Rhode Island government says 38 Studios is making overdue loan payment even as employees go without pay.

38 Studios is making up its missed loan payment, but apparently at the expense of its employees. According to Providence, Rhode Island-based news outlet WPRI, the Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning developer is submitting a $1.125 million loan payment it missed, but told the state's Economic Development Corporation that it was unable to pay its employees as scheduled.

This was one Reckoning 38 Studios was unprepared for.

The debt in question dates back to 2010, when the EDC secured a controversial $75 million in loans to entice 38 Studios--founded by former Major League Baseball pitcher Curt Schilling--to relocate from Massachusetts to the Ocean State. According to the WPRI report, 38 Studios employed 379 employees full-time as of mid-March.

The EDC board yesterday held an emergency meeting to discuss whether to provide additional assistance to 38 Studios to keep the company in business. While the board made no ruling on the matter, it is expected to consider the topic again on Monday. 38 Studios employees aren't the only ones being hurt by the company's situation. Yesterday, EDC executive director Keith Stokes, who helped structure the $75 million loan, resigned from his post.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is the first title from 38 Studios. Designed with the help of R.A. Salvatore, Todd McFarlane, and Ken Rolston, the action role-playing game received a positive critical reception upon release in February and sold 330,000 copies in the United States across the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, according to NPD data. Additionally, a sequel is in the works.

As of press time, a 38 Studios representative had not responded to a request for comment.

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Access to this summer's multiplayer test of Ubisoft Montreal shooter given away in GameStop sales promotion.

Far Cry 3 doesn't come out until September 4, but eager gamers can get a taste of Ubisoft's upcoming first-person shooter a little early. The publisher today announced that it will hold a two-week-long multiplayer beta this summer, with specialty retailer GameStop giving away invites to customers who buy Ghost Recon: Future Soldier.

Do not trust this man. He is not a GameStop employee and will not assure you a copy of Far Cry 3 when it launches in September.

There is a catch, as customers will need to be enrolled in GameStop's PowerUp Rewards customer loyalty program in order to receive the invite. When they purchase Ghost Recon on its May 22 launch, PowerUp members will be given a code to redeem at a GameStop website. On that site, players choose whether they want to be in the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 beta test, and they will receive the actual code via email once the beta goes live. Ubisoft will also be giving codes out through its social channels and the game's official site.

The Far Cry 3 beta will include six playable classes, as well as multiple maps and modes. Players will be able to upgrade and customize their characters, as well as get a feel for how the game's zip lines and combat sliding mechanics will impact multiplayer.

Far Cry 3 will cast players as Jason Brody, a man stranded on a strange tropical island similar to the setting of the first Far Cry. Gamers will head out into this "savage paradise" and "slash, sneak, and shoot" to survive in a world that has "lost all sense of morality."

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United Kingdom-based Criterion Games reportedly staffing up for mystery project on Sony's newest portable device.

Burnout developer Criterion Games is reportedly hiring for a PlayStation Vita project. Eagle-eyed Internet sleuth Superannuation spotted a job listing for a software engineer at the United Kingdom-based developer that called for a person to optimize and tune the "game resource system for the PS Vita."

Is Criterion bringing a new racing game to the PS Vita?

The job listing has apparently been amended, as it now states this person will optimize and tune the "game resource system for other platforms." As of press time, Criterion Games parent company Electronic Arts had not responded to GameSpot's request for comment.

Criterion Games released Burnout Crash last year on Xbox Live but has not made public any new projects. The last retail effort from the shop was 2010's Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, which won warm reviews and shipped more than 5 million copies. A new Need for Speed title has been confirmed to ship in 2012.

Last August, job listings at the studio hinted that a forthcoming project from the company would be set in an open world--like the studio's 2008 hit Burnout Paradise--and ship for new platforms. For more on Criterion Games' latest title, check out GameSpot's review of Burnout Crash.

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Debut episode in Telltale Games' new adventure series hits platinum status in two weeks, becoming company's fastest-selling series to date.

Telltale Games' new The Walking Dead episodic adventure game series has started off on a high note. The developer announced today that the first episode--A New Day--was downloaded over 1 million times across PC, Mac, PlayStation Network, and Xbox Live in two weeks.

