From the cult movie legend that is John Carpenter, and the man behind 30 Days of Night, John Niles, the third part in the successful and eerie F.E.A.R. series has arrived with a pretty spooky trailer. The game is being developed by Day 1 studios and is coming out for the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 May 25. If Carpenter can bring in the elements from The Thing in this game, I think I’ll have to give it a pass to avoid a heart-attack.

Game Planet reports that the Australian Classification Board has decided to blacklist the upcoming Mortal Kombat game. This comes after the board refused to give the game a classification. It is also illegal to import the game and anyone caught doing so will be charged a hefty sum of $110,000. Words really cannot explain just how shocking this news is. I was wondering whether the board forgot that there is a rating called “18” which prohibits people under that age from purchasing the title. Again, video games are treated differently from films.

Maybe it is too good to be true and the legendary game will never see the next-gen light of day. Everything looked set for the game to come out May 3, but now that isn’t happening. Yes, the game has been delayed again. The new date set by 2K and Gearbox is June 14 in North America with a June 10 international release. If I were you, I wouldn’t bank on the game not having another delay. On the bright side, however, at least they are not rushing the game, and are working hard to ensure the classic title can compare to today’s standards.

Despite mixed reviews, Eurogamer reports that THQ’s Homefront opened very strongly, and sold over 374,000 copies during its first day of release in the US. THQ is of course pleased with themself, and is already working on re-orders from numerous retailers around the country. The company believes that this is due to an “excellent multiplayer experience.” Bold and confident words, but can they really nudge Black Ops off the throne?

Arkham City is easily one of the most anticipated titles of 2011. We were treated to a cinematic teaser showing what it looked like a few months ago, but this new trailer shows more of the characters and Batman’s new moves. The gliding is more pronounced and you can really engage in some dynamic martial art combat to take out your foes. Characters like Two Face, Cat Woman and Hugo Strange make an appearance as well as everyone’s favourite villain, The Joker. The game is shaping up to be even better than Arkahm Asylum. Now if they could just get Michael Keaton to do the voice, then all would be right in our world.

Despite the rumors, the rhythm/music genre just seems to grow and grow. Soon to be added is Ubisoft’s Rocksmith, a game that allows you to use your real guitar and plug it into a 360, PS3 or PC and start playing. Depending on your skill level, the game will adjust itself appropriately. The title will also feature the musical talents of Nirvana, Interpol, and David Bowie. With Activision’s cancellation of Guitar Hero, Ubisoft may be able to fill the void.

It’s getting close. Hype is building, people have their hopes raised, and from what I have seen, Nintendo’s 3DS looks impressive. Just to whet your appetite (I know who you Nintendophiles are), here’s the first official trailer for the device. The trailer plays on the whole “3D without glasses” theme.

Will you buy one?

We all remember when it was difficult to actually FIND a Wii in stores. Those days are long gone, as Nintendo’s innovative machine has been finding it harder to compete with the new motion control capabilities of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Business Insider reports that in 2010, Nintendo’s unit sales fell by 24%. That was the largest drop of any of the big three consoles. 2011 already looks to be shaping up as more of the same, with the 360 and PS3 leaving Nintendo languishing behind. Some experts are saying that a Wii 2 needs to be introduced sooner than originally planned, for Nintendo to make up this lost ground. Why hasn’t Nintendo simply upgraded their device like the other two?

I never would have thought a game that involved using birds as boulders (animal cruelty?) would become so popular. All of the credit goes to Rovio, who just learned that their game has been downloaded over 100 millions times across a variety of platforms. The title has 40 million active users who spend 200 million minutes a day playing the game. That, my friends, is simply incredible. Having played the game, I have to admit that it makes train rides fly by.

It’s official. Microsoft’s Kinect is the fastest selling consumer electronics device, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. The device is reported to have sold 8 million units in its first 60 days. That amounts to a staggering average of 133,333 units sold every day. These figures beat those set by both Apple’s iPhone and iPad at launch. Now, all Microsoft needs to do is start making some proper games for the device.

There were rumors circulating that Microsoft may have finally given in to the fact that Blu-Ray is the high-definition standard, by offering it as an external disc-drive. This was due to comments made by Peter Moore who said the Xbox could easily add the Blu-Ray feature. These rumors have since been countered by an official company statement that states that they are “fully committed” to HD-DVD. So it looks like they won’t be offering Blu-Ray capability in any form to their users.

The Nintendo Wii was the unlikely winner, albeit for a short time, when the next generation consoles arrived all those years ago. Whilst Microsoft and Sony licked their wounds and made up the ground, the Wii has now found itself well behind the two heavy-hitters. So, with E3 on its way this spring, there is a rumor circulating that a successor to the Wii will be unveiled.

Whether or not the 3DS is a success or not, Nintendo must update the Wii. The console still has a strong base with families, but to keep that core group away from the claws of the Kinect, they’ll have to bring in HD as well as Internet capability.

Punch Jump reports that 3DS sales are racking up on Amazon in anticipation of the handheld’s big release. A new Super Mario game, streaming functionality with Netflix and access to Wi-Fi in hotspots via AT&T are attributed as the causes. It looks like Nintendo is about to make a big impression in the gaming market.

I’m interested to see how well the device runs. If it’s as revolutionary as what the hype says it is, I might finally venture back into the world of portable gaming.

This might be one of the most anticipated titles across all platforms. After the high praise it received from the public and critics, Naughty Dog is looking to emulate and surpass the success of Among Thieves with Drake’s Deception. The new villain revealed is Katherine Marlowe. Being female and British (Margaret Thatcher in disguise?), she will offer a psychological challenge to Drake as opposed to his more physical adversaries. What really made mouths water at GDC 2011, however, was the 3D gameplay. This may be the feature that puts the game over top and makes it another PS3 winner.

With Halo having come to an end and Bungie parting ways, I was left a little saddened. Yes, there was a tear. Still, some of those that left Bungie have invested their skills into a whole new game that tries to set itself apart from their previous work. The company is Moonshot Games and the game in question is a 2D shooter where you control a lawman who’s looking for revenge on Alpha Centauri. From looking at the trailer, the game looks really cool and really well made. If any of you are fans of shooters, you ought to keep your eye on this one. Who says 2D can’t still look good?