En Masse Entertainment has revealed the first details for its Action MMO, Tera. Currently in development for the PC by Bluehole Studio, the game will first launch in Korea this summer, and Western markets will follow in the winter. En Masse, the company responsible for adapting the game for western players is made up of people from some of the top MMO developers including Blizzard, NCsoft and ArenaNet. The game will combine action-adventure style combat with six character races, eight classes, thousands of quests, a huge array of weapons and items, and hundreds of monsters. It appears enough to amuse the average RPG gamer. The world of Tera has been torn apart by the gods, and monsters and demons have been unleashed as a result.

Dr. Jae-Heon Yang, CEO of En Masse Entertainment, said of the game, “Tera is a new class of MMO that combines the depth and flexibility of online PC games with the lush graphics and immediacy of console action games.” The game’s official web site has already launched with lots of video and screenshots from the game. Looks like this will be a busy year for the wanton adventurer!

Bodycount has been officially confirmed as the new project in development by Codemasters at its Guildford studio. The game’s development team features a number of individuals (notably Stuart Black) who worked on the FPS Black. A Codemasters spokesperson revealed that, “in Bodycount players become ensnared in a clandestine global power struggle as a powerful combat asset with a green-light to eliminate enemies known only as ‘Targets’ on behalf of the ‘Network’.”

Blimey, the world is full of clandestine conspiracies! Maybe that’s what accounted for the power failure at the cafe this morning which resulted in my lack of pre-morning caffeine. The game will be built using Codemasters’ proprietary Ego engine and will feature online multiplayer and co-op game modes, and is set for release on the PS3 and Xbox 360 during the first quarter of 2011. It is being billed as the “ultimate shooter”, but methinks I’ve heard that before.

Shinji Mikami (Resident Evil) boasts that his new FPS title, Vanquish, “isn’t a regular shooting game.” He claims that the game will set itself apart from other third person shooters thanks to its focus on acrobatics and agility. “I wanted to create a game that was speedier and more acrobatic than other shooters. It’s a brand new kind of shooting game that’s incredibly tense.” The acrobatics come care of a rocket powered suit and gravity, and Mikami added, “I wanted to make a shooter where the player is active – taking people on. I didn’t want the game to be like other third-person action titles, where people are just trying to survive, taking pot-shots at enemies from behind cover. So it is this aggression and active spirit that I wanted to capture with Vanquish.”

The story is set in the near future. Russia and the United States are vying for ownership of the world’s fast-depleting energy resources and the US has constructed a space station in order to harness energy from the sun. Russian forces capture this space station and divert its harvested solar energy into a blast wave that destroys San Francisco, in an attempt to force the US into total and unconditional surrender. Obviously the US isn’t going to take that, so they send an elite combat unit to reclaim the station, a la James Bond’s and Moonraker.

Vanquish is set to release next winter for the Xbox 360 and PS3.

Crystal Dynamics has confirmed that the Tomb Raider franchise is very much alive and well. Lara Croft will be returning to a video game screen near you, for an all-new adventure, Lara Croft and The Guardian of Light. It is understood the next saga will be a download-only title coming to as yet unspecified platforms in 2010.

Darrell Gallagher, General Manager of Crystal Dynamics, frothed with excitement during the reveal. “This is a really exciting project for Crystal Dynamics, we have created something completely new and very different to what people might be expecting.”

Those of you lucky enough to be heading to next week’s Game Developers Conference will be able to catch the first glimpse of the game. One of the aims of the new game might be to collect hair dye and Botox – given the increasing age of our heroine. Also, keep your eyes peeled for stalking tigers and the odd marauding tyrannosaurus rex!

Score one point if you answered the Blue Toad Murder File series. The company behind Buzz make their first foray into the PlayStation Network exclusive games with the six-episode comedy murder mystery title. The point of Blue Toad is solving a murder, and you choose one of four detectives with which to do this. You then must navigate your chosen detective through the quaint English village of Little Riddle that’s filled with haughty accented British types (with a token American thrown in) to solve the murder. Sound like the Professor Layton series to you? Well Relentless has promised that Blue Toad will be a totally different experience as it is designed for multiplayer mode. The game is meant to be played with people, and they boast “the more the merrier”. The first three episodes of Blue Toad Murder Files will be out for the PSN by March 25. Each episode costs $7.49, or you can pick up the three-pack for $14.99. The second trio of episodes will be out during the last week of April. Now where did I put my pie and deerstalker?