The Walking Dead sprinted to 1 million in sales.

TellTale Games has adapted a number of popular franchises into episodic adventure games, including Back to the Future and Wallace and Gromit, but none were as immediately successful as The Walking Dead. The company said today that The Walking Dead is the fastest-selling series in company history.

The next episode in the Walking Dead series, titled Starved for Help, is expected to launch across PC, Mac, and consoles in June. Additionally, the season's first episode--A New Day--is scheduled to hit iOS devices next month. A total of five episodes are planned for the series.

Telltale's Walking Dead is a single-player episodic game based on Robert Kirkman's comic book series. It stars Lee Everett, a man convicted of a crime but given a chance to redeem himself, albeit in a world infested with undead. For more on the franchise, check out GameSpot's review of episode one.

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2K Games and Gearbox Software confirm $100 Deluxe Vault Hunter's edition and $150 Ultimate Loot Chest version for upcoming shooter sequel.

Come September, gamers yearning to pick up a premium bundle for Gearbox Software's new shooter Borderlands 2 will have two options to consider. 2K Games and Gearbox Software today confirmed the game's two special editions: the $100 Deluxe Vault Hunter's collector's edition, and the $150 Ultimate Loot Chest edition.

For $150, this can all be yours.

The Deluxe Vault Hunter's limited edition includes a Marcus Kincaid bobblehead doll, as well as a hardbound Inside the Vault: The Art & Design of Borderlands 2 book. Additionally, the premium bundle packs in a collectible sticker set, a map of in-game world Pandora, a digital comic download code, and downloadable in-game content.

Gamers looking to spend even more can pick up the $150 Ultimate Loot Chest limited edition of Borderlands 2. This bundle packs in all items within the Deluxe Vault Hunter's edition, as well as a scaled loot chest replica, a steel book case for the game, and a "Creatures of Pandora wide-format ID chart." Additionally, this version includes a lithograph postcard set, field notes from Sir Hammerlock, a cloth map of Pandora, and a certificate of authenticity.

Both special editions will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC editions of Borderlands 2. 2K Games and Gearbox Software also today announced that those who preorder either bundle will score access to the Borderlands 2 Premiere Club, which grants users a range of in-game content, as well as the previously announced fifth character class, the mechromancer.

Borderlands 2 is due out in North America on September 18 and will ship internationally on September 21. For more on the title, check out GameSpot's latest preview.

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Mario Party is at the top spot, while a new PS3 multiplayer title takes fourth; PS Vita slides down to four-digit sales numbers.

After the Golden Week period, sales in Japan were expected to take a slow turn. This was evident with this week's recent Media Create update for the week of May 7 to May 13. Regardless, Mario Party 9 was still the top-selling game for the week. The Wii title's numbers went down from 152,883 to 37,353.

Starhawk's Emmet Graves isn't too happy about partying plumbers raining on his debut.

The PS3 version of Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City also went down in sales. The third-person shooter's sales numbers went from 252,525 to 14,553 units, and it was at third place.

Speaking of Sony's console, the multiplayer action game Starhawk was the only new title that made its debut in Japan. Sony's PS3 title was at fourth place, with 12,873 units sold. The game was praised for its diverse combat, visuals, and cooperative play; check out GameSpot's review for more information on the title.

Other than that, portable games ruled the top 10 roost for the week. Fire Emblem: Kakusei stood strong at second place, with 16,530 units sold, while Super Mario 3D Land was holding the middle ground, with 11,260 units sold. Capping off the list was the sole PSP entry, Conception: Please Have My Children! The game sold 4,600 copies.

On the hardware side of things, the 3DS numbers went down from 91,868 to 46,425 units, while the Wii went from 15,789 to 6,073 units. The PS Vita went down from 10,583 to a staggering 6,340 units.

