Yeah, you read that right.  Your one-stop location for historically-based pre-mechanized combat, Sega and Creative Assembly, have commissioned a series of novels based on their RTS franchise.  These novels will be written by David Gibbins, author of the "Jack Howard" series of archaeological thrillers - two words you'd never expect to see together in such a relationship.
 
The first novel will be called Total War: Rome - Destroy Carthage.  Gibbins is working alongside Creative Assembly to spin a fictional narrative that still manages to remain true to the source material.  It follows the adventures of centurion Fabius Petronius Secundus from his first battles against the Macedonians until the Siege of Carthage itself.

I've never read any of his stuff before (my historical fiction begins and ends with Bernard Cornwell), however, I might have to check out his "Jack Howard" series just to see if it's what I'm afraid it will be: a Clive Cussler/Dirk Pitt rip-off.  

To learn more, you can follow the jump. [READ MORE]

Today’s Xbox ONE reveal conference was capped off with the worldwide premiere of the first, official trailer for Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty: Ghosts. From what was explained at the conference and what I gather from the trailer, it appears as though the United States has fallen to a foreign enemy and the game will chronicle the tale of a group of American freedom fighters known as Ghosts who are striking back. Does anyone else get a Homefront vibe? Not that such a vibe would be a bad thing...

You can check out the full trailer below and look forward to the game this November:
   

Wow, it seems like it was only yesterday that World of Tanks Update 8.5 released, but in reality, it's been almost a whole month.  

Anyway, World of Tanks Update 8.6 is all about artillery re-balancing.  Self-propelled guns (SPGs) that were previously Tier 8 will be elevated to Tier X and will be replaced with brand new Tier 8 SPGs.  Units include the American M44 and M53/55 SPGs, the Soviet SU-122A and SU-14-1, the German 10.5 GW Mk.IV(e), Pz.Sfl.IVb, and the G.W. Tiger (p), and finally the French get the AMX Obusier automoteur de 105 and Bat. Chatillion 155 (55).  

You can see them for yourself in the screenshots by looking down.

Update 8.6 will also add the British A33 Excelsior and a new map set in Korea.

To learn more about World of Tanks, or to register, follow the jump. [READ MORE]

Microsoft Studios took the stage in Redmond, Washington to show off the next installment of the popular Forza Motorsport series. Forza 5 is currently in development by Turn 10 Studios and will accompany the console as a launch title when it is released to the public (launch window not yet announced). A short trailer of the game was shown but showed no gameplay footage. More details were promised at E3.

As planned, Microsoft has lifted the veil on their next console which will be known simply as the Xbox ONE. The new system is described as an all-in-one system that will serve all of your entertainment needs. The system is a cloud powered piece of hardware that includes a controller, the system, and what is the equivalent of Kinect 2.0.

The Xbox ONE is a media hub of sorts, which will tie in all of your electronic devices in your living room. Your cable / satellite television, as well as other media sources, will be all be routed through the new console. Users can swap between things such as their games, television, music, and even Internet browsing using simple voice commands or hand gestures.

More details are inbound...

• Sony teases the PlayStation 4 a day ahead of the next Xbox reveal
• Kevin Conroy WON'T be voicing Batman in Arkham Origins
• Prepare for the finale of the Penny Arcade: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness series with a free copy of Episode 3
• Love the Unreal games? How about five for only $10?
• New Splinter Cell: Blacklist trailer details cooperative stealth
• Xbox Live discounts dozens of new titles and add-ons until June 3
• Rain down fire in new Guncraft trailer
• First trailer for Batman: Arkham Origins and information about the Deathstroke pre-order pack.
• Now Loading for the week of May 20, 2013: Better Late Than Never Edition
• OUYA will be at E3 in a parking lot across the street
• The Last of Us will be available for digital download on launch day

Leave it to Sony to try and steal a little thunder from Microsoft. They posted a teaser video showing off little bits of the PlayStation 4 console, but the full reveal will be at E3. Tomorrow's is Microsoft's day, but Sony got a little buzz today with this one. I'm at least happy there's something to look forward to at E3. It's been a while since something like this debuted at the trade show in Los Angeles. For now, check out some close ups of the console before it's fully unveiled in a few weeks
 

Penny Arcade has announced that the finale of their On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness series will be released on June 7th.  In preparation, players are able to head to http://penny-arcade.com/static/rainslick-giveaway to get a free Steam key for the third episode in the series.  However, there's a catch: the giveaway will only last until the end of the day OR until all the Steam keys have been given out.  So don't dawdle!  Head over to the link above, fill out the Captcha form to prove you're human, and claim your key before they run out.

