The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a role-playing video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the fifth installment in The Elder Scrolls action role-playing video game series, following The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. It was released on November 11, 2011 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Skyrim's main story revolves around the player character's efforts to defeat Alduin, the firstborn of Tamriel's primary deity Akatosh. Alduin is prophesied to destroy the world. Set two hundred years after Oblivion, the game takes place in the land of Skyrim, which is in the midst of a civil war after the assassination of the High King. The open world gameplay of theElder Scrolls series returns in Skyrim; the player can explore the land at will and ignore or postpone the main quest indefinitely. Since its release, Skyrim has received universal acclaim.

Skyrim was launched with a multitude of technical issues ranging from small to large scale problems. The Xbox 360 version has a texture down-scaling issue when the game is run from the hard drive, while the PlayStation 3 version has slowdown, frame rate, and crashing issues when save files start to reach 6 MB and the Windows version suffers from various slowdowns and crashes. The PlayStation 3 save file issue was also present in both Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas. An update is scheduled to be released soon after Thanksgiving (late November 2011).

Combat Arms

Combat Arms is a multiplayer game, free-to-play modern first-person shooter developed by the South Korea-based developer Doobic Studios, and published by Nexon. The game uses the Lithtech game engine to produce its graphics.

Combat Arms gameplay is similar to commercial games such as CrossFire, Counter-Strike, Ghost Recon 2 and Call of Duty. The game offers many different modes of play, including One Man Army, Elimination, Capture The Flag, multiplayer co-op (known as Fireteam), Quarantine Regen, Elimination Pro, Search and Destroy, Seize & Secure, Spy Hunt, Bombing Run, and Hired Guns. During the 2009 winter season of the game, a special mode known as Snowball Fight was introduced, but was later removed. Combat Arms uses a player ranking system based on total experience, using common military ranks that players can obtain. Completing objectives, killing other players, and levelling up one's rank gives the player money in the form of Gear Points (GP), which can be used to purchase new equipment. Equipment includes weaponry, weapon attachments, and accessories for one's character. Players can also purchase equipment from the Black Market (previously known as the Nexon Cash Shop) using NX (Nexon Cash) that is bought with real-world money. Primarily, the Black Market equipment is cosmetically different from regular shop items and have no rank or level requirement that many of the free items require. In addition, some items may only be obtained through the Black Market. All items purchased have a time length of anywhere from 1 to 90 days,(some weapons can be purchased for a permanent duration from the black market shop), after which the gear is deleted from the player's inventory; however, players can buy most NX standard items for permanent with NX and can be extended with the Weapon Renewal Kit, and on the rare occasion, Gear Points.

Metacritic aggregate reviews place Combat Arms with an average of 71. Reviewers cite many bugs and glitches in the earlier versions.
GameZone's Michael Splechta reviewed the game on March 11, 2010, saying "Combat Arms is fun. Simple as that. If you can overlook the annoying players, then anyone looking for a competitive online shooter should look no further. This is free to play Fun-FPS at its best."

Modern Warfare 3 Hardened edition spotted

Activision hasn't been satisfied with just a single Collector's Edition option with its most recent installments in the Call of Duty franchise. Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops have each come in at three different price points: a $60 standard edition, a $80 Hardened edition, and a $150 Prestige edition. Now, it appears this November's Modern Warfare 3 is continuing the trend.

Infinity Ward creative strategist Robert Bowling recently tweeted an image of the Hardened edition of Modern Warfare 3. The picture was accompanied by text, which reads, "Hardened Edition, literally on the factory line."

Additionally, Bowling said that more details concerning the Hardened edition of Modern Warfare 3 will arrive at Call of Duty: XP, the themed convention landing in Los Angeles in early September. Tickets are currently on sale for $150 each.

If the Hardened edition of Modern Warfare 3 falls in line with what was offered in Black Ops and Modern Warfare 2's Hardened editions, fans can expect to pay $80 for a steel-book casing and pack-ins that have included co-op maps, avatar outfits, and an art book.