Top Japan game sales May 7 to May 13

Software
Rank/Title/Publisher/Platform/Unit sales
1. Mario Party 9/Nintendo/Wii/37,353
2. Fire Emblem: Kakusei/Nintendo/3DS/16,530
3. Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City/Capcom/PS3/14,553
4. Starhawk/Sony/PS3/12,873
5. Super Mario 3D Land/Nintendo/3DS/11,260
6. Monster Hunter 3G/Capcom/3DS/9,105
7. Mario Kart 7/Nintendo/3DS/9,045
8. Kid Icarus: Uprising/Nintendo/3DS/7,636
9. Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games/Nintendo/3DS/4,933
10. Conception: Please Have My Children!/Spike Chunsoft/PSP/4,600

Hardware
3DS - 46,425
PS3 - 12,996
PSP - 12,247
PS Vita - 6340
Wii - 6073
PS2 - 1212
Xbox 360 - 1023
DSi XL - 819
DSi - 387

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Call of Duty publisher allegedly launched a secret internal investigation against Jason West, Vince Zampella; EA settles out of court with Activision.

A number of unsealed documents from the upcoming trial between Activision and a group of ex-Infinity Ward developers have revealed a testimony that alleges the publisher launched an internal investigation against lead plaintiffs Jason West and Vince Zampella.

A new testimony alleges Activision tried to spy on ex-Infinity Ward developers.

The documents--made public this week by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Elihu Berle--contain the testimony of Activision's former senior director of information technology, Thomas Fenady. As reported by Giant Bomb and The Los Angeles Times, Fenady's testimony alleges that Activision's in-house lawyer, George Rose, asked him to spy on West and Zampella by accessing their work emails, voice mails, and computer files.

According to Fenady, who left Activision in 2009, Rose told him the decision to investigate West and Zampella came from Activision CEO Bobby Kotick. The testimony also alleges that the objective--known as Project Icebreaker--was begun with the aim of building evidence against West and Zampella but that efforts to monitor the personal correspondence of the developers, which included using outside parties, were unsuccessful.

Other documents unsealed by Judge Elihu Berle in the case include a plan documenting bonuses from West and Zampella's initial agreement in 2003, as well as a memorandum of understanding from 2008, explaining the extension of the developers' initial contract.

According to the LA Times report, the documents form part of the contract that Activision had with West and Zampella and the 40 other game developers involved in the lawsuit, laying out the money that Activision owes the developers in royalties and bonuses.

Activision claims that it fired West and Zampella because they were secretly planning to start their new studio with the help of Electronic Arts, while still employed by the Call of Duty publisher. West and Zampella claim that the real reason they were fired was so Activision wouldn't have to pay them millions of dollars in royalties associated with Modern Warfare 2. Beyond the performance-based payout and any other court-awarded monetary damages, West and Zampella are seeking to gain co-ownership of the Modern Warfare brand. If successful in court, West and Zampella would have the right to create and release both old and new instalments in the Modern Warfare franchise.

According to a recent report from Bloomberg, Activision has dropped the $400 million claim against EA, which originally made up part of its lawsuit against West and Zampella.

Although the terms of the settlement were not disclosed, Bloomberg reported that EA will now be removed from the upcoming trial, set to take place on May 29.

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Studio founded by former Call of Duty developers not unveiling first project at next month's Los Angeles trade show.

Gamers yearning for the first proper look at Respawn Entertainment's first game won't get it at next month's Electronic Entertainment Expo. Speaking to Joystiq, Respawn community manager Abbie Heppe said, "We won't be showing anything or doing any press related to the game" during the annual geek gala. Heppe confirmed this statement to GameSpot this afternoon.

Respawn's first game isn't coming into focus at E3.

This year's Electronic Entertainment Expo will be the second straight that the company has opted out of public activities. This time last year, the San Fernando Valley, California-based studio announced it would skip the industry's big summertime event.

Respawn has kept its first project out of sight thus far. Outside of a blurry screenshot and news that the game will be published by Electronic Arts, no further firm information is available concerning the studio's maiden title.

Speculation on the project has suggested it will be a first-person science-fiction shooter that may support 3D and could ship by March 2013. Respawn Entertainment was founded in 2010 by fired Infinity Ward developers Jason West and Vince Zampella and is currently staffed by a host of Call of Duty developers, among others.

