with only the best of them managing to defeat him. In tribute to Nagafen’s saga, Infernum and Sony Online Entertainment have him available until Tuesday, so players can create their own tales with the mighty dragon by their side.

Further information on the packages and Dragon’s Prophet can be found on the official website. 

Its a Whole New Ball Game For Android Owners

After huge success and critical acclaim, the chart-topping soccer-star simulator, New Star Soccer, is finally available for free on Android devices. Following a wealth of feedback from fans all around the world, creator and founder of New Star Games, Simon Read and publisher Thumbstar Games, is making New Star Soccer free to play, as well as bringing a gargantuan amount of new features to the BAFTA award-winning game.

On the pitch, focused play allows for a more strategic approach to matches, be it aggressive attacking, defending, or a more balanced play-style, while the introduction of headers change up the game and create new challenges for seasoned New Star Soccer fans. New boots bring with them swerve control, allowing skilled players to manipulate the ball in real time, bending it like only Beckham ever could! Additional commentary and all new post-match headlines are also included to up the authenticity.
     
Off the pitch there are all new lifestyle items for purchase, an updated league structure for the new season, and an overhauled interface including new artwork and pre-match location maps for all stadiums. The career structure has been remodelled, adding up to 3 save slots. Players who already own the premium version of the game will be able to continue their career with a Pro License and newcomers can play totally free until they decide to turn pro. New Star Soccer is bigger and better than ever before!

Full update list below:

New game content / changes:
·         Headers!
·         New boots! New Swerve feature added to premium boots.
·         New Energy Drink! (NRG Bolt - increases energy plus 3 relationships and 3 skills.)
·         Choose differently focussed play during matches – attacking, defensive or balanced.
·         Defenders now close you down whilst you aim your shot.
·         Replenish your energy during a game.
·         New lifestyle items to purchase.
·         Three save game slots.
·         Skills deteriorate over time, and the older you get, the more you have to keep on top of your skills.
·         Retirement option. Choose the optimal time to retire before your skills deteriorate and you start to ruin the memory of your past achievements. Includes career score and various achievements.
·         Additional commentary to add variety.
·         Hire a personal trainer, recover quicker, have more energy.
·         Get yourself an agent and improve your contracts!
·         New newspaper headlines, incidents etc.
·         All new game achievements.
·         All new audio.
·         New footballs each with their own attributes.
·         Lots of UI tweaks and improvements, short-cuts and time-savers.
·         New pre-match location screen.
·         New player awards (player of the year, young player of the year etc.)
·         Updated league structure information for new 2013-2014 football season.
·         Male / Female select!
·         New unlockable ‘hard mode’ for the seasoned veterans!
·         Night time matches.
·         Exisiting premium players can continue their career with the Pro License unlocked, and their progress saved.
·         Twitter and Facebook integration.
·         Full localisation for English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Brazilian, Turkish, Portuguese, Russian *NEW, Chinese *NEW, Japanese *NEW, Korean *NEW

Released across iOS, Android and Flash in March 2012, New Star Soccer has been downloaded over 3 million times, reaching number one in the UK iPhone App Store in June 2012 and has received glowing reviews across the board:

★ Eurogamer - App of the Day - "The best football game on mobile and tablets"
★ The Sun - 5/5 - "A pristine game"
★ Sunday Times - 5/5- "So engrossing you'll be playing until your phone battery dies"

Almost 30,000 user reviews with an average 4.7/5!

The multi award winning New Star Soccer is available now from the Apple App Store for iOS devices, and from the Google Play Store for Android devices.

For up to date info on New Star Soccer, follow @newstargames on Twitter.

Attention all Grand Theft Auto Online players, we have begun the Stimulus Package direct deposit into each of your in-game bank accounts. This GTA$500,000 deposit applies to all GTA Online players in the month of October 2013.

We expect that it will take up to 2 full days for the Stimulus Package to be fully delivered to the entire player base from October 2013, so please be patient if you do not see it appearing in your in-game bank account just yet. We will update this post on Friday when we expect all the GTA$ Stimulus Package deposits to have been completed.

Thanks go out to everyone for their continued patience and understanding while we worked through these issues, and we can’t wait to bring more into the world of GTA Online. On that note, stay tuned for more details on the Beach Bum update soon along with upcoming Social Club event announcements and more here at the Newswire.

1. Activision Sells More Than $1 Billion of Call of Duty(R): Ghosts into Retail Worldwide as of Day One

2. Call of Duty: Ghosts is Gamestop's Most Pre-ordered Next Gen Title

3. Call of Duty: Ghosts Takes over the #1 Spot on Xbox Live

4. Call of Duty: Ghosts Sets New High Watermark for Average Player Session

Features

• Save the galaxy at the helm of the unique Quarp Jet, a spacecraft capable of teleportation.
• Use a range of space-shifting controls to outsmart your enemies and solve devious puzzles.
• Rescue scores of helpless survivors hidden in the depths of devastated space stations.
• Full 1080p HD artwork, running at a blisteringly fast 60 FPS.
• Fully configurable control settings and controller support (PC Version)