Staring out of the window? Wondering how to fill your day? Wonder no further. Mytheon, the much anticipated online, multiplayer RPG from True Games Interactive and developer Petroglyph, is beckoning all true adventures to help beta test the game. The companies have begun distributing closed beta keys and are inviting Mytheon fans to join in.

“We know that our Mytheon fans have been dying to get their hands on the game, but we have hand-picked those who had access to this point,” said Peter Cesario, director of product development and new business at True Games. “Development is an ongoing process and we now feel that the game is at a point where we are ready to really have the community that has been growing and building, come in and play-test the early game as we progress towards open beta and the official launch. We are very happy to get some early feedback that will give us an opportunity to make even more improvements.”

Mytheon is a fantasy based RPG where players assume the roles of “Stonecasters”, powerful humans imbued with the ability to cast spells, summon minions, and erect structures that aid them in battle. The game will offer an assortment of player classes with each approaching combat differently and offering a range of unique abilities. Players can now join the closed beta, and experience the excitement of battling a giant Cyclops or challenging the god Hephaestus. True Games and Petroglyph will demo the game next week at the San Francisco Game Developer’s Conference.

The highly anticipated new FPS from Bethesda Softworks, Brink, has been given an estimated release date of September 7, and Amazon.com lists the same release date for the game on PC, Xbox 360, and the PS3. Those of you too excited to just sit and wait it out can also pre-order the game at your local retailer. The rumored price tag is $59.99 for the PS3 and Xbox 360, and $49.99 for the PC version, but that could be subject to change. According to Bethesda, “official pricing and release dates have not been announced by the publisher. These are estimates only and subject to change.”

In Brink, two sides, “Resistance” and “Security”, fight on the outskirts of The Ark, a floating city surrounded by the waters of a flooded Earth. The Ark was designed as a prototype of a perfect city, with renewable resources and no pollution, large enough to support 5,000 residents. Its population has grown to 50,000, however, leading it to the brink (hence the name of the game) of a civil war. The game features the SMART (Smooth Movement Across Random Terrain) Freerunning System first seen in Mirror’s Edge. It’s a game with teams, guns and lots of explosions! I might be sticking my neck out here, but this could be popular!

ijji.com has just added a massive DLC to its free to play Soul of the Ultimate Nation. This news combines two of my favorite words – game and free. “Soul of the Ultimate Nation is a fast, thrilling and engaging MMO game, so just imagine what fresh, menacing quests and an increased level cap offer,” said Calvin Yang, vice president of marketing, commenting on the new downloadable content. The title is a fantasy MMORPG set in a world ravaged by corruption and war. The upgrade offers gamers yet another alternative to the growing MMORPGs on the Internet. The new level cap has now jumped from level 100 to 115, and includes new missions, quests and area conquests, plus more customizations and a revamping of the shield system. Those of you intrigued by the sound of the game or those of you already playing can find out all you need to know at its official site.

Capcom recently announced that Marvel vs. Capcom 2 would be on sale for half price at the PlayStation Store. That’s not all, however, as our Capcom buddies have also revealed that each week for the next five weeks, will see a major price slash on one of their PlayStation Network games by 50%. So for this next week, you’ll be able to pick up MvC2 for $7.49 instead of $14.99. Starting on February 25, the discounted game will be Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix ($7.49); March 4, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix ($4.99); on March 11, Age of Booty ($4.99); and last (but by no means least) on March 18, 1942: Joint Strike is available for $4.99. Sales like these give a nice warm feeling to the start of the weekend. Thanks Capcom!

Firaxis Studios promises “an entirely new combat system, deeper diplomatic interactions and a cavalcade of expanded features,” for Civilization V which is currently under development for the PC. One of the new developments will be the introduction of hexagon tiles in an effort to enable greater use of strategy and movement tactics. Fully animated leaders, screen-filling diplomatic scenes, characters speaking in their native languages and ranged bombardment also fill out the list of improvements and additions. The game will have an in-game community hub that will allow you to share user-created scenarios, scores, and achievements. Multiplayer will feature not only online competition, but Hotseat email modes as well.

