Whilst later than expected, new Dragon Age DLC, “Return to Ostagar,” is going to hit the Xbox Live Marketplace on the 5th of January.

This is but a droplet of water in the “steady stream of compelling content” Bioware have yet to offer. The DLC will cost just $5 (400 Microsoft Points), and buyers will unlock King Cailan’s armour for use throughout the rest of the game.

Here’s the trailer.

BioWare’s Ray Muzyka had a little chat with IncGamers about the company’s upcoming departure from its traditional single-player roots, with Star Wars: The Old Republic. During the Q&A Muzyka said that he believes that single-player games are all expanding into social gaming territory, due to the inclusion of multiplayer co-op, online matches, and DLC.

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Muzyka cites Dragon Age: Origins and the social online features the game includes. He also drops a little gem on how Mass Effect 2, saying that the upcoming RPG space epic will include some aspects of social gaming. He also states that the game will have “more [DLC] than in Mass Effect 1“.

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I’m not sure how they’re planning on bringing “social gaming” to ME 2, but I hope it’s not a forced online experience.

Everyday seems to bring a steady flow of Mass Effect related media and news. For the latest tidbit of information we have some nice little intro trailers for two of the new squadmates you’ll be partnering up with in the game. If you’ve watched the original cinematic trailer than you’ve seen these two before. Called by their names they are Thane – the assassin, and Grunt – the Krogan. And they both have killing in common.

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If there’s one thing that Ubisoft has done a good job with in the Assassins Creed franchise, it’s the details in the rich storyline. Some fans have gotten together and expanded on that lore. TheDuoGroup have gotten together and put a pretty impressive animation video detailing Altair’s initiation into the Assassins circle. There’s some quality hand drawn stuff, and the voice acting is pretty top notch. Check it out:

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You may have your hands full making your way through the loads of high profile games that have been released this holiday season. But there’s still more on the schedule for the upcoming year. Sure we all know about Mass Effect 2, Lost Planet 2, Dead Rising 2, and on-and-on. After all of that there’s still the retro-gaming goodness of Perfect Dark HD.

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We’ve discussed this on the site before. Perfect Dark HD is regarded as one of the best first person shooters of all time. If you haven’t played it, then I urge you to check it out when it’s available. Don’t just take my word for it, check out this video of the the Carrington Institute.

Christmas time is such a wonderful time of year for kids. There’s nothing like the joy of spending a sleepless night, tossing and turning while anticipating what the morning will bring. Most kids are very happy to get what they put on their Christmas wish list. Some kids, get down right hysterical. Case and point, there’s a video of one young fellow, going absolutely crazy at receiving an Xbox 360.

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One of the coolest features that Mass Effect 2 will bring with it when it is formally is released, is the ability to import characters from the first game. Many are wondering how exactly that could possibly work? Well we now have an answer. You won’t be starting the game as the high level character class from the first game. Instead you will get a slight boost to your stats and abilities when you boot up Mass Effect 2.

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The report comes from a forum post by Bioware’s Chris Priestly, who explains, “If you finished ME1 as a high level character you will receive greater bonuses than those who finished at lower levels. Ex, if you finished ME1 as a level 35 character, you will receive a bonus, but if you finished ME1 as a level 50 character, your bonus will be larger.”

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It was also revealed that Mass Effect will also include a New Game+ option. This will allow you to start a new game retaining all your stats, abilities, and equipment after a complete play through. This all sounds great, and is just making me want to play the game even more!

Things have been all quiet along the Capcom front lately. This is the time of year when most publishers are making a push to get their high profile games out to the public, but Capcom opted to avoid the holiday season and release its biggest games early next year. Now it seems that Capcom is planning on pushing back some upcoming titles even further.

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In a investor document posted by the company, there’s a list for almost every major title that Capcom is releasing next year being pushed back. Specifically Xbox 360 titles Super Street Fighter IV, Lost Planet 2, and Dead Rising 2. No specific date has been given as to when the public can expect these titles to be formally released, and the word from Capcom is that they will be “spread across all four quarters”.

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The games are being delayed because Capcom wants to “avoid competing with the major titles that other companies plan to introduce.”

Depending on what your taste in cinema is, video game movies are either everything that you want them to be, or steaming piles of trash. The latest successful game franchise to get a live action flick is Namco Bandai’s Tekken. Yes, right on the heels of DOA, Postal, and Dragon Ball Evolution (I know it’s really based off of the anime), we are getting a movie starring one of video games most dysfunctional family’s.

