MW3’s first DLC content to hit Xbox 360 next month announces Activision.

Update
Activision has told us it has no further information on MW3 DLC for PS3 or PC.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will get its first DLC pack on 24 January according to a new video on Call of Duty Elite.

The latest episode of Roll Call features details from Robert Bowling, who confirms the first content drop will arrive exclusively for Call of Duty Elite members on Xbox Live on 24 January.

No further details were revealed.

We’ve contacted Activision to see when DLC will hit other formats – we’ll let you know as soon as they respond.

Sony’s next-gen PlayStation handheld launches in Japan this weekend.

The PS Vita makes its worldwide debut in Japan on Saturday 17 December following a long-running round of promotion in both the East and West.

NowGamer already has a comprehensive guide on everything you need to know about the device.

PlayStation Vita launches in Japan in two Crystal Black flavours – the Wi-Fi model (PCH-1000 ZA01) and 3G/Wi-Fi Model (PCH-1100 AA01 & PCH-1100 AB01), costing ¥24,980 and ¥29,980 respectively.

Unlimited tariffs will be available for PS Vita 3G owners.

The PS Vita box includes:

- PlayStation Vita Wi-Fi Model x1
- USB cable x1
- AC adapter x1
- Power cord x1
- Instructions x1
- Sim card x1 (3G model only)

Sony has reportedly upped it’s shipment of 500,000 units in Japan to 700,000 units to meet demand.

PS Vita’s release date in the UK is 22 February when it’ll be available for £229.99 and £279.99 for Wi-Fi and 3G models respectively.

PS Vita game packaging will follow Sony’s recent blue trend, in boxes somewhere between PSP packaging and Blu-ray.

Sony recently demonstrated how PS Vita’s cross-play and remote-play features will work with PS3.

The device is reportedly region free, meaning we could see the PS Vita on UK streets before the year is out – it’s unclear if multiple users’ accounts will be accessible on one device though. Most recent reports suggest it will only support one account at any given time.

We’ve asked Sony for confirmation.

Meanwhile, ahead of the European PS Vita release date, numerous game have gone up for pre-order on Amazon.co.uk – most have an RRP of £34.99 – check out the full availability list below:

Shinobido 2 £33.67
Touch My Katamari £30.07
Ridge Racer £30.07
ModNation Racers: Road Trip £28.37
Everybody’s Golf £36.14
Little Deviants £20.60
Wipeout 2048 £28.37
Reality Fighters £20.60
Uncharted: Golden Abyss £28.37
Unit 13 £28.37
Silent Hill Book Of Memories £35.94

Codemasters reveals arena-based Dirt spin-off.

Codemasters has announced Dirt Showdown, a Demolition Derby-esque racing game which mixes elements of Dirt 2 and Dirt 3.

The debut trailer reveals a May 2012 launch window.

Dirt 4 will still happen and focus more on simulation, while Showdown will include Gymkhana and arena modes across three racing types, an eight-player online mode, and two-player split-screen.

Expect car-smashing, fireworks and stunts with three vehicle types up for grabs: racing, Hoonigan and Demolition.

Dirt Showdown’s headed to PS3, PC and Xbox 360.

Uncharted studio working on new PS3-exclusive action title The Last of Us – first video and screens.

The Last of Us has been confirmed as Naughty Dog’s next PS3-exclusive action title at the VGAs.

Naughty Dog debuted a trailer for The Last of Us (above) at the event courtesy of Creative Director Neil Druckmann and Game Director Bruce Straley – it consists totally of in-game PS3 footage, and introduces a post-apocalyptic world in which teenage girl Ellie and a gruff older survivor, Joel, must fight for existence against zombie-like beings in an overgrown, I Am Legend-esque city.

“The Last of Us is a genre-defining experience that blends survival and action elements to tell a character driven tale about a modern plague decimating mankind,” reads a statement on Naughty Dog’s site.

“Nature encroaches upon civilization, forcing remaining survivors to kill for food, weapons and whatever they can find. Joel, a ruthless survivor, and Ellie, a brave young teenage girl who is wise beyond her years, must work together to survive their journey across what remains of the United States.”

The Last of Us has no release date. Check out the images below.

DmC Devil May Cry direction has full support of Capcom despite fan reaction, says Ninja Theory.

DmC’s negative fan reaction was in-part expected at Ninja Theory, while Capcom’s supervision and support proves the developer isn’t “just a bunch of monkeys,” when it comes to taking the franchise forward, creative chief Tameem Antionades has told NowGamer.

“We were all prepared for a negative reaction to an extent. Capcom moved one of their much-loved franchises to an external studio for it to be taken in a new direction. It would be naive to think that there wouldn’t be a reaction,” Antionades said of the initial fan reponse to the new-look Dante and wor do Ninja Theory’s involvement.

“We’re happy and we have the full support of Capcom with our chosen narrative and gameplay direction. This approval alone should assure people that although this is a re-birth, with some bold decisions being made, we are not just a bunch of monkeys,” he added.

DmC Devil May Cry is expected to arrive on PS3 and Xbox 360 next year – look out for more on DmC’s combat and the new-look Dante in our upcoming Ninja Theory Q&A.

PS Vita UK preorders have begun. We go window shopping for the best deals.