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Capcom taps Monster Hunter producer to lead development on beginner-friendly shooter EX Troopers for Sony's console and Nintendo's portable.

Capcom will launch a Lost Planet spin-off title for the PlayStation 3 and 3DS called EX Troopers, according to the latest issue of Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu (translated by Andriasang). Development on the game will be led by Monster Hunter series producer Shintaro Kojima.

Lost Planet will be found on the 3DS and PS3 this year.

According to the report, EX Troopers will take place in the same world as Lost Planet, but that will be the only main similarity to the series. EX Troopers will sport an anime visual style and will tell a "school-themed story," says the magazine.

More specifically, EX Troopers will recount a battle between snow pirates and the indigenous Akrid aliens on the planet EDN-3rd. Gamers will suit up as Bren Turner and will be introduced to female snow pirate TeeKee, who has the power to communicate with the Akrid.

Kojima explained that EX Troopers was designed with the intent to be a beginner's action shooter, but did not offer more details. The game is reportedly 60 percent complete and is due to ship later this year, ahead of 2013's Lost Planet 3. That game is a prequel to the original Lost Planet and is currently in development at Spark Unlimited.

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Volition dev LinkedIn page indicates studio has three unannounced titles in the works for current-gen platforms and "mysterious next generation."

Saints Row developer Volition may be headed to the next generation, according to a LinkedIn profile page spotted by Internet supersleuth Superannuation. The profile page of a staffer at the outfit indicates the Champaign, Illinois-based studio has three unannounced projects in the works for current-generation platforms, as well as "the mysterious next generation of consoles."

Volition is gearing up for the next generation, it seems.

The profile had no other details on the projects. Already confirmed upcoming Volition titles include the company's InSane collaboration with filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, as well as Saints Row 4.

Additionally, a second Volition staffer published (and has since removed) a listing for Saints Row 4 on his LinkedIn resume, indicating the project is presently in development for current-generation platforms including the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.

Publisher THQ confirmed Saints Row 4 last year, with company executive vice president Danny Bilson saying the madcap sequel will be even "wilder" than Saints Row: The Third. That game launched in November and has been the biggest contributor to THQ's bottom line.

As of press time, THQ had not responded to GameSpot's request for comment on the matter.

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Multiplayer expansion for space-bound RPG due as early as this week said to bring two fresh maps, three more weapons, and six new classes.

The next Mass Effect 3 downloadable content has been revealed, according to a report on Kotaku. According to the site, Sony's Hong Kong website posted (and then removed) a listing for Mass Effect 3 Rebellion, a new multiplayer expansion for the role-playing game.

Gamers may get new Mass Effect 3 DLC as early as this week.

According to the description, the Rebellion multiplayer expansion will bring two new maps to Mass Effect 3 titled Firebase Jade and Firebase Goddess. Additionally, the content will bring three new weapons and six more classes, as well as fresh equipment and consumables.

The site reports that the Rebellion DLC will be released this week, but no official announcement has been made. An Electronic Arts representative told GameSpot, "We have nothing to announce at this time."

If the Rebellion DLC for Mass Effect 3 is real, it will not be the only add-on headed to BioWare's new role-playing game in the coming months. In April, the developer announced Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut, a free piece of content due out this summer that will expand the space-bound RPG's endgame through "cinematic sequences and epilogue scenes."

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Various LinkedIn profile pages indicate DICE may be at work on third entry in shooter franchise, sequel to 2008 free-running game.

Battlefield: Bad Company 3 and Mirror's Edge 2 have been spotted on various profile pages at professional networking site LinkedIn (tracked down by GamerZines), indicating DICE is possibly at work on sequels to its shooter and free-running franchises.

Is DICE reenlisting Bad Company?

The Bad Company 3 reference comes from a user who said he "provided video game prototype, design, and demo feedback on various AAA titles including Battlefield: Bad Company 3, Dead Space 2, Devil May Cry 5, and other unannounced titles" between 2009 and 2011.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 shipped during March 2010, and to date, no mention has been made of a follow-up. A sequel to that title would not come as much of a surprise, as it won warm reviews upon launch, and sold nearly 6 million copies. A spin-off to the core Battlefield franchise, the Bad Company series launched in 2008 with the well-received original.