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There was a anime adaptation of Tekken not to long ago. If you haven’t wasted your timehad the pleasure of checking it out for yourself, you may want to hold off. Especially after checking out the teaser poster for the live action flick. Hey I’m going to be a bit skeptical, but if this movie comes anywhere near the awesomeness of the Mortal Kombat films, I’m all in. Yeah that’s right, I just I said I liked the MK films.

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Check out the teaser poster here.

Mass Effect 2 will be released on January 26, of the new year, and after all the teasers, developer diaries, and screen shots. Time just doesn’t seem to be moving fast enough. Well if the recent cinematic trailer that wasn’t released wasn’t enough to get you mildly excited. Maybe this list of in-game Achievements will. Fair warning some of the achievements contain plot detail spoilers. You’ve been warned.

 

 

Missing in Action (5)

 

Save your crew from an overwhelming attack

 

 

Very Elusive (10)

 

Return to active duty

 

 

The Convict (10)

 

Successfully recruit the biotic Convict

 

 

The Krogan (10) Successfully recruit the krogan

 

 

The Archangel (10)

 

Successfully recruit Archangel

 

 

The Professor (10)

 

Successfully recruit the Professor

 

 

The Quarian (10)

 

Successfully recruit the quarian

 

 

The Justicar (10)

 

Successfully recruit the Justicar

 

 

The Assassin (10)

 

Successfully recruit the Assassin

 

 

Friend or Foe (10)

 

Obtain geth technology

 

 

Colony Defense (25)

 

Defend a human colony from attack

 

 

The Prodigal (10)

 

Gain the loyalty of the Cerberus Officer

 

 

Ghost of the Father (10)

 

Gain the loyalty of the Cerberus Operative

 

 

Catharsis (10)

 

Gain the loyalty of the biotic Convict

 

 

Battlemaster (10)

 

Gain the loyalty of the krogan

 

 

Fade Away (10)

 

Gain the loyalty of Archangel

 

 

The Cure (10)

 

Gain the loyalty of the Professor

 

 

Treason (10)

 

Gain the loyalty of the quarian

 

 

Doppelganger (10)

 

Help the Justicar resolve her mission

 

 

Cat’s in the Cradle (10)

 

Gain the loyalty of the Assassin

 

 

A House Divided (10)

 

Hack a geth collective

 

 

Ghost Ship (25)

 

Complete the investigation of a derelict alien vessel

 

 

Suicide Mission (50)

 

Use the Omega 4 Relay Mission Accomplished (125)

 

Save humanity throughout the galaxy from certain annihilation Against All Odds (15)

 

Survive suicide mission

 

 

Insanity (75)

 

Complete the game on the "Insanity" difficulty level without changing the setting

 

 

No One Left Behind (75)

 

Keep your team alive through the suicide mission

 

 

Long Service Medal (75)

 

Complete Mass Effect 2 twice, or complete it once with a character imported from Mass Effect

 

 

Paramour (50)

 

Successfully pursue a relationship with a teammate

 

 

Head Hunter (10)

 

Perform 30 headshot kills with any weapon on humanoid targets

 

 

Brawler (10)

 

Shoot and kill 20 enemies while they’re knocked back by a punch

 

 

Big Game Hunter (10)

 

Thresher Maw defeated

 

 

Tactician (10)

 

Hit 20 different targets with multiple biotic powers to combine the effects

 

 

Master at Arms (15)

 

Kill enemies with 5 different heavy weapons during the game

 

 

Merciless (10)

 

Make 20 enemies scream as they fall or are set on fire

 

 

Overload Specialist (15)

 

Disrupt the shields of 25 enemies

 

 

Warp Specialist (15) Warp the barriers of 25 enemies

 

 

Incineration Specialist (15)

 

Incinerate the armor of 25 enemies

 

 

Operative (15)

 

Complete a mission discovered by scanning an unexplored world

 

 

Agent (50)

 

Complete 5 missions discovered by scanning unexplored worlds

 

 

Prospector (5)

 

Retrieve mineral resources by scanning and probing a planet in the galaxy map

 

 

Explorer (10)

 

Visit 100 percent of the planets in an unexplored cluster

 

 

Power Gamer (10)

 

Reach Level 30 with one character

 

 

Scholar (15)

 

Unlock 15 new Mass Effect 2 codex entries

 

 

Technician (15)

 

Obtain (10) technology upgrades

 

 

Weapon Specialist (15)

