Electronic Arts today confirmed that the Bio-Ware-developed MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic will launch December 20 in North America, and December 22 in Europe. Since June, the publisher has been proclaiming a general 2011 release window for the game. Don’t for get to check out the video!

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive or CS:GO is debuting in early 2012 on Steam (for the PC and Mac) Xbox Live Arcade, and PlayStation Network, Global Offensive features new game modes, weapons, maps, and characters to the franchise. This will mark the series’ first appearance on XBLA and the PSN.

Additionally, gamers will be able to be able to fight on updated versions of original Counter-Strike maps including de_dust and others. Lastly, Global Offensive will support matchmaking and leaderboards.

Valve also today shared new sales statistics for Counter-Strike. The publisher said that the Counter-Strike franchise–which debuted 12 years ago this month–has sold over 25 million units. Global Offensive is currently in development at Valve Software and Hidden Path Entertainment, which also codeveloped Counter-Strike: Source.

According to MCV, Reef Entertainment has inked a deal with film company StudioCanal to develop a new Rambo game for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.

Reef fended off competition from other publishers to secure the game rights to Rambo from film company StudioCanal. The deal allows Reef to develop and release a number of titles based on the popular Sylvester Stallone movies.

The first three Rambo films – First Blood, Rambo: First Blood Part II and Rambo III – have grossed over $600m to date.

“I am a big fan of Sylvester Stallone movies, and when we had the opportunity to secure the video game rights from StudioCanal for the Rambo franchise, we had to grab it with both hands,” said Reef Entertainment CEO Peter Rezon.

“Rambo will be a triple-A title on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC and will capture the gritty atmosphere and full-on action which made the Rambo movies so successful.”

Our thoughts:

We’re sold. Rambo is a great franchise and a has the possibility of making a great great gaming cult icon figure.

Here are our thoughts on what the game might/should/could possibly be like:

1. The game could be in 3rd person – because Rambo is not about mindless shooting. There’s a lot of stealth involved as well…and this will come out nicely in 3rd person.

2. His arsenal has to include everything from the movies – nothing more…nothing less.

3. Satalone’s voice acting is needed. No one else will do.

4. Vehicles – lots of em, that Rambo should be able to control

5. Assassin’s Creed like AI for stealth – only much harder. Splinter Cell Stealth is also good; but really, we’re talking Rambo here…not James Bond…maybe a mix a little of MGS.

6. Bring a unique hand to hand combat to the game. Why? Because  Rambo can and will kick ass in 1×1 combat.

7.   Strength based tasks. Like holding a rope till you get civilians across a bridge….I dunno…keep pressing X till they cross over.

8. Rambo should be acrobatic – not crazy acrobats – but enough to get him to scale buildings, trees and stuff quickly. Like Assassin’s Creed.

9. No Puzzles. Please. I enjoy puzzles when it’s in it’s right environment.

10. Game has to be dark. Not in the night; well that too – but I’m talking about the atmosphere. No cartoony graphics, PG rated comments; blood, debri and everything else should be flying about.- Like Wolverine The Game. Except the game needs everything to be more intelligent.

Lastly – the character model has to evolve as the battle progresses – just like in the movies. Like the way they did it with Prince of Persia Sands of Time.

Alrighty! We’ve shared our thoughts on this! Maybe wishful thinking – but hey who knows eh? Let’s hear your ideas on what you think Rambo the game should be like.

Yeah, you read it right – Team Fortress 2 is now free to download and play via Steam for PC and Mac users; and as one of their videos say…’for freeakin ever’.

This announcement is part of the game’s “Uber Update” that went live today. Team Fortress 2 will now be supported through microtransactions. As detailed in the official FAQ, those who’ve spent any money on the game already have a premium account and will received a special Proof of Purchase hat to wear on any character in-game.

Team Fortress 2 was first available as part of Valve’s Orange Box package released in 2007.

If you we’re an 80′s or even 90′s child, I’m sure you would have come across the Double Dragon Franchise. It was probably one of the most loved games back in the day and made it’s way into the hearts of millions of fans worldwide through the Arcades, NES, SNES, Genesis and the PC.