As for Mirror's Edge 2, the profile page of an ex-EA software engineer says he worked on that game between July and August 2009, creating the "wandering of crowd system within the Unreal 3 Engine." Yet another former EA employee's page says he built "new gadget and interactive features" for Mirror's Edge 2, as well as leaderboards and a minigame inside the Mirror's Edge story.

A sequel to Mirror's Edge has not been formally announced, but in June 2009, EA Games Europe vice president Patrick Soderlund confirmed a follow-up was in the works. At the time, he said, "You will see another Mirror's Edge for sure. It's just a matter of when that time is and what we do with it. We have a small team on it, and I'm excited about what we do."

An EA representative told GameSpot, "We do not comment on rumors or speculation."

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Setbacks for latest game from Tomonobu Itagaki have THQ looking to hand off the project to another company as publisher cites profitability concerns.

THQ is distancing itself from Devil's Third. In an investor conference call today, the publisher confirmed that it was talking with other companies about taking the maiden project of Valhalla Game Studios off its hands.

THQ is looking to make a deal with Devil's Third.

"The profitability of Devil's Third was not competitive with our other releases," explained THQ CEO Brian Farrell.

There were two major reasons given for the project's change in status. First, the third-party company Valhalla had been using to make the game engine went out of business. Considering also the strengthening value of the yen against the dollar, THQ decided that the game no longer met its profitability profile.

Devil's Third was announced at the 2010 Electronic Entertainment Expo and made a splash as the first project for Valhalla Game Studios, the new developer founded by Dead or Alive creator Tomonobu Itagaki in the wake of his acrimonious parting with Tecmo. While Itagaki continued to do interviews to promote the project, little else was seen of it beyond the original trailer. Last year, Itagaki explained why the game was a no-show at the Tokyo Game Show but said to expect more information on it in early 2012.

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Obsidian-developed role-playing game pushed to next year as THQ posts $239.9 million loss for fiscal year; Saints Row: The Third ships 4.25 million, expansion coming in September.

South Park: The Game will not ship this fall as was previously announced. THQ today announced that the Obsidian Entertainment-developed role-playing game has slid to a release date of sometime during the first three months of 2013.

Cartman and pals aren't making it out this year.

The publisher did not provide a reason for the delay, and as of press time, the company had not responded to GameSpot's request for comment.

The news comes as part of THQ's latest financial report, which saw the company's net sales for the 12 months ended March 31 rise to $830.8 million, up from the $665.3 million recorded a year ago. It wasn't all rosy for THQ, as the company posted a net loss of $239.9 million for the period, worse than the $136.1 million hit the firm took the year prior.

The company's digital business was a boon for THQ, as revenues in this sector for the year spiked 62 percent to $59 million.

THQ also parsed statistics and let loose some new information for some of its biggest brands. The company said Saints Row: The Third has shipped more than 4.25 million units since its launch in November. Additionally, THQ revealed that the Enter the Dominatrix expansion for Saints Row: The Third will arrive this September. Previously, it was expected sometime this fall.

The company also broke down shipment figures for its major fighting games. THQ said WWE 12 has shipped more than 2.2 million units since its launch in November 2011, up about 20 percent over the previous year's game. Additionally, UFC Undisputed 3 has shipped 1.4 million units since it debuted in February, the company said.

In terms of platform revenue, the Xbox 360 proved most successful for THQ. Microsoft's home console accounted for 36.7 percent of total sales, generating $306.42 million in the process. The PlayStation 3 came in second place, accounting for 27.4 percent of the share, totaling $229.2 million. The Nintendo Wii (14.3 percent share, $119.5 million) and the PlayStation 2 (.4 share, $3.3 million) rounded out the rest.

THQ unveiled a new, streamlined business strategy earlier this year, and today, the company said when the plan is fully realized in fiscal 2013, it is expected to result in a reduction of costs totaling $180 million. Additionally, THQ said it has reduced its commitments to children's licensed properties by about $30 million and reiterated that it is no longer creating software or hardware for the uDraw GameTablet.