 

Fully upgrade a weapon

 

 

Scientist (10)

 

Complete any research project in the Normandy’s laboratory

 

 

Fashionista (5)

 

Personalize your armor in your quarters on the Normandy

 

 

Power Full (15)

 

Evolve any power

 

 

Highly Trained (15)

 

View all advanced combat training videos at Shepard’s private terminal

 

 

Apparently there’s this franchise called Call of Duty that you may have heard of. It’s published by Activision, and is kind of a big deal. All jokes aside, Major Nelson has just revealed what the top games being played on Xbox LIVE through December 14 were. And if you guessed that anything related to the CoD franchise was tops on the list. Then you’d be right.

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Chances are that you didn’t guess that four titles bearing the Call of Duty tag were in the top five slots though? The only game that isn’t bearing Activision’s war brand is Halo 3 which slides in at number two on the list. The game being played the most on the list is Modern Warfare 2 of course.

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Here’s a complete list of all the games and their respective ranks:

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Xbox 360 Top LIVE Titles (based on UU

If this new full length cinematic trailer for Mass Effect 2 doesn’t get you hype to play BioWare’s space epic. Then there is no hope for you! All jokes aside, this trailer details a little of the plot. Shows off some of the new principal characters in action, and has a ton of action. And beyond all that – it’s hard not to like Martin Sheen getting his voice acting on. Check out the trailer:

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EA is getting the a head start on the Dead Space 2 hype, starting with a pic, as well as the confirmation of the return of Isaac Clarke. The pic comes courtesy of Game Informer (no surprise) and shows off some new Necromorphs about to get their butts whipped by Clarke.

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If you’ve played the original Dead Space to completion and upon the games ending had some questions as to what the heck happened? Then the fact that Isaac Clarke is still alive in the sequel, should clear up any questions you may have had. One loose piece of info that has been revealed from the upcoming article is that Clarke will have a jet pack device attached to his space suit. So get ready to take flight!

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You can view a bigger image of the pic right here

If you’re one of the many who enjoy taking advantage of DLC in Rhythm games, prepare to dance with glee. Today Microsoft has launched a “Music Games Stores” section in the Music Marketplace, which gives a game – by – game list of available DLC. It helps organise what you buy, and lets you find purchased DLC with ease.

This update permits you to buy DLC without having to insert the game disc in the console. Here is the current list of games that are supported with this update:

• Guitar Hero 5
• Guitar Hero World Tour
• Band Hero
• Lips
• Lips: Number One Hits
• The Beatles: Rock Band
• Lego Rock Band

Just in time for Christmas. How lucky.

Thanks to a new trailer, it’s apparent that Aliens vs. Predator is going to be as focused on story as it is on action. Due to the simplistic nature of the fiction surround Alien vs. Predator, it will surely be a nice change to feel the things you are doing have reason (if small).

The story will hopefully be a worthy addition to the overall package; instead of being a mere side attraction. Here’s the trailer folks!

In case you live on another planet and don’t have steady access to the internet. The latest news from Aaron Greenberg should give you cause to get ready to spend some of your hard earned cashola. During this weeks Major Nelson podcast, Greenberg took some time between boasting about NPD statistics to clue the whole world into the exclusive triple-A games coming in 2010.

Next year is shaping up to be a stellar year gaming in general, but the Xbox 360 will be getting a cadre of exclusives, namely Mass Effect 2< em>Splinter Cell Conviction, Crackdown 2, and Alan Wake.

“Those are just the exclusives, that doesn’t include Final Fantasy… there’s no way we had a first half of the year like that last year,” says Greenberg.

It only gets better when you also factor in the games that have been announced for later in the year: Halo Reach, as well as Fable 3. And who knows what else they have in store?

When longtime video game mag EGM decided that it would be calling it quits, it was the end of an era. For those of us that grew up during what I like to refer to as the ’silver era’ of gaming (think SNES and Genesis), it was a sign of changing times. Old age, new technology, and the fact that nothing is in fact sacred.

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But with a new day brings new promise! EGM has been brought back from the dead, thanks in part to a marketing and sales deal with Time/Warner. The all new, slightly the same EGM will bring back some of the old members of the magazines standing staff. Namely the Steve Harris (one of the founders of the mag), Dan “Shoe” Hsu, and Seanbaby.

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In keeping up with the times the hardcopy of March 2010’s EGM will feature a nifty code that you can use to obtain a digital copy of the magazine online. Personally I’m just glad that they’re coming back. Excelsior!

