Borderlands
Available for: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC
Developed by: Gearbox Software
Published by: 2K Games
Release date: October 20, 2009
Official website: www.borderlandsthegame.com

Review Summary:
Borderlands successfully merges the addictive elements of skill-building in role-playing games and action in first-person shooters. There's plenty of replay value packed into Borderlands that make this game a keeper in your gaming library. Read on to see why you don't want to miss this surprisingly fun wasteland romp.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Read the full review below.

Next week's Rock Band releases introduce The White Stripes with a 3-pack on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii, along with tracks from The Damned, and Kasabian. All of the tracks will be available for play in LEGO Rock Band with the exception of "Icky Thump" by The White Stripes due to the lyrics in the music. Check out the list below!

Xbox 360 and Wii - Nov. 10th
PlayStation 3 - Nov. 12th

The White Stripes Pack 01 - $5.49 (440 Microsoft Points) or $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points, 200 Wii Points) per track
"Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" by The White Stripes
"Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine" by The White Stripes
"Icky Thump" by The White Stripes

Single Tracks - $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points, 200 Wii Points) per track
"Smash It Up (Part II)" by The Damned
"Club Foot" by Kasabian

Rock Band Unplugged (PSP) - Nov. 12th

Single Tracks - $1.99 per track
"Excuse Me Mr." by No Doubt
"I'm Shipping Up to Boston" by Dropkick Murphys

Tired of saving the princess? For Link's next upcoming adventure on the Nintendo DS, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, Nintendo has announced Zelda will be joining forces with Link to combat the evil in Hyrule. The gameplay changes up this time to break away from the traditional "save the princess" formula. By offering you the chance to play alongside Zelda, you'll get to learn more about her, as well as use some of her special powers.

Watch a trailer showing some of the gameplay with Zelda and Link below.

See screenshots and artwork from Nintendo here.

Here's how Link and Zelda will join forces in the game, as described by Nintendo:

"For the first time in the 23-year history of The Legend of Zelda series, Princess Zelda is leaving the villainous clutches of the underworld behind and joining the adventure with Link. In The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, the spirit of Zelda accompanies Link on his quest to save Hyrule. Directly impacting game play like never before, Zelda’s spirit can take control of hulking suits of armor known as Phantoms, allowing the player to direct both Link and these new allies as they battle enemies, solve puzzles and uncover secrets. Zelda also rides alongside Link on his customizable train, offering wisdom that will help players find new areas, storylines and items. The team of Link and Zelda presents countless new storyline details for fans to enjoy, including a closer look at Princess Zelda herself, one of the most iconic video game characters of all-time."

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks will be available on December 7th in North America for the Nintendo DS and DSi. Watch for more details on The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks here at the official website. Saving the princess is so last gen.

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Electronic Arts and DICE, EA's game development studio, has announced that a multiplayer beta for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will be coming on November 19th exclusively to the PlayStation 3. To access the beta, you'll need to get a beta key. That means you're going to have to show some early support of the game with your pre-order from GameStop (or Best Buy) in North America. More details will be coming soon for gamers in Europe on how to get the beta keys. If you pre-order now from GameStop, you also get the Limited Edition version for $59.99, which includes some bonus weapons and more combat advantages. You can see more details on the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Limited Edition here.

Watch the PS3 Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Beta announcement trailer below.

A PC beta of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will be coming in December. Keep in mind that a Beta is different from a demo, which means you may encounter, and should report on, any gameplay issues. The demo for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will be coming early next year for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 looks like it's going for more of a realistic combat experience, with less humorous overtones as the original game had. The press release states: "Battlefield: Bad Company 2 provides a true all-out war experience like no other modern warfare game." A little jab at another FPS, which you probably may know about.

Go to www.battlefield.com for more details on Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Make sure you check out this interesting letter, where a fan sends DICE a check in support of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and their use of dedicated servers.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will be available on March 2, 2010 in North America and March 5, 2010 in Europe on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.

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Nintendo and Papa John's are partnering up for a giveaway of 300 Wii systems with Wii Sports Resort. Entries are now being accepted in the Wii Sports Resort Sweepstakes, where you can win a Wii bundle, which includes:

- Wii system
- Wii Sports Resort video game
- Wii Remote controller
- Nunchuk controller
- Wii MotionPlus accessory

You don't need to make a purchase to participate in the sweepstakes, but you will have to mail in an entry if you don't order. Ordering from www.papajohns.com allows you to enter. You can enter up to five times a day, but there are ways to enter up to 10 times if you read the fine print at www.papajohns.com/wiisportsresort.

“Family game night is more fun when Papa’s in the House with Wii Sports Resort,” said Papa John’s Chief Marketing Officer, Andrew Varga. “Wii is at the top of holiday wish lists, which is why Papa John’s is especially excited to partner with Nintendo this month.”

The Papa John's Wii Sports Resort Sweepstakes runs until Sunday, November 29th. See more details on the sweepstakes and enter now at www.papajohns.com/wiisportsresort.

Atlus USA has announced a new RPG game is coming to North America, set in the Shin Megami Tensei universe. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is an upcoming "first-person science fiction RPG" for the Nintendo DS.

See the first screenshots of Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey here.

Details from Atlus USA:
"In the near future, a mysterious, growing, black void appears at the Earth's southern pole. Unable to determine its cause and powerless to stop its deadly encroachment, humanity sends an elite team of explorers into the heart of the phenomenon, just as Strange Journey's look and feel represent a return to the heart of Shin Megami Tensei, bringing to mind the all-time classic Nocturne™. With over 300 demons to bribe, coerce, and negotiate with to gain assistance in battle, Strange Journey is every bit the deep, rewarding RPG experience fans have come to expect from the SMT franchise, yet delivered with a fresh new sci-fi story that taps into mature themes of morality and introspection."

