2009 was a tough year for World of Warcraft in China, and unfortunately, 2010 doesn’t appear to be faring any better.

NetEase, the company which operates the game in China, has blocked new users from registering while it applies for a license to run WoW’s expansion pack, Burning Crusade. Due to this issue, no new registrations can be completed for at least a week starting next Monday. NetEase may claim a week, but I’ve no intention of holding my breath.

Source: Kotaku

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is in development at Ubisoft’s Paris studio and is scheduled to be released in time for Christmas. Additionally, the title is scheduled for a Multiplayer Beta this summer. This exclusive beta invitation will be available for a limited time via Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction for the Xbox 360, which will be released on April 13.

(click to play the video)Today, Paradox Interactive debuts interview footage with the developers of the medieval action RPG, Mount & Blade: Warband. The latest iteration of the title will incorporate a brand new multiplayer feature that enables up to 64 players to engage in grueling combat on horseback.

Join Armagan Yavuz, Lead Developer at Taleworlds Entertainment, as he takes players through the multiplayer modes of the game at the recent Paradox Interactive Convention. “This is one of the most exciting features for us and also for the fans as well,” says Armagan, as he speaks on the new multiplayer aspect. “If you like the idea of fighting on a horse and fighting with tough guys with swords…you are going to enjoy Mount & Blade: Warband.”

Mount & Blade: Warband will be available next month.

Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Petroglyph Games
Genre: Strategy
Release date: Available now

Like tanks? Big explosions? Strafing aircraft? Unpredictability? Then you might do well to invest some time into Panzer General: Allied Assault. It wouldn’t surprise me if you haven’t heard of it. This turn-based wargame has sneaked under the marketing radar. This is rather a shame, as it offers more value and entertainment than some of the bigger hitters. There have been a plethora of World War II games (most have been first-person shooters), so it’s refreshing to see a different type of wargame. Don’t get me wrong, I love bumping up other players’ kill ratios in Call of Duty, but it tests my reflexes without giving me much of a neuron workout. So it’s nice to find a game like Panzer General that keeps the cobwebs at bay.

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Electronic Arts is happy with two of its hardcore titles. The company has announced impressive sales results during its fiscal third quarter earnings call yesterday for both Dragon Age: Origins and Left 4 Dead 2.

Dragon Age: Origins has shipped 3.2 million copies worldwide since its
launch in November 2009. The team is now preparing a second title in the series, or perhaps a major downloadable expansion, sometime in early 2011. The new title is expected to launch on consoles, PC, and handhelds (which includes mobile phones).

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Peter Molyneux, the force behind the Fable series, expects that an impending announcement at Microsoft’s X10 about the new game (Fable III) will annoy fans. To be honest, I am not sure that Mr Molyneux has got this marketing business pinned down. In a recent interview in Copenhagen he said “I’m really scared that when I go out and tell people what it is, they’re going to be super pissed off. They really are. But it’s the right thing to do, man. I’m sure it’s the right thing to do.”

This has started tongues wagging in the Xbox community that Fable III might be the ‘big title’ that Microsoft has promised to be the first employer of its new motion controller, Project Natal. As if pouring petrol on the small fire he initially created Molyneux later added, “if you’re thinking that Natal is going to give you another version of an FPS, you’re just not thinking broadly enough. After all, it was the invention of the mouse that gave us computing as it is today — not the invention of the microprocessor. The mouse was the real revolution of the PC — not the Intel processor. And who’s to say Natal couldn’t end up creating something you and I can’t even imagine now? It forces us to approach technology in a completely different way.“

I am sure this opinion will calm the multitude of Fable fans quivering at the thought of this dramatic change. I can’t wait for his announcement at X10 this Thursday in San Francisco. I just hope he remembers to wear protective clothing.

Square Enix (owner of Eidos) has trademarked the name Deus Ex: Human Revolution in Europe (it will get the same name in the US minus the colon). The third installment is a prequel to events in the original Deus Ex game. Square Enix is publishing and producing all CG cinematics, and while details of the game are still scant, a “powerful, layered” plot is promised for the third game. Players will assume the role of private investigator Adam Jensen, and the title will have cover-based stealth and customizable weaponry and armor. Responding to the rumor that it will be exclusive to the PC, an Eidos spokesperson has retorted via the official forums that “only the PC version has been announced so far.”

Dante’s Inferno just released a few hours ago, and while reportedly not all that long in its initial form, the plan is to incrementally expand the experience with a series of downloadable content packs. This month, they will be offering Soul Packs, Poet Costumes, and an Animated Feature Film Costume. For those that didn’t purchase the Divine Edition, March will then blow in with an additional Prequel Level, and April’s offerings include new in-game abilities and Trials of St. Lucia.

Manufacturer: SteelSeries
System requirements: Windows 2000/XP/Vista/Win 7/Mac OSX (configuration software not available for Mac systems)
MSRP: $89.99 USD/79.99 Euros

PC users in general (and most gamers in particular) tend to take the humble mouse for granted. It’s standard equipment on every PC, and it’s our primary movement tool through the marvel that is the Internet (try getting around your favorite site using just your keyboard and you’ll gain a new appreciation for your mouse). Yet most of us rarely give it a second thought. All, that is, except hardcore gamers looking for the little extra edge that could make them a force to be feared in their favorite online game.

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Electronic Arts revealed some noteworthy sequels with release dates today. Included in the list for the first quarter of 2011 were Dead Space 2, a Dragon Age: Origins sequel, and a new shooter from Epic Games. Additionally, EA also narrowed release windows for many of their other games: the new Medal of Honor is lined up for release between July and September; and the new NBA Jam, Crysis 2, and console releases for The Sims 3 are coming between October and December.