Get yo’ Indie on with the new Guitar Hero 5/Band Hero DLC. The DLC consists of 3 songs from well known indie bands. Here they are:

• "Hi-Speed Soul" by Nada Surf

• "Cut Your Hair" by Pavement

• "Sister Jack" by Spoon

The new DLC costs 440 Microsoft points in a pack or 160 points individually.

The release of Bioshock 2 is almost upon us, and as February 9, 2010 draws near there is going to be a ton of news about the Rapture.

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The latest tidbit of info that has hit the internet involves the games full achievement list. If you’re curious to see what exactly you’ll be getting points for and imagine what you may have to do to get them. Feel free to scroll down in this article and check out the list. Secret Achievements were listed as secret so they aren’t compiled.

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If you’re the type of gamer that likes your playing experience spoiler free, don’t worry the achievement list doesn’t spoil anything for you.

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1. Bought a Slot 5

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Buy one Plasmid or Tonic Slot at a Gatherer’s Garden.

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2. Max Plasmid Slots 10

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Fully upgrade to the maximum number of Plasmid Slots.

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3. Upgraded a Weapon 10

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Upgrade any weapon at a Power to the People Station.

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4. Fully Upgraded a Weapon 10

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Install the third and final upgrade to any of your weapons.

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5. All Weapon Upgrades 20

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Find all 14 Power to the People weapon upgrades in the game.

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6. Prolific Hacker 20

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Successfully hack at least one of every type of machine.

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7. Master Hacker 20

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Hack 30 machines at a distance with the Hack Tool.

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8. First Research 5

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Research a Splicer with the Research Camera.

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9. One Research Track 20

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Max out one Research Track.

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10. Research Master 20

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Max out research on all 9 research subjects.

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11. Grand Daddy 25

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Defeat 3 Big Daddies without dying during the fight.

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12. Master Gatherer 30

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Gather 600 ADAM with Little Sisters.

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13. Fully Upgraded a Plasmid 10

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Fully upgrade one of your Plasmids to the level 3 version at a Gatherer’s Garden.

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14. All Plasmids 20

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Find or purchase all 11 basic Plasmid types.

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15. Trap Master 15

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Kill 30 enemies using only Traps.

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16. Master Protector 15

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Get through a Gather with no damage and no one getting to the Little Sister.

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17. Big Spender 15

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Spend 2000 dollars at Vending Machines.

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18. Dealt with Every Little Sister 50

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Either Harvest or Save every Little Sister in the game.

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19. Against All Odds 30

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Finish the game on the hardest difficulty level.

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20. Big Brass Balls 25

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Finish the game without using Vita-Chambers.

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21. Rapture Historian 40

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Find 100 audio diaries.

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22. Unnatural Selection 10

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Score your first kill in a non-private match.

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23. Welcome to Rapture 10

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Complete your first non-private match.

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24. Disgusting Frankenstein 10

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Become a Big Daddy for the first time in a non-private match.

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25. “Mr. Bubbles– No!” 20

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Take down your first Big Daddy in a non-private match.

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26. Mother Goose 20

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Save your first Little Sister in a non-private match.

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27. Two-Bit Heroics 10

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Complete your first trial in a non-private match.

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28. Parasite 10

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Achieve Rank 10.

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29. Little Moth 20

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Achieve Rank 20.

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30. Skin Job 20

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Achieve Rank 30.

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31. Choose the Impossible 50

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Achieve Rank 40.

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32. Proving Grounds 20

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Win your first non-private match.

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33. Man About Town 10

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Play at least one non-private match on each multiplayer map.

Epic Games isn’t hurting for any money or recognition. Between all the developers that use the studios Unreal Engine tech, as well as games like Gears of War and the brand new, and equally stellar Shadow Complex, things have been good for Epic. So what’s next for them?

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If you guessed Gears of War 3, you’re probably right. But on the record Cliffy B. isn’t talking. When asked during a Q & A session with Joystiq about what he was currently working on his reply was, “I can’t tell you that! It’s actually quite agonizing for me right now, because there’s a bunch of awesome shit we’re working on.”

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When pressed further on the matter, and asked when the general gaming public would know more about this “awesome shit” he said, “Maybe sometime when the weather’s warm, you’ll be hearing something.”

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So what could it be? A new Gears? A new Shadow Complex? Something for Project Natal? We have questions, and they have answers! Guess we’ll have to wait until sometime next year to find out.