Sam Fisher and Isaac Briggs have their work cut out for them in Splinter Cell: Blacklist's newest trailer.

Ubisoft's cooperative trailer shows off the ways the duo can interact and cover each other's backs via stealth tactics. Players' progress as both characters will be tied into cooperative and single-player modes alike, creating a persistent experience across the whole of Splinter Cell: Blacklist. The Strategic Mission Interface allows players to unlock new weapons and items through experience earned. 

Splinter Cell: Blacklist releases August 20 for Xbox 350 PlayStation 3, Wii U and PC.

Check out the trailer below for a look at Splinter Cell: Blacklist's cooperative mode.

Via: Gameinformer

Exato Games' Guncraft is a bizarre combination of Minecraft and Call of Duty, and in the newest trailer, Meteor Survival Mode creates an even more unusual twist to the title's gameplay.

In Meteor Survival Mode, players must freeze their opponents in their tracks before meteors rain down from the sky, melting them into little pools of space matter and H2O. 

Beta mambers will be anle to try out the Meteor Survival mode in the next content patch to Guncraft. 

Check out the trailer below to witness Meteor Mode's rain of fire over the landscapes of Guncraft.

?

The moral of this week’s story is everything old being new again, or various systems getting caught up with the times. There are a lot of re-releases and updated ports hitting the market this week including the return of Donkey Kong Country, and HD version of the 3DS Resident Evil, and the Wii U getting a couple of titles a few months late. Not everything is familiar though so take your pick from the long list of games launching this week.

My picks for the week include:

Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D: Rave reviews have been pouring in for this 3DS port of the now-classic Wii title Donkey Kong Country Returns. This is an updated port of the Wii game from 2010 which was an original adventure, not an update to the SNES classic. Once again, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong are out to stop the theft of bananas on their island. The game has been credited with being an incredibly challenging platformer that pays great homage to the genre and sets the standard for future ones. If you own a 3DS, you will definitely want to pick this one up.

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing: Action RPG fans have a treat coming to the PC this week with NeocoreGames’ The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing. The game is perhaps best compared to Torchlight, as I mentioned in my recent preview, but has plenty to love in its own right. This is an exciting adventure that you can experience alone or with up to four friends cooperatively. Between loot gathering, experimenting with the game’s alchemy system, and an engaging world that is a combination of steampunk and goth-noir, this one should keep you busy for a long, long time

Resident Evil Revelations: Wow, this is a new concept: an HD port of a portable game! That is exactly what Capcom has done with the former 3DS-exclusive entry in the Resident Evil series. Revelations has gotten the full HD-makeover for its outing on the home consoles including updated visuals, Achievement / Trophy support, and at least on the Wii U, a plethora of new features that make use of the Wii U’s unique control pad. The reviews have been positive thus far, including our own (Wii U, PC), and the reception of the original was much higher than that of Resident Evil 6.

The full lineup for this week includes:

• Call of Juarez: Gunslinger for Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, and P
• Donkey Kong County Returns 3D for Nintendo 3DS
• Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes for PC
• Fast & Furious: Showdown for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii U, and Nintendo 3DS
• The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing for PC
• LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes for Nintendo Wii U
• Men’s Room Mayhem for PlayStation Vita (via PSN)
• Mugen Souls for PlayStation Network
• Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault for PlayStation Vita
• Resident Evil Revelations for PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo Wii U
• Sniper Elite V2 for Nintendo Wii U
• Worms Collection for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3

The OUYA's retail release is getting a little bit delayed, but they're trying to get the word out to other gamers. E3's one of the biggest gaming shows around and they want to make a presence there. But, it's pretty expensive to get a booth inside the show so what is a small company to do?

Well, they will be setting up a booth outside of the convention center so even the public can check out the console. The company's also calling on all developers to see about doing some demonstrations of their game there.

Now, some folks are going to look at this and say they're just cheap or it's a sign of how second rate they are. There have been some companies in the past that have done this so they're not the first. But, I look at it as at least they are giving folks a try with the console whether you can go to the show or not.

I recently received my OUYA and it's an OK device. I'm more interested in the hacking aspects of the console then what it has to offer with mobile gaming on the big screen. I've done that plenty of times with an HDMI out from my tablet or phone in the past. And I've gotten it to stream some media pretty well already. Now if it only had an IR receiver so I an control it with a universal remote, then it would be a pretty killer $99 streaming device.

So, it won't be too long before the OUYA's in everyone's hands. Is it going to be a huge hit? Who knows, but they are making a go at it and we at least got a nice Kickstarter success story out of it if nothing big comes out of this console. [READ MORE]