Pre-E3 rumblings suggest Microsoft has announcements for two new projects lined-up for this year's show. According to a report on Sarcastic Gamer, the fourth installment in the Halo series is already in the making: "A very good and anonymous source tells us that Halo 4 is already in full development over at Bungie."

Some say it could be Peter Jackson's long-rumored Halo project and again they say this one is going to be without the Master Chief. Suffice it to say, no official information is available at this time.

Microsoft is supposedly planning to have two major X360-related announcements at the event, but is still refusing to offer any hints on the subject. Recent rumors also indicate the possibility of games such as Forza Motorsport 3, Silicon Knights' hack'n'slasher The Crucible and more. These still aren't certain, so we're gonna wait for the show to kick off.

Codemasters still refuses to give us more details on their war sequel, Operation Flashpoint 2. They're obviously saving the good stuff for this year's E3. The latest issue of PC Gamer UK, however, has the scoop on the game, describing the forthcoming title as "the most mind-bogglingly vast and mercilessly realistic battlefield gaming has ever known."

Hm, I'd like to know what Brits are on these days...

"Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising is the sequel to the best soldier sim ever created," says PC Gamer. "It's a game being built to exacting specifications by military obsessives, to simulate the authentic behaviour of battle-hardened troops and push PC's to their limits."

When something's this overhyped, you're bound to think there's a nasty catch laying in wait somewhere. On the other hand, the latest screenshots, posted over this way, do look rather impressive (thanks CVG).

To check out last year's teaser trailer click here.

Like certain games before it, Fallout 3, the upcoming post-apocalyptic RPG from Bethesda Softworks, was refused by the Australian Office of Film and Literature Classification board.

Word is, that the decision was made because Fallout 3 features the use of Morphine as a stimulant and this is allowed only in case of 18+ titles. Games in Australia can only be classified 15+ and this rating does not excuse such features.

Bruce, mate, tough luck.

Poor Aussies. Winding up empty-handed almost every time when a promising game is on the horizon.

Source.

According to GSpot, the story's bogus, since OFLC hasn't made its decision for the product at this time.

When GameSpot AU then contacted the OFLC, we were told no final decision had been made on Fallout 3, although the game had been submitted for classification. Fallout 3 is scheduled to hit Australia in October 2008 on the PC, Xbox 360, and PS3. The OFLC spokesperson said when a final decision is made, details will be made available on the OFLC Web site within 24 hours.

The fact that you play the role of WAR (the first of the Four Horsemen) is cool enough. The idea of going on a quest of vengeance against the forces that betrayed WAR is even cooler. To top if off, you get to ride the mighty steed, RUIN, and then things become intense.

Vigil Games, the developers of the Darksiders: Wrath of War, the latest third-person action game, talk more about the project and the concept behind the gameplay mechanics. You can learn more by watching the latest dev. diary:

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I've also uploaded new in-game screens.

Just received a bunch of brand new screenies from Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway, the WW II based shooter from Ubisoft. The game is currently in development for the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and is scheduled to arrive on August 26, 2008. Check out the shots below:

click to view full gallery

As promised, Fan Map Pack for the tactical shooter Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 is now available for download. The 153MB map pack from Ubi is said to "enrich and extend the original game by offering three new multiplayer maps."

Also included is a new High Stakes setting that allows players to play their favorite online modes in an exciting new way, along with the ability to attain new ranks and A.C.E.S. Anyway, the map pack offers 3 maps: Murdertown (Dark), CQB Training (Dark) and the ever-popular Calypso Casino.

Ubisoft recently released the Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 v1.03 Patch.

I don't know what you guys are used to gulping down during your lunch breaks, coffee breaks and such, but the choice of foods we have in the AT neighborhood closely resembles THIS.

Help!

We've just received two new trailers for the action RPG that is Sacred 2. Both trailers show off the game's High-Elf class. Here's the first trailer:

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You can watch the second trailer here.

Long kept under wraps, Diablo III finally hits the spotlight, as Blizzard Entertainment reveals the very first details and media from the long-awaited action RPG. Blizzard makes an effort to revamp the gameplay mechanics, as well as offer familiar elements from the previous two games.