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Rhode Island government working with 38 Studios to keep RPG house solvent; Ocean State taxpayers on hook for $112.6M if company fails.

Providence, Rhode Island-based 38 Studios (owner of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning developer Big Huge Games) may be in financial trouble. A new report from a local NBC affiliate reveals the Rhode Island government has been in discussions with 38 Studios about the future of the company.

Rhode Island is hoping to keep 38 Studios afloat.

"We're always working to keep Rhode Island companies solvent, and that's what we're doing with 38 Studios," Rhode Island governor Lincoln Chafee told the site.

In 2010, Rhode Island's Economic Development Corporation secured a controversial $75 million in loans to entice 38 Studios--founded by former Major League Baseball pitcher Curt Schilling--to relocate from Massachusetts to the Ocean State.

Governor Chafee called this investment one with "some amount of risk," but has not offered much in the way of specifics regarding the future of 38 Studios, saying only, "We're working with 38 Studios on different issues. That's all I can report right now."

A separate report today at Rhode Island news outlet WPRI indicates that if 38 Studios goes under, state taxpayers will be on the hook for $112.6 million (principal plus interest on the $75 million in loans), spread through 2020.

As of press time, neither Electronic Arts nor 38 Studios had responded to GameSpot's requests for comment.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is the first title from 38 Studios. It won a strong critical reception upon release in February and sold 330,000 copies in the United States across the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, according to NPD data. Additionally, a sequel is in the works.

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Capcom says crossover fighter fell short of expectations because of a glut of brawlers launched in too short a time frame.

Street Fighter X Tekken didn't perform up to Capcom's expectations, and the publisher thinks a glut of recent fighting game releases is to blame. In a postearnings Q&A session posted to the publisher's investor relations site today, Capcom addressed the game's worldwide sales of 1.4 million.

Maybe the fighting genre needs to take a breather.

"Sales of Street Fighter X Tekken have fallen short of our plan," the company's statement confirmed. "We believe one of [the] causes is cannibalism because of the large number of other games in this genre that were launched within a short time."

Since the beginning of 2011, Capcom has released a range of fighters, including Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition, Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition, and Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition. The same time frame has also seen a number of fighting games launched by other publishers, including Mortal Kombat, SoulCalibur V, BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend, and King of Fighters XIII.

The publisher also addressed Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City shipping 2 million units as a vindication of its business plan. "This shows the success of our decision to try the new approach of using an alliance with an overseas development company," the company said.

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Source says new content service to arrive during E3 next month will offer content drops with exclusive items for DICE's modern-day shooter.

Electronic Arts will release a premium service for Battlefield 3 on June 4 (the day of EA's E3 2012 media briefing), a "reliable source" has told Battlefieldo. According to the site, the service will be titled Battlefield Premium, and it will grant players a range of exclusive content.

"Battlefield Premium is coming!" rumor says.

The first piece of content to be given to Battlefield Premium members will include a knife and a black dog tag, as well as a set of soldier camo, weapon camo, and assignments. Future content was not revealed, and it was not mentioned if Battlefield Premium will incur a subscription fee.

If Battlefield Premium comes to fruition, it will follow Activision's Call of Duty: Elite, a free and paid service that gives members downloadable content and exclusives, among other things.

Additionally, EA has hinted at a Battlefield subscription service in the past. In March, EA Games executive vice president Patrick Soderlund said, "Like all other companies, we're looking at how we can maximize our investment in this, get the most out of our investment, and get more people playing this product. That may take us to different places, but we're not really talking about where that is yet."

On top of Battlefield Premium, the site is also reporting that DICE is preparing to launch a new Battlefield 3 expansion pack during March 2013. It will follow the End Game DLC, which was announced in March 2012 as the final add-on headed to the new shooter.

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Publisher "re-evaluating" how add-on content is provided to customers in wake of uproar over Street Fighter X Tekken, but new policy won't take effect until after Dragon's Dogma.

Capcom has heard the customer complaints over the "downloadable" content for Street Fighter X Tekken being locked away on the retail disc, and the publisher is changing in response. Senior VP Christian Svensson posted a statement about the change in direction on Capcom's official forums yesterday.

