I absolutely love collector’s editions of games and I love the Halo games. When the two come together I begin to do a very good impression of a school girl. I’ve never had a problem paying a exuberant amounts of money for some extra content. As a Halo fanatic I have brought every single collector’s edition that has come out. I have the Collector’s Edition Halo 2 metal tin, the Halo 3 Master Chief Cat Helmet, the 200 dollar Halo Reach Statue of Noble Team and it seems as though I’ll be adding another edition to my collection and it has me very excited!

In the Limited Edition of Halo 4 Gamer’s will Recieve:

• War Games Map Pack Access

The competitive multiplayer modes of Halo 4 are known as War Games. The Limited Edition includes access to nine maps – three future competitive multiplayer map packs, each including three locations, available for download post-launch on Xbox LIVE. Yes, you read that correctly; you get nine maps in the form of future DLC with the purchase of the Halo 4 Limited Edition. Score!

• Specializations

Everyone will have access to select Specializations, but those that purchase the Halo 4 Limited Edition will receive the ability to unlock six Specializations early, available at launch on Xbox LIVE. You can use them, one at a time, to achieve higher ranks in your Spartan career. In addition to gaining access to new ranks, Specializations unlock new customization options. We’ll be releasing more information about Specializations at E3, so expect additional details about this particular feature then.

• UNSC Infinity Briefing Packet

The UNSC Infinity Briefing Packet includes a Spartan armor customization schematic, information about UNSC weapons, an introduction to the massive ship UNSC Infinity, and insight into what it means to be one of humanity’s finest warriors: The Spartan-IVs. Story lovers will especially enjoy this in-fiction offering that provides a glimpse into the indoctrination of Spartans aboard the Infinity.
• Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn Special Edition

The Special Edition of Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn is a 90-minute extended version of the live-action digital series which will take fans back to the terrifying beginning of the Human/Covenant war, when the Master Chief inspired a young cadet who would eventually become a leader aboard the UNSC’s greatest vessel ever: the UNSC Infinity.

Digital content also includes in-fiction bonus content that expands the characters and stories of Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, special featurette Bringing Gaming into Reality, and a behind the scenes look at the making of Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn.

• Bonus digital content through Xbox LIVE will include:

•A Unique in-game Spartan-IV armor skin

•A Unique in-game weapon skin for the Assault Rifle

•An exclusive in-game emblem

•An Xbox LIVE Avatar prop

and

•An Xbox LIVE Avatar Spartan IV armor set.

At launch the game will only have two editions as 343 did not want to force gamer’s to pick and choose what kind of extras they would get. The price point for the Limited Edition will be set at $99.99 with the retail version set at the standard $59.99 and is available for pre order today.

Get ready to return to the role of Master Chief when Halo 4 drops on November 6th, 2012!

For the words straight from the horses mouth visit Halo.Xbox.Com or keep it locked here for all of your Halo Updates!

The people over at eastasiasoft sent over a batch of 45 screenshots for their upcoming PS3 RPG Rainbow Moon. These shots are taken from the final build of the game, which is now closing in for a release somewhere in June or July.

In it, we can see the tons of locales the game will go through as a key part is said to be exploration. Aside from grassy fields, snowy expanses and plenty of dungeons, we can also see some boats and such. More so, the game will work with optional fights, as an “Enter fight” can be seen when walking across the map.

Rainbow Moon will work like “tactics” games and thus feature a battle grid to move on and shows a turn order in the upper left corner. Some of these battles sure look like they’ll have a slew of opponents ready for combat.

Lastly, the options show that a difficulty level can be chosen upon starting a game.

Rainbow Moon RPG Screenshots

45 Photos

Additionally, players that do not update their game will not be able to participate in online matches anymore. Of course, singleplayer and local connection games are still available without an update.

The update requires the 3DS to have the latest system update installed.

For their Pokémon franchise, Nintendo is planning to release 2 additional apps on Nintendo 3DS for the upcoming DS titles Pokémon Black & White 2. The Pokédex 3D will return in a Pro edition and will get accompanied by Pokémon Dream Radar.

Pokédex 3D Pro is the advanced, full version of the original release. It will feature all relevant information of over 600 Pokémon released in the franchise’s history. This info includes learnable skills, evolution requirements and so on. Gamers will be able to sort, mark and compare their captures in addition to using augmented reality to take pictures with their Pokémon in the real world.

The Pokémon Dream Radar will allow players to make use of the 3DS technology to enhance their game. Through the use of the camera, motion control and augmented reality, players will try and locate Pokémon in their environment and capture them with laser beams. Additionally, Dream Radar will feature some tough to find Pokémon to get players to use it. Gamers will be able to transfer their captures to the Black & White 2 versions to amass a collection.

The catch to these Pokémon-related apps is that they will be available as paid content, unlike the free Pokédex 3D available for free now.

When Robert Bowling, aka @fourzerotwo, left Infinity Ward back in March of this year, it left a big hole in the Call of Duty franchise.  People had long associated Bowling as the face of the Call of Duty franchise, and he was one of the few people in game development that regularly interacted with gamers and answered their questions about the games.

Bowling’s position as senior community manager has sat empty since he left, but it has finally been filled.  Former IGN employee Tina Palacios has taken the position.  It will be interesting to see how Tina handles the constant onslaught of angry gamers that Bowling was able to shun off, and also will be interesting to see how different things are with a cute gamer girl being the liason to the community.  Tina already seems to be taking things in stride, recently tweeting that she would like to thank the internet for reminding her of her gender and asking her about the kitchen and sandwiches.  Well played, Tina.