To find out what's known about the game so far, check out our Diablo III first look.

Word is spreading fast. Players may now register for their chance to participate in the Wrath of the Lich King Beta. All you need to do is go to your account management page and click the "Wrath of the Lich King Beta Opt-In" link.

• The EU account page is right here
• The US account page is right here

Thanks, Worldofwar.net.

Developer K-D LAB issued a press release, announcing the development of Perimeter 2, specifying features and new additions to real-time strategy sequel. So far we know that the game will be released in episodic format and that the first installment, Perimeter 2: New Earth, is going to hit stores in fall 2008.

According to K-D Lab "Perimeter 2 is a game for fans of the strategy genre, who appreciated the ideas of territorial gameplay, introduced in the original Perimeter game. Territorial warfare, confrontation of the main elements will become the basis of gameplay in sequel."

They also highlighted that this is a project for "progressive gamers, searching for fresh ideas and new experience in the RTS genre." New energy gathering were promised, as well as fresh unit transformation mechanisms. They've also mentioned the all-new aspect of collecting mysterious psy-crystals, though we're still not clear on what their purpose is.

You'll find a few screenshots on the official web site. We've also included a trailer for the game, so take a peek... not very impressive at this stage, I must say. Although I remember having a lot of fun with tunnel digging in the first game. Seemed like a cool idea at the time.

The new addition to the first-person shooter S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky is getting a decent makeover. The developers send over a new trailer for the promising shooter, giving us a taste of the game's ambiance. Check it out:

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Police, previously known for using the online chat rooms to set up sting operations, are now spending a lot of time playing Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto IV online in order to catch pedophiles. Such modern-day crimes are not uncommon. Back in December, a man in Michigan had been sentenced to 10 years in the slammer, having used World of Warcraft to lure a 12 year-old girl into having sex with him. The police also discovered he was using other online games for similar purposes.

Pedophiles are the next target. "Child predators are migrating from traditional methods to alternate media," says Detective Lt. Thomas Kish of the Michigan State Police to USA Today. "They are going to places where children are."

It seems that coppers today resort to a variety of methods necessary to make arrests. Playing GTA IV and of course, chess and checkers online are some of the ways to do this.

Anyhow, next time you play GTA IV (online) or WoW, don't accept any... err... suspicious offers from strangers.

According to IT security company Sophos, the official US PlayStation web site has been hacked. Nothing too fancy, it seems; just fitting Sony's SingStar and God of War pages with fake ads that attempted to make visitors believe their computers were riddled with viruses. So, it's was actually a scare tactic. The fake warnings and ads would rush users into spending money on useless software.

Reportedly, the hack was implemented through a "SQL injection attack" and the company (Sophos) says "the website is still infected." It was also noted that Sony IT cats have exterminated the problem since, albeit there's no way to tell for sure how many users fell victim to this.

Taking the hacking incident into account, as well as yesterday's firmware cock-up, it really hasn't been a good week for Sony.

Source.

Midway's open-world lifestyle action game, This is Vegas, has been pushed back for a release some time in 2009. Developed by Midway's Seattle-based studio, Surreal, This is Vegas was previously slated to hit stores during Winter.

The game is in the making for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC platforms. Expect to experience stuff like fighting, driving and, most naturally, gambling. Oh and the main character will crash parties at the hottest clubs in town, making VIP connections, seducing lovely females, etc.

To find out more about this game, read our first look here and check out the announcement trailer and a gameplay trailer.

For years now, I wanted to make the coolest video game ever. Even thought of several awesome titles (I may have mentioned some of these before):

• Nevil May Fry 4
• Ninja: Gay Den
• Deus Sex: The Invincible Whore
• Huge Crisis: No Head!
• Grand Depth Otto
• Major League Ballz 2K9
• Salamy of Two
• Pro Evolution Hooker
• FlatOut: Head On - damn, they already made that one!

I'm currently in-between ideas on a few other projects, so I'll get back to you on those.