You can now re-live the game on the the Xbox 360 thanks to Co-Optimus. The game concept hasn’t radically changed, it’s still a side scorller with plenty of beat em up action. It has a new combo feature – although I didn’t notice if you could grab enemies and bust their faces with your knee or even head butt them. Although you can pick up weapons and beat the living daylights out of them.

The downside – fan’s of the original will find the graphics quite a turn off. I did at least. For the most part of it, it looks like they’ve tried too hard to make it ‘cool’. Expected release date is September and will cost around $15.

Here’s what the gameplay looks like in the new version called Double Dragon II: Wander of the Dragons

Here’s what the original arcade version looked like:

and the NES version

Mortal Kombat’s newest fighter is Freddy Krueger – the dream-invading, claw-wearing murderer from the A Nightmare on Elm Street film franchise. From the video below, Freddy plays like a dream, no pun intended. He’s sporting 2 sets of claws, has teleportation powers, can call claws from the ground and his fatality is a dream to watch! Again…no pun intended.

Having said that, his x-ray looks a little weak, seems forced since he’s claws should be slicing and dicing and not really crushing bones – I guess that’s the game mechanics. Overall, this is the last and final DLC for MK. They announced 4 – Scarlet, Kenshi, Rain and now Freddy!

Watch the trailer below to see Freddy in action!

Activision has announced it will release a version of its first-person shooter GoldenEye 007for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

GoldenEye 007: Reloaded will feature a fresh tech engine with upgraded, high-definition graphics when it launches this fall, says a statement from the publisher.

PS3 owners will also have the added bonus of support for motion controller PlayStation Move and the Sharp Shooter peripheral.

Along with the standard campaign, the James Bond adventure will add new Mi6 Ops Missions, four-player split-screen matches and an online multiplayer component with matches hosting up to 16 players.

GoldenEye 007: Reloaded is being developed by Eurocom, and is an HD update of 2010′s GoldenEye 007 on the Wii. Eurocom has developed a new engine “from the ground up” for the Xbox 360 and PS3 version of the game – but is it more than a simple port? “Undoubtedly,” says Steer. “From a single-player point of view it’s the same story and the same locations, but there isn’t an area that we haven’t gone and upgraded or reloaded in some way.”

GoldenEye 007 — which originally launched in 1997 for the Nintendo 64 — was brought back last year for the Nintendo Wii amid positive responses.

On the 2nd of September, 3D Realms president George Broussard posted a cryptic picture of pigs flying. The reason is now clear. At PAX Prime in Seattle, Gearbox president Randy Pitchford took the stage to announce that his studio has taken over Duke Nukem Forever, which had been in development at the now-all-but-defunct 3D Realms since 1997.

Speaking to a shocked and enthusiastic crowd, Pitchford said, “We can’t let the Duke die, right? The guys at 3D Realms who put their hearts and souls into this, so we wanted to make sure it hits all the platforms. It’s coming to PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC in 2011.”

Pitchford also told the Wall Street Journal that Gearbox took over the game in late 2009, following the quasi-closure of 3D Realms and tit-for-tat lawsuits between 3D Realms and Duken Nukem Forever publisher Take-Two Interactive.

“Clearly the game hadn’t been finished at 3D Realms but a lot of content had been created,” Pitchford told the Journal. “The approach and investment and process at 3D Realms didn’t quite make it and it cracked at the end. With Gearbox Software we brought all those pieces together. It’s the game it was meant to be.”

Warner Bros. has finally announced the title of the highly-anticipated sequel to last year’s Batman: Arkham Asylum. It’s called Batman: Arkham City, and it’s slated for a fall 2011 release.

The game is aptly named, as it sends Batman out into the streets of the city, which has been transformed into a new prison for Gotham City’s criminal element. Warner is promising that the Rocksteady Studios-developed sequel will bring “a new all-star cast of classic characters and murderous villains from the Batman universe,” in addition to all new gameplay features.

We’re sure to find out more about Batman: Arkham City soon, as word is that some print magazines are about ready to bust the doors open on the title. As for getting our hands on the game, the wait for its release (more than a year away) will be excruciating. Don’t forget to check out the trailer

www.google.com/pacman

On May 21st, I’m sure you peeked at the pac-man game that was available on the Google home page. Well, guess what? It’s been made permanent now!

You can visit google.com/pacman to play the game.