Space is big. You just won’t believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. It’s all the space in space that allows for those large, kilometer-long capital ships to buzz about, turning each other into smaller-sized ship-chunks. That’s what the new F2P MMO Nexus Conflict is all about. Featuring real-time tactical gameplay and pretty spiffy looks, the game lets you murder human beings using pretty spaceships. Between all the PvP, PvE and co-op missions, you can join factions and craft loot into better loot, all from the comfort of your browser via Unity. Beta signups are open on their site.

The Playstation 3-exclusive shooter Killzone 3 will soon be partially available free-to-play. The multiplayer portion of the game will be available as a free, stand-alone downloadable title on PSN on February 28th. The F2P version will feature all the weapons and maps of the original. New players will be limited by a level cap, which can be removed for $15, while current owners of Killzone 3 will have the entire game unlocked.

Source: Techie-Buzz.com

ArenaNet has opened the doors for gamers to apply for the beta of Guild Wars 2, one of the most anticipated online games in years. ArenaNet’s latest MMO features a dynamic campaign and team-oriented PVP on a massive scale. Players have until 18:00 GMT on Friday, Feb. 24 to put their names in the hat for a chance to test Guild Wars 2 before it goes live sometime later this year.

The record breaking Call of Duty franchise is entering new waters with a release on Sony’s new handheld darling, the Playstation Vita. Guy Longworth, the new Sony senior vice president of brand marketing, says the game will be a “game changer” for the platform. He adds that autumn might be the time to expect the as-yet unnamed title, and that his kids are looking forward to it.

If online play works smoothly through the power of wi-fi, we could soon be seeing guys celebrate those headshots on subways and at bus stops.

Source: Videogamer.com

2K have just announced that a new expansion is incoming for Civilization V. There’ll be a new focus on religious activities, nine new civilisations, new spies and a score of fresh units. You’ll also get to sample one of nine new leaders, including Prince of Orange and Boudicca. Civ V producer Dennis Shirk describes the new content: “We wanted to take the experience to a deeper level. We’re giving you new challenges to face.” You’ll also be able to interact with two new city-state types: Mercantile and Religious.

Xbox gamers can experience classic gameplay with high-tech eye candy later this month when multiplayer FPS Nexuiz launches on Xbox Live. All mods dream of someday being turned into glossy commercial games, and developer Illfonic, together with publisher THQ, have granted Nexuiz’s wish. Initially an open-source total conversion of Quake, Nexuiz will now be powered by the powerful CryEngine 3. The game features classic hardcore FPS action, fine-tuned by a dedicated community. Expect lots of rocket jumping, railguns, powerups and grappling hooks. Nexuiz is set to launch on Xbox Live Arcade on Feb. 28 for 800 Microsoft Points as part of the “House Party” season of downloadable games. PS3 and PC versions will launch later this spring.

Operated by the fine folks at IndieGames.com, Indie Royale has released their latest bundle, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Offering five excellent games, ranging from point-and-click adventure to first-person melee, this latest package covers broad tastes. The bundle has a unique pricing scheme, in which paying certain prices lowers the minimum price for everyone, spreading the joy all around. Regardless of your Valentine’s Day status, the flirtatious eyes of Indie Royale deserve your attention. Don’t wait; this deal will only be in town until February 15.

Are you a wanton megalomaniac? Then you’ll be wanting to keep an eye on Eugen Systems’ upcoming military RTS, Wargame: European Escalation. The game promises to deliver ridiculously massive battlefields (up to 150 square-kilometers in size), created with eye-popping detail. Eugen’s latest press release proudly boasts that some of the game’s maps will feature “over 100 million partially destructible and flammable objects.”

The latest trailer from Eugen Systems explains how multiplayer games will work. It looks like matches will be set up using a Battle Log-style social network, which will also keep tabs on players’ statistics and unlocked units.

Bulgarian developer Masthead Studios, after a long and difficult year, has decided to pull the plug on Earthrise, their sci-fi/fantasy MMO. In a statement, studio director Atanas Atanasov said that “Earthrise was released too early and did not meet the expectations of its fans.” Atanasov also issued a challenge to other developers who might seek to create an MMO such as the ill-fated Earthrise. “I hope that one day an independent studio will be able to release the long anticipated open-world sandbox MMO, which everyone is talking about, but no one is making.” A previously planned free-to-play version of the game is still in the works, but its release hinges on the interests of investors and publishers.

Many fans of Diablo III were angered recently when Blizzard community manager Bashiok (aka Micah Whipple) tweeted that the upcoming game wouldn’t have public chat channels. However, in a shock twist, Bashiok was actually wrong. Public chat channels will be in Diablo III. Not only that, but they will also be included in an “upcoming beta patch.” Bashiok has since taken to the game’s official forums, apologizing for his original misinformation and setting the record straight.

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The latest Skyrim update, version 1.4, is now live on Xbox 360, but PS3 owners will have to wait a bit. “Sony tells us the PlayStation 3 patch will be hitting later today [9 Feb.],” Bethesda said in a blog post, “so stay tuned for more updates.” The developer says the patch, which became available for the PC last week, provides a heap of bug and quest fixes, including “…long term play optimisations for memory and performance,” meaning it should eliminate the game-crippling lag on the PS3.

Kinect, Microsoft’s revolutionary motion-control gaming peripheral, is now available for Windows PCs, retailing for an exclusively priced $249.99. When first released for the Xbox 360 in 2010, it became the fastest selling consumer electronic device, pushing 10 million units in 60 days.

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The Microsoft Flight Simulator series returns for the first time in six years with Microsoft Flight. Instead of arriving in traditional retail form, MSF will be free to play, and will feature the futuristic ICON A5 amphibious mono-wing and the entire island of Hawaii to explore. If you wish, you can branch out beyond your beautiful basics and purchase additional regions and aircraft using the money earned in your daily labors. To keep you coming back, there’ll also be “daily aerocache challenges” and a variety of mission goals to complete.

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Starting today, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim PC players can download and install mods directly from Steam with the new Steam Workshop. Using the “upload to Steam” feature in the recently released Creation Kit, modders can upload their creations, and players can view, sort and rate mods, as well as see which ones their friends are using.

Bethesda’s open-world RPGs have always been fertile soil for player-created modifications, which allow each user to tailor the game to their preferences. Even before the official Creation Kit, ambitious modders were already fixing, rebalancing and adding to the province of Skyrim. The list of launch mods is fairly thin, but expect it to balloon quickly very soon. To get the ball rolling, Bethesda has released an official high-resolution texture pack to PC users, free of charge. Additionally, the entire Elder Scrolls series, including Skyrim, is 33 percent off on Steam during Valve’s Midweek Madness sale. If you haven’t already snapped up this Seal of Excellence winner, you now have 33 percent less excuses.

The popular FPS/tower-defense hybrid Sanctum will be receiving a sequel in 2013, according to Joystiq. After launching on Steam last April, Sanctum became an indie success story, quickly selling more than 300,000 units. The game took the typical tower-defense formula and injected it with more than a few ampules of adrenaline. In four-player co-op, players have to carefully construct and upgrade their defenses to stop waves of monsters, before leaping into the fray with their own upgradable weapons. No details are available on what new features await players in Sanctum 2, except that PSN and Xbox Live players will also get to experience the teamwork.