Boycotts be damned, the PC version of Modern Warfare 2 seems to be performing exceptional at retail, having outsold its predecessor in terms of first week sales. This is according to Infinity Ward community manager Robert “402″ Bowling, who wrote the following in a forum post on the developer’s official site: more »

Publisher Square Enix today confirmed that Supreme Commander 2 will hit PC on March 2, with an Xbox 360 release following shortly after on March 16.

Developed by series mainstay Gas Powered Games, the futuristic RTS builds on the success of its predecessor with large scale battles and rich customization features. Set 25 years after the Infinite War, players find themselves thrust into an intergalactic conflict between the factions of The United Earth Federation, The Illuminate