http://www.mapathy.com – Feeling the effects of Mapathy? It’s okay, the cure is hitting #Xboxlive in just 3 short weeks. #MW2

On March 30, we can all expect to see the first DLC for Modern Warfare 2 exclusively on Xbox Live first.

[Via @fourzerotwo]

Bioware has released a new heavy weapon, the Arc Projector, on the Cerberus Network.  With the Firewalker DLC pack on its way, Bioware has made the Cerberus Network a worthwhile investment for those who purchased the game new.

The lack of weapon options was one of the drawbacks of Mass Effect 2.  Hopefully a new SMG and Heavy Pistol eventually make its way into the arsenal too.

Read on for screenshots, more info and a possible preview of the next DLC.

The Arc Projector ionizes targets with a non-visible laser to ready them for a high-voltage electrical attack. As the lightning-like bolt hits its first target, a sophisticated auto-targeting system paints succeeding targets with the ionization laser, allowing the electricity to take the path of least resistance and arc between them. An entire enemy strike team can be shocked to death with a few pulls of the trigger. Careful aiming will also allow the user to arc shots to nearby explosives as well.

Of all the Heavy Weapons available, I found myself using the Collector Particle Beam for the majority of the game.  However, the Arc Projector appears to be good for crowd control, making this a potentially useful Heavy weapon to have on hand.

* If you look at the 2nd screenshot, it appears as if Shepard is wearing a new set of armor.  A hint for what the next DLC will be?

Around Retailers:

Toys-R-Us

• Buy 1 Get 1 $20 off all in stock games $39.99 and up
• Final Fantasy XIII with $13 gift card $59.99

Target

• Final Fantasy XIII with $10 gift card $59.99
• Fifa 2010 $49.99
• Assassins Creed II $39.99

Best Buy

• Modern Warfare 2 $49.99
• The Godfather II  $17.99
• Sonic Ultimate Genesis Collection $17.99
• Dead Space $17.99
• NCAA Basketball 10 $39.99
• Band Hero Kit $149.99

"We have very strong first and third-party developer support for [Natal],” said Mount according to IGN [thanks Edge]. "Needless to say, we’re putting some of our best people on coming up with great game ideas for this, and we’re going to have some great stuff. It’s part of the reason that we announced [Natal] as early as last summer so that we’d have time to get kits out and get the entire game developer community developing games for it."

While Sony and Nintendo would be hard pressed to say it, you know they must be extremely nervous over the potential impact this could have in the console war.  If successful, this could potentially make the Nintendo Wii nearly obsolete and the Sony motion controller an afterthought.  Not to mention, it would tip the scales in favor of the 360 for the remainder of the console’s lifecycle.

[Via Industry Gamers]

Tuesday, March 16
* Dragon Age Origins: Awakening (EA, $39.99)
* Metro 2033 (THQ, $59.99)
* Prison Break: The Conspiracy (Deep Silver, $59.99)
* Resonance of Fate (Sega, $59.99)
* Supreme Commander 2 (Square-Enix, $59.99)

Tuesday, March 23
* Clash of the Titans (Namco, $59.99)
* How to Train Your Dragon (Activision, $49.99)
* Just Cause 2 (Square Enix, $59.99)
* MotoGP 09/10 (Capcom, $49.99)

Tuesday, March 30
* Samurai Shodown Sen (Xseed, $49.99)

Tuesday, April 6
* Borderlands Double Add-On: Zombie Island/Underdome Riot (2K Games, $19.99)

Tuesday, April 13
* Dead to Rights: Retribution (Namco, $59.99)
* Splinter Cell: Conviciton (Ubisoft, $59.99) (Collector’s Edition: $79.99)

Tuesday, April 20
* Autobahn Polizei (Tommo, $29.99)
* Sherlock Holmes vs Jack the Ripper (Dreamcatcher, $29.99)

Tuesday, April 27
* 2010 FIFA World Cup (EA, $59.99)
* Nier (Square Enix, $59.99)
* Super Street Fighter IV (Capcom, $39.99)
* Record of Agarest War Limited Edition (Aksys, $59.99)

Tuesday, May 4
* Iron Man 2 (Sega, $59.99)

Tuesday, May 11
* Swarm (505 Games, $49.99)

