What do you get when you cross Minecraft with castles and Legos? Well, you could get one cool idea, or you could get Castle Story. While the game is still in the early phases, it’s shaping up to be a really awesome game. An early trailer has been released showing many of the ideas being incorporated into the game, and while everything is not there yet (a la early Minecraft), it still shows a lot of promise. Check out the demonstration trailer. So many great games in the works. With 2012 supposed to be the end of the world, at least I’ll die with a smile on my face and a game on the screen.

Did I not just say 2012 will be known as the year of the X-COM? Well, here it is! A real X-COM game that’s not an FPS is on the way from developer Firaxis. Not only did we get the great news of the game, but a whole series of pictures to peruse. X-COM was one of the first games that I purchased for my Amiga and PC. While the sequels failed to live up to the original, I have high hopes for this one.

This little gem is coming for the iPhone and Android sometime in 2012. You design and control a spaceship and explore the galaxy, meeting and blowing new species to bits. You also hire and manage your crew. Generally, you attempt to take over the universe, with a view style and gameplay very reminiscent of X-COM (aka UFO: Enemy Unknown) and a graphic style similar to Escape from the Planet of the Robot Monsters.

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Square Enix has released the first gameplay video from Hitman Absolution. The video showcases the footage shared at E3, of a library in Chicago where police go on a manhunt for Agent 47.

Hitman Absolution launches for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC in 2012.

Sword of the Stars II: The Lords of Winter is due out at the end of this month, and Paradox is now accepting closed beta applications. The application period closes October 12, and those granted access should find out by October 13.

Would you like to know more? Check out our interview with Chris Stewart.

Joystiq reports that Gears of War 3 players are complaining of freezing issues while attempting to load a game mode. It appears to be limited to split-screen Horde play with two profiles. When it occurs, it permanently alters one of the profiles, making it impossible to enter any game mode.

Epic is aware of the bug, and has stated that resolving the issue is a priority. They are presently collecting information and exploring potential fixes.

Plagued by technical problems, Rage angered PC customers with driver issues, texture pop-in and an inadequate supply of graphical options. A patch has since addressed several of these shortcomings, and according to Kotaku, id co-founder John Carmack has commented on the graphics driver issues as a “cluster!@#$” that prevented some players from making it past the intro.

Carmack blames incorrect drivers issued by graphics card vendors for many of the issues. “When launch day came around and the wrong driver got released, half of our PC customers got a product that basically didn’t work…We were not happy with the experience on what should be prime platforms.”

Silent Hill: Downpour had previously been listed as a November 2011 release for both the PS3 and Xbox 360, but now MCV reports that the game will not arrive until sometime during the first quarter of 2012.

Meanwhile, Konami has denied the rumors of a delay for the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, and insists that the title was never given a concrete release date in the first place. It is currently estimated to release around the middle of 2012.

Keiji Inafune has announced that his company Intercept is developing King of Pirates for the Nintendo 3DS. The title is an action RPG that features multiplayer support. Players assume control of a penguin that has to lead a ragtag team of animal pirates on a high seas adventure based on the Romance of the Three Kingdoms historical novel. It will feature over 300 creatures ranging from cows to dragons and some of the novel’s principal characters when it arrives sometime in 2012.

Last year, Activision put gamers in the midst of a sentient robot civil war with High Moon Studios’ Transformers: War for Cybertron. Today the publisher announced that we’ll get to see how that conflict ultimately plays out next fall, when Transformers: Fall of Cybertron makes its debut.

Fall of Cybertron will take players through the final stages of the war between the Autobots and Decepticons, and the destruction of their home planet. It continues the story of the original game, but should come off as more of a successor to the original rather than a true sequel.

PC players have been able to play dictator over Tropico 4‘s virtual Caribbean citizens since late August, but starting October 18, Xbox 360 gamers will get their shot. Players assume the role of El Presidente, which allows for leadership behaviors that range from the tyrannical to the benevolent. As for additions to the series, the game will feature a full 20-mission campaign, as well as new environments and building types. Kalypso is also expanding the game’s political options with the ability to appoint ministers to help pass less popular decisions into law. Foreign powers are also at play this time around and can be dealt with in various ways. Assassination anyone?

The next entry into the King’s Bounty series is official. King’s Bounty: Warriors of the North boasts a new hero called Olaf who is the son of the Northling King, and adds new locations, units and skills, as well as Valkyrie companions. The title is slated to arrive next spring.

The Rabbids characters will be the stars of an animated series to be broadcast on Nickelodeon starting in 2013. According to Gamasutra, Ubisoft Motion Pictures and Ubisoft’s French studios have partnered with France Television to produce 78 seven-minute CGI shorts featuring the characters, which will be packaged as 26 half-hour episodes for worldwide distribution on Nickelodeon.

Ubisoft officially launched its Paris-based motion picture arm earlier this year, but has previously shown interest in film and TV production through public statements and the acquisition of special effects house Hybride. The studio also has plans to develop movies based on the Assassin’s Creed, Ghost Recon and Splinter Cell franchises.

As upcoming PlayStation Vita speculation mounts, information is bound to get leaked. One such leak involved a possible list of titles that would be available for Sony’s new handheld. Sony confirmed some of these rumors at the Tokyo Game Show. The confirmed Vita games are Lord of Apocalypse, Ultimate Marvel VS Capcom, Zone of Enders HD, Metal Gear Solid HD, and an HD remake of Final Fantasy X.

At Microsoft’s BUILD keynote, many of Windows 8′s new features were put on display. One feature was the new built-in Xbox Live support. Details on Live’s future in Windows 8 were minimal, but I think it is safe to assume that Xbox Live on Windows 8 will feature access to your friends list, achievements, and other perks.