Street Fighter X Tekken's on-disc DLC characters won't be made unlockable for months yet.

"We would like to assure you that we have been listening to your comments and as such have begun the process of re-evaluating how such additional game content is delivered in the future," Svensson said. "As this process has only just commenced in the past month or so, there will be some titles, where development began some time ago and that are scheduled for release in the coming months, for which we are unable to make changes to the way some of their post-release content is delivered."

For example, Svensson said next week's release of Dragon's Dogma will arrive with some DLC already on the disc. While he didn't specify which content was on-disc, Svensson said the game would receive an array of new weapons, quests, and customization options after launch.

On the eve of Street Fighter X Tekken's March debut, Capcom admitted that the 12 "downloadable" characters announced as PlayStation Vita exclusives were actually on the discs of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game. These fighters will be sold for $20 (1,600 MS points) sometime after the PS Vita version launches this fall.

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Treyarch studio head Mark Lamia says Black Ops II answers calls for better graphics with modified version of original Black Ops engine.

Treyarch studio head Mark Lamia is aware of the fan excitement for a "better-looking" Call of Duty and wants players to know that the engine running his studio's upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops II features advancements over the technology that ran the original Black Ops.

Black Ops II is sticking with the same game engine, but this isn't a bad thing, says Lamia.

"Engines, each time they get touched, they change," he said in an interview with Activision's One of Swords blog. "The creators alter them; they don’t modify what they don't need to, and then they alter what they need to. You can't make a competitive product if you're not upgrading that engine along the way."

Concerning what is specifically new to the Black Ops II game engine, Lamia said the team focused on visuals and lighting advancements.

"I think what people are asking for is for us to push. They want us to make a better-looking game; they want things. I don't think those are things people can't ask for. We asked ourselves that very same question--we wanted to advance the graphics. I think the questions are valid. The answer may not need to be an entirely new engine, but you might need to do an entire overhaul of your entire lighting system. The trick is, we're not willing to do that if we can't keep it running at 60 frames per second--but we did that this time. So this is the Black Ops II engine."

Call of Duty: Black Op II is due out for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC on November 13. The game will feature a campaign split in two. One half of the adventure will pick up immediately following the events of the original Black Ops, with players following the journey of Frank Woods. The other half of the campaign begins in the year 2025, a time when advanced weapon technologies rule supreme.

For more on Black Ops II, check out GameSpot's latest preview.

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Reports claims Call of Duty publisher awarded the sum to former Infinity Ward members following an evidence review; trial slated to start May 29.

Reports have surfaced today on both Polygon and Gamasutra claiming that Activision has paid a sum of $42 million to a group of 40 former Infinity Ward members implicated in an upcoming lawsuit with the Call of Duty publisher.

Activision wants to focus its efforts entirely on ex-Infinity Ward heads West and Zampella.

According to the reports--both of which cite an anonymous source close to the case--Activision paid the $42 million to the group representing former Infinity Ward heads Jason West and Vince Zampella after reviewing the evidence for the ongoing lawsuit over West and Zampella's 2010 firing, and subsequent establishment of Respawn Entertainment with Electronic Arts.

Both Polygon and Gamasutra reported that the sum paid by Activision is not part of a settlement.

Instead, the sum is what the publisher believes the former employees are owed after reviewing trial evidence and reportedly finding that it does not implicate the group's 40 members. It is reported that Activision will now focus its legal efforts entirely on West and Zampella.

In March this year, Activision scored a partial victory in the suit, when a judge dismissed one of two fraud claims brought against the publisher by West and Zampella.

Activision claims that it fired the pair because they were secretly planning to start their new studio with the help of Electronic Arts, while still employed with the Call of Duty publisher. West and Zampella claim that the real reason they were fired was so that Activision wouldn't have to pay them millions of dollars in royalties associated with Modern Warfare 2. Beyond the performance-based payout and any other court-awarded monetary damages, West and Zampella are seeking to gain co-ownership of the Modern Warfare brand. If successful in court, West and Zampella would have the right to create and release both old and new installments in the Modern Warfare franchise.

According to the reports, the trial is set to take place on May 29.

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