Tuesday, May 18
* Alan Wake (Microsoft, $59.99) (Limited Edition $79.99)
* Backbreaker (505 Games, $49.99)
* Lost Planet 2 (Capcom, $59.99)
* Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (Ubisoft, $59.99)
* Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar, $59.99)
* Shrek Forever After (Activision, $49.99)
* Skate 3 (EA, $59.99)
* Split / Second (Disney, $59.99)

Tuesday, May 25
* Blur (Activision, $59.99)
* LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (Warner Brothers, $49.99)
* Mafia II (2K Games, $59.99)
* Sniper (City Interactive, $29.99)
* Tides Of War (505 Games, $49.99)
* UFC Undisputed 2010 (THQ, $59.99)

Tuesday, June 1
* Alpha Protocol (Sega, $59.99)
* Kane & Lynch 2 (Square Enix, $59.99)
* King of Fighters MI 2.5 (SNK, $59.99)
* Pure Futbol (Ubisoft, $59.99)
* R.U.S.E. (Ubisoft, $59.99)

Tuesday, June 8
* Field & Stream: Outdoorsman Challenge (505 Games, $49.99)
* Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 (EA, $59.99)

Tuesday, June 16
* Naughty Bear (505 Games, $49.99)
* Toy Story 3 The Video Game (Disney, $49.99)

Tuesday, June 22
* Transformers: War for Cybertron (Activision, $59.99)

Tuesday, June 29
* Front Mission Evolved (Square Enix, $59.99)
* Max Payne 3 (Rockstar, $59.99)
* Ninety-Nine Nights 2 (Konami, $59.99)
* Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned (Disney, $59.99)
* Singularity (Activision, $59.99)
* Two Worlds II (South Peak, $59.99)

Of course the dates and prices could change, but that’s what our weekly New Releases column is for. Anyway, you’d still better go ahead and pick up a 2nd job to support your habit. It’s gonna be a great spring!

Some would hardly consider this news, but there’s been a lot of hype regarding the upcoming Modern Warfare 2 map packs. On top of the recent happenings at Infinity Ward, some doubt was cast as to whether they would release on time (if at all). News today from Robert Bowling (Infinity Ward’s Community Manager) is that details for the first DLC will be released later this week. Following up to other Twitter users, he also mentions that a release date will likely be the first thing announced.

On another note, Bowling also announced that Modern Warfare 2 has surpassed 25 million unique users (on all platforms), an absolutely staggering number. Props to the guys at Infinity Ward for creating such a successful title.

New on XBL:
* Scrap Metal (1200 MSP)

Weekly indie wrap-up:
* Ask Angela (80 MSP, 1.5 stars)
* Convextrix (80 MSP, 3 stars)
* Experiment 13 (80 MSP, 3 stars)
* Globoids (80 MSP, 2.5 stars)
* GooieGru Day One (240 MSP, 2.5 stars)
* Jewelry Master Twinkle Light (80 MSP, 3 stars)
* Mega Monster Mania (80 MSP, 4 stars)
* Puzzle Drop (240 MSP, 2 stars)
* Spot the Difference (400 MSP, 3 stars)
* Toad Man’s Bizarre Quest (80 MSP, 2 stars)
* Zatacka (80 MSP, 2.5 stars)
* Zombie Armageddon (240 MSP, 3 stars)

Weekly trailer and demo wrap-up:
* Darksiders Demo
* Iron Man 2: War Machine Trailer
* Just Cause 2 Demo
* Lips Party Classics Demo
* Metro 2033: Ghosts of the Metro Trailer
* MLB 2K10 Demo
* MotoGP 09/10 Demo
* Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands Trailer

The Digest:

THE FACT SHEET

RELEASE DATE: February 24, 2010
PUBLISHER: Xbox LIVE Arcade 
DEVELOPER: Valcon Games LLC / W!Games
ESRB RATING: “E” for Everyone
GENRE: Strategy & Simulation
PRICE:  800 MS Points ($10)

PRODUCT OVERVIEW:
Turn-based strategy games are nothing new. We’ve played hundreds of them over the years and often find new titles that bring little new to the table. Greed Corp is a turn-based strategy game that presents an entertaining, fresh element to its gameplay – the element of destruction. While the game focuses on players building bases and working to defeat one another, they must do so in a world where everything is crumbling around them – including the ground beneath their own structures.