How do you think she’ll do as Bowling’s replacement?  Let us know in the comments!

Iceberg Interactive is still working hard on their focus of 4X strategy games. The publisher announced that one of those games, namely Gemini Wars, has gone gold and is now available for pre-order through several digital platforms. The game continues in the same universe also present in Starpoint Gemini, which Iceberg Interactive released last year.

Though Gemini Wars will still enjoy many 4X qualities, the game is more centered on commandeering fleets and taking those into combat. Players will start small and work their way to the top of the food chain and even end up controlling planetary bases. A gameplay trailer gives us an idea of what the full game has in store.

Click here to view the embedded video.

For one, players will not only be able to research new technologies and upgrade their war machines, but they’ll also be able to build new colonies or take some from the enemy. The trailer even mentions fighting in several star systems at once, though it’s not quite certain how that works. It does show some extensive zooming capabilities. More so, Gemini  Wars will have a campaign mode with 16 missions in total.

The retail version of this PC game will ship on its June 8, 2012 release date and will get localized versions on a somewhat later date.

Content Collection 2 has now been announced, and will release on May 22nd for the Xbox 360 (one month later on the PS3 and PC).  Here is the massive amount of content that your $15 will get you..

Face-Off Maps

• Getaway
• Lookout

Multiplayer Maps

• Foundation
• Sanctuary
• Oasis

Spec Ops Missions

• Iron Clad
• Kill Switch

Misc

• New Achievements
• Access to new DLC Specific Playlists

Here’s a trailer where you can see what the maps and missions look like.  Are you going to be purchasing it?  Let us know in the comments.

Click here to view the embedded video.

DiRT Showdown is just a little more than a week away from releasing to race fans everywhere. In our current era that means the trailer bombardment is upon us to make sure everyone knows the game is coming.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This video has a strange interlude about a winter wonderland, before hitting full-on party mode. DiRT Showdown is about action and the Showdown Tour makes sure to let sparks fly. Players will be able to visit party destinations in Aspen for a snowy descent, but also muddy Michigan for some old school dirt. The Nevada desert offers some balloons and fireworks for some hot racing and southern Miami takes city street racing to the jet set city with slight Will Smith references.

What do you get when developers from BioShock and Rock Band meet up and create a new studio? Apparently, the result means a strange new studio called Eerie Canal Entertainment with an equally odd concept game named Dreadline.

The game works a little like Monsters Inc., where Billy Crystal and John Goodman go through portals to scare kids. Except in Dreadline, the team of monsters goes into a time machine and visits atrocious events in human history, to kill the already doomed individuals. Some levels include the Titanic disaster and the ancient eruption of Pompeii that engulfed an entire Roman city.

Dreadline will play as a mixture of real-time strategy and RPG, where player take control of a team of monsters and murder to unlock new individual baddies. The game will run on an entirely new engine named “shoe_gazer” that has been built specifically to fit the twisted art designs of former Harmonix and Irrational Games artist Steven Kimura.

The game will release exclusively for PC somewhere in early 2013.

The guys over at Cyanide Studio are an emphatic bunch; that much is certain. Their developer diaries always sound so sincere and show you that if anything, they are well invested in their craft. Hell, their latest diary even tries to cleverly sneak in some cross promotion for their previous title Wargame: European Escalation. But, just like the former, the video for the Game of Thrones RPG is laced with a slight French accent.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Cyanide Studio apparently started their quest for the George Martin saga 7 years ago, before the whole TV show thing. As such, they discussed with the author just how to fit their game into the universe.

The developers felt it was important to start a new story with some other characters, to give players a novel experience instead of one they would already know the outcome of. Just like the books from A Song of Ice and Fire present the narrative through different characters, so does the game follow Mors and Alester in separate ways.

Mors is the more rugged of the two characters; craving conflict and making use of a unique ability that lets him take direct control of his canine friend. Alester is more of a diplomat, who seeks to resolve issues with conversation. His fighting style relies more on tricks and dexterity. But no matter what the character, the developers mention that consequences will affect the entire story both in short and long term.

The artwork, characters and designs are also created in collaboration with George Martin himself. The developer diary shows once more that the game is created with great care, right into the details of armors and such.  Everything is made with the extension of the franchise’s extension in mind.

North Americans can already enjoy the game through the publishing of Atlus. Europeans will have to wait a bit longer for publisher Focus Home Interactive to release the title.

The charming iOS title Bumpy Road from Simogo Games is now available for PC through Gamersgate.

Bumpy Road sees an elder couple hop along their ride down memory lane. Players must guide them safely through the paths by tapping the ground, which pushes the car forward. The game has two game modes. Evergreen Ride lets players try and get as far as they possibly can, while Sunday Trip is a time attack mode. Additionally, the story can be viewed in Memory Lane.

Swedish developer Simogo Games enjoys some critical acclaim and has sold over 140,000 copies of this feel-good iOS game. Their other game Beat Sneak Bandit won the Independent Games Festival for Best Mobile Game.

For just €2.39, Bumpy Road is a game that costs less than a nice, warm coffee. We suggest you give it a look on Gamersgate.