“Each new version of Civilization presents exciting challenges for our team,” said the one and only Sid Meier. “Thankfully, ideas on how to bring new and fun experiences to Civ players never seem to stop flowing.” Phew, that’s a relief then! Expect the new version to be on shelves in the fall of 2010.

Never one to shy away from big philosophical issues, I thought I’d just grit my teeth and tackle this one head-on. Rather than discuss specific games in detail, judging the merits of one over another, I just thought I’d ask, “Why do we play video games?”

Firstly I should at least apologise to you all. Asking such a question obviously could spoil the gaming experience for some of you. I suppose its almost in the same ballpark as asking a “what’s the meaning of life?” question. Do we really care or do we just like the experience? So is it better not to question and just keep our heads down and get on with it? Why question the experience? I play games, so I’ll just enjoy them. Questioning why we play might well spoil the whole experience for us. So with that thought as a warning, read on at your own risk!

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More and more game publishers are defecting to the PS3. That’s a recent statement by Sony. They are boldly announcing that the tide is turning in their favor in terms of their competitive position against the Xbox. SCEA’s senior VP of publisher relations Rob Dyer recently stated, “when I walk into EA, they’re telling me that for Madden, the one platform they’re seeing year-on-year growth is the PS3, or when I walk into Activision and they tell me the same thing for Guitar Hero. Those are big statements, given what has transpired with those franchises.” The company has also claimed that attitudes in the publishing community have changed and that the PS3 is now seen as the safe bet for further development. Sony clearly believes this will be the year that sees the PS3 leap ahead of the Xbox. Is this really going to be Sony’s year or are they deluding themselves?

Microsoft has announced that the new DLC Lost in Nightmares for Resident Evil 5 is now available at the Xbox LIVE marketplace. The new episode finds BSAA agent, Chris Redfield, working with his partner, Jill Valentine, as they investigate Ozwell E. Spencer’s hideaway. Spencer, the evil mastermind and co-founder of Umbrella Corporation, has been hiding a new evil deep within the basement of his mansion. Chris and Jill discover this grotesque evil standing in their way as the two enter deeper into the catacombs beneath the mansion.

If that wasn’t dreamy enough, then you can also humor your fashionista aspirations with the DLC ‘Costume Pack 1′. The Lost in Nightmares add-on costs 400 MS Points ($5), brings a new mission to the game and allows two new characters to be unlocked. The Costume pack goes for 160 MS Points ($2) and adds the ‘Heavy Metal’ armor for Chris with Shiva getting a more unclear armor suit entitled ‘Busine’.

We used to have to wait for the hot lazy days of summer for XBLA block party releases. That’s changed it seems according to an announcement made during Microsoft’s X10 event, and three new XBLA games will be let loose on us in March. Toy Soldiers starts the ball rolling on March 3, but if men in uniform don’t float your boat, fear not – fast cars are available later in the month with Scrap Metal. Perfect Dark follows these up and the whole party comes to a close with the release of Game Room. Price details: Perfect Dark — 800 ($10), Toy Soldiers — 1200 ($15), Scrap Metal — 1200 ($15) and the Xbox Game Room — Free to download (Each title costs 240 [$3] per single license, 400 [$5] for use on PC and Xbox 360, or 40 [50 cents] per play).

It has been announced by EA’s Phenomic studio that the latest expansion for its free-to-play strategy title BattleForge is now available. The Lost Souls expansion and booster packs add Frost and Shadow, Fire and Nature combinations to increase players’ tactical choices. The booster packs are available through the in-game store.

BattleForge combines strategy, fantasy, trading cards and magical spells in an online environment. The collectible cards in the game are the tools of war, each representing a spell, unit or building that is conjured directly onto the battlefield real time in 3D graphics. The game features single-player scenarios and cooperative scenarios supporting 2-12 players, as well as Player vs. Player (PvP) ranked and unranked duels.