PRODUCT FEATURES:

• Innovative land collapsing mechanic, creating intense strategic battles
• Earn Trophies and titles, playing as one of four factions in bite-sized matches of around 20 minutes
• 10+ hours single player campaign consisting of a tutorial and 24 unique maps
• Friendly and ranked 2, 3, and 4-player battles spread across 36 unlockable maps, supporting optional voice chat
• Further customize matches with any combination of local, online, and computer players (three difficulty levels)

The game opens with a little backstory that you quickly find out has no real relevance to gameplay. A poor tutorial shows you the ropes of the controls without really explaining what you’re doing, then quickly tosses you into the game without much of an idea of how to succeed. That is somewhat bothersome, but this game prefers you learn how to play by failing miserably at first, then improving on your mistakes. It’s just a shame the control structure is stupid in some regards, because you’ll end up choosing the wrong thing frequently until you remember what you’re supposed to push when.

Greed Corp is a land grab game. The story can be stuffed in a nutshell by saying there’s not a lot of usable land left in the world, and a few big companies are fighting for what remains. Players build bases on towering hexagonal squares that float in the sky on huge pillars and make up the game board. To build more bases and create more personnel, you have to harvest resources from the land underneath using harvesters. But there’s no dice-rolling or tiberium to be found here. Each time you harvest, the hexagons under and around your harvesters move a little farther down towards a crumbly destruction. Harvest too little, and you’ll never have the tools to take out your enemy. Harvest too much, and you’ll end up swiftly destroying the earth and earn yourself swiftly losing the match. By the end of a game, the board will be down to just a few meager hexagons and a cutthroat fight to stay alive. The bulk of the game’s strategy requirements come in the form of your land management, as you strive to make sure you don’t screw yourself over. But you will.

The game is definitely fun, albeit in a wall-punching way at times. As has already been said, is a steep learning curve and a lot of challenge involved. That begins partly as a result of the poor tutorial and partly a result of the nature of the game. Another big element is the graphics. While they’re pretty and complex, that’s also their problem. Your pieces of land are pretty small and you often have to have a whole bunch of different things on a single hexagon – say, a harvester, a cannon and some walkers. With four different "corporations" all boasting very unique icons for their individual items, it can be terribly hard to see what’s what, and even harder to learn and remember what each thing is for each team. I often found myself getting shot by things I didn’t know were canons, saw land being harvested by things I didn’t know were harvesters, and otherwise was left frustrated by the presentation.

The goal of each round is simply to outlast the other team – like many strategy games. It doesn’t matter if you have a ton of stuff left or just one lowly body. But the real enemy in Greed Corp isn’t the other team – it’s the land. Everything comes down to managing the destruction of your platform. I’ll admit – I am terrible at strategy games, and have been failing miserably at this one. I actually have yet to win a single match, and I played it all morning. It’s hard to ever tell who’s winning because of the nature of the game. I found myself thinking "you’re going to get this one!" during several matches, only to end up totally screwed on the last few moves. The play is basic, but extremely strategic.

Each turn is also limited by a fairly short clock and by your money, which comes from harvesting. These things keep each player’s moves per turn in check and keeps the pace of the game going. Combine that with the fact the board is continually deteriorating and you’ve got a strategy game where matches rarely last longer than 15 minutes. While some may scoff at the idea of a strategy game being limited by a timer, I found the pressured nature of its existence in line with the theme of the game.

The single player is fun, but being a strategy game, its heart really beats for multiplayer play. You’ll likely find much more enjoyment playing with your friends than the computer. At least your friends will suck as bad as you do at first.

Conclusion:  Overall, it’s a strong title that puts a unique spin on an often tiresome genre.  A strategy game for the impatient man, Greed Corp has a lot of unique elements that make for an inventive game.  Though the instruction and control structure can be lacking and the graphics are too detailed for their own good, overcoming these problems can lead to lots of fun. It’s a game that uses its extreme simplicity to create something very complicated, and that’s a worthy effort in itself.

Single Player: 6/10 | Multi-Player: 8/10

[View with PicLens]

On March 9 (just 2 days away), retailers will have a new Xbox 360 Elite Bundle available.  Packaged with the sleek black 360 is a copy of Forza Motorsport 3 (X360D Rating: 10/10) and Halo 3:ODST (X360D Rating: 9/10).  A 120 GB HDD ($130 value) is also included, making this is a great deal for those of you out there looking to finally get a 360.  Priced at $299.99, this is certainly better than any other bundle that has been released in the past.

[Via Engadget]