PS Vita preorders have gone live across retaillers such as Play.com, Amazon and Zavvi. Most stores are selling Sony’s handheld at £229.99 (Wi-Fi only model) and £279.99 (Wi-Fi and 3G model).

However, NowGamer has searched the internet for the best PS Vita deals and has found that Zavvi comes out on top with £199.99 (Wi-Fi only model), and £244.99 (Wi-Fi and 3G model).

You can preorder the PS Vita Wi-Fi only model at Zavvi here.

Or the PS Vita Wi-Fi and 3G only model here.

Zavvi is also taking preorders on PS Vita games, such as Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Wipeout 2048, Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Little Deviants and surprisingly, Bioshock Vita. All of these games are preordered at £34.95.

Want more from PS Vita?

• PSN Firmware Update 4.00 Details: PS Vita To PS3 Support Confirmed
• PS Vita vs Nintendo 3DS vs iPhone 4S: Specs Compared

Does future firmware holds the key to rumoured feature?

Latest BF3 patch leaves out equipment fixes.

Battlefield 3 equipment – specifically the infrared/night vision scope and flashlight – will be fixed in a later patch, according to DICE community manager Daniel Matros.

BF3’s latest patch included a huge number of fixes but neglected to adjust either the IRNV or flashlight – much to some fans dismay.

“IRNV and flashlight fixes are in a later patch,” tweeted Matros. “Didn´t make it into this one. We found these changes to be more necessary than waiting.”

The tactical light was one area tha DICE admitted it was looking to tweak before the recent PC patch.

The Battlefield 3 patch will hit PS3 and Xbox 360 following certification.

I Am Alive was, once upon a time, headed to PC in addition to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Following a switch from one developer to another and a long stretch of silence about the game’s status, it’s now headed to 360 and PS3 — but not PC — as a downloadable title. The lack of a PC version is thanks in large part to piracy according to the game’s creative director, Stanislas Mettra.

“We’ve heard loud and clear that PC gamers are bitching about there being no version for them,” Mettra told IncGamers. “But are these people just making noise just because there’s no version or because it’s a game they actually want to play? Would they buy it if we made it?”

Feature

What Metal Gear Solid 5 Could (and Should) Be

1UP editors ponder the future of Hideo Kojima’s mega-series.

By: 1UP Staff
November 21, 2011

• 

  Jeremy Parish, Editor-in Chief

  You know what I’d like to see for Metal Gear Solid 5? Nothing. Don’t get me wrong; I’ve been following — and a fan of — the Metal Gear games since before the original game came out for NES. I love me some Metal Gear. But at this point, and MGS4 will back me up on this, the series just has too much baggage. Why not just start over with a clean slate and a new series and let Kojima and his folks work their magic without having to worry about an insanely convoluted backstory that was never meant to be concluded? Oh, right… money.

  Fine. If Kojima has to go ahead with a fifth chapter, I only see two ways for it to work. One, jump way far into the future and leave behind the legacy cast. Maybe make the game about Olga’s kid Sunny, all grown up into an idiot savant secret agent who sings about eggs while she snaps necks, but leave everyone else behind. Alternately, let’s take the series way into the past and focus on The Boss (aka The Joy) and her work with Cobra Unit in World War II. Or, hell, stop the flirting and cockteasing and just let Metal Gear make out with Assassin’s Creed already. Find some way to combine the two series’ ridiculous story lines into one. (Suggestion: The Apple is nanomachines!)

  Whatever the case, Metal Gear Solid 5 shouldn’t be about the Snakes. Not Solid Snake, not Liquid Snake, not Naked Snake, and definitely not Solidus. Their story is done. The Patriots’ story is done. Here’s an idea, though: Why not get back to basics and make a Metal Gear that’s about, you know, Metal Gear? The series’ big deal used to be the mad threat represented by a compact, self-contained nuclear delivery system. Before the AIs named after dead presidents and social manipulation and impossible continuity, Metal Gear was about a simple deadly threat. I’d love to see that kind of clarity of purpose in the series again.

• 

  Bob Mackey, Features Admiral

  If you’d like to see the direction the Metal Gear Solid series should go, look no further than Peace Walker; though the game’s admittedly built with on-the-go play in mind, it managed to shake off most of the baggage that clung to the series for so long. Simplified controls, a dialed-back story, a nearly bottomless toy box full of weapons and gadgets, and several multi-layered RPG systems built for endless tinkering — all of these elements brought Metal Gear far above the fan-pandering torture that nearly sunk Solid 4. Given that MGS4 tied up every loose end (and turned Solid Snake into a human Hot Pocket), the series has an unprecedented amount of breathing room; and since the Metal Gear timeline stretches across 50 years, Kojima and his team now have the ability to dip in and out of this history at their leisure. So why shouldn’t they?

  So, where could Metal Gear Solid go with its fifth official installment? Honestly, it’d be fantastic to see remakes of the original two Metal Gears, even if Kojima repurposed a great deal of these games’ content for the original Solid. But instead of putting the spotlight on Snake, why can’t the Metal Gear team instead show us the story of Outer Heaven through the eyes of Big Boss himself? It’d be the perfect send-off to a character they’ve been progressively developing since Metal Gear Solid 3, not to mention a fine opportunity for Metal Gear fans to experience a plotline currently trapped behind a thick mesh of outdated mechanics and primitive storytelling.

•