Atlus USA notes that Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey has already been released in Japan to some critical acclaim, scoring a 10/9/9/8 from Famitsu.

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is estimated for a March 2010 release on the Nintendo DS. Visit the official website of Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey at www.atlus.com/strangejourney.

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BioWare has announced the Mass Effect 2 Collectors’ Edition. Just as the first Mass Effect game had in the alternative Collector's Edition, you'll find the Collectors' Edition of Mass Effect 2 packed in a tin case with an artbook, making-of-videos and more. Here's what will be included in the $69.99 limited edition for the Xbox 360 and $59.99 limited edition for the PC:

- Premium tin case
- 48-page hardcover “Art of Mass Effect 2” book
- Issue 1 of the Mass Effect Redemption comic book
- Bonus DVD with behind-the-scenes and making-of videos
- Unique in-game weapons and armor, exclusive to this package

Watch for the Mass Effect 2 Collectors’ Edition to arrive on January 26, 2010 in North America, or January 29, 2010 in Europe for the Xbox 360 and PC.

“We’re really excited to roll out this Collectors’ Edition featuring so many unique items, including special Collectors’ Edition armor and weapons and content that will surprise Mass Effect fans,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, co-founder, BioWare and Group General Manager of the RPG/MMO Group of EA. “The limited edition comic book and bonus DVD will really enhance and expand the overall Mass Effect 2 experience.”

Check out more details, screenshots and videos from Mass Effect 2 at masseffect.bioware.com.

Good Old Games has been giving retro gamers a new place to obtain their favorite classic games that no longer work on new PCs. Now, GOG.com has added some favorites from the previous generation of gaming. Critically acclaimed Psychonauts, one of Tim Schafer’s previous games, has been added to the lineup along with Advent Rising, BloodRayne, and BloodRayne 2.

As of today, Psychonauts and Advent Rising have been released at $9.99 and $5.99 respectively. The other games will be making their appearances on GOG.com over the next few months. The managing director of Good Old Games commented, “Games like Psychonauts perfectly embody the ‘Good Old Game’ and we’re thrilled to be bringing that game, along with other quality titles like BloodRayne and Advent Rising, to a new audience.” I wouldn’t say that Psychonauts is a “Old” game, because it came out last generation, but it is tough to find and cheaper than other digital distribution systems.

For those that are unfamiliar with Good Old Games, they release all their games DRM-Free and optimize them for the newest Operating Systems and the latest hardware. If you are interested, check out www.GOG.com for more information on Majesco Entertainment’s games and all the other games already on sale from other companies.

Epic Games, already on the forefront of supporting community game development with Unreal Engine 3 mods, takes a massive leap forward in opening game development to all today. Epic Games has announced the Unreal Development Kit (UDK). The new UDK opens game development to you starting today, which is a free edition of the Unreal Engine 3 game development kit. The Unreal Engine 3 is already found in many commercial blockbuster games from Epic Games as well as other game studios. It's a big initiative from Epic Games to educate potential game developers and is unlike anything in the video game industry before. Mark Rein, vice president of Epic Games, explains that game development isn't the only use of the UDK.

“I’m excited about the possibilities the Unreal Development Kit opens to those who are looking to get into the game business but don’t otherwise have the means to acquire world-class technology and tools like ours,” said Mark Rein, vice president of Epic Games. “UDK is Unreal Engine 3, which has been used to create games in a wide range of genres, as well as military simulations, 3D architectural walkthroughs, animated movies and more. Users are only limited by their imaginations. Go ahead make something Unreal!”

See screenshots that demonstrate the various stages of game development on the UDK here.

Watch a video showcasing the Unreal Development Kit (UDK) below, as well as a developer video from Psyonix Studios. Psyonix Studios is experienced in unique applications of the Unreal Engine 3 in their games, as in Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars.

Epic Games will continue to support the UDK, which will also be making its way into the education of game development programs at universities such as University of Pennsylvania, North Carolina State University, The Art Institute system of schools, Drexel University, Westwood College, DeVry University and Atlantic College, and more. The UDK also allows for commercial game development. You can see the terms of licensing here.

See more on the Unreal Development Kit (UDK) and download it here.

Read the full announcement on the UDK from Epic Games here.

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FOX Business Network was given a tour yesterday at some of Electronic Arts' latest games hitting mobile platforms, game consoles, and PCs. FOX Business Network’s Liz Claman brings the behind-the-scenes look of Electronic Arts' campus for their American Icon series.

You can see three video clips below, which highlight various games and executives at Electronic Arts. EA Mobile VP Travis Boatman discusses the challenges of bringing Rock Band to the iPhone, demonstrates how it plays, and mobile gaming's future in your gameplay. Dr. Greg Zeschuk, one of the co-founders of BioWare, talks about this week's released Dragon Age: Origins role-playing game, a little on his early gaming influences and background, and how the game business keeps afloat during these tough economic times. Finally, Electronic Arts' John Buchanan, the VP of Marketing for The Sims, talks about the Sims 3 and how people are living their virtual lives.

The videos from FOX Business Network and Liz Claman are a great look into EA's campus and what EA is doing in the gaming business as one of the leading developers and publishers for games. Don't miss out on this unique inside look!

Sit back and watch the video clips from FOX Business Network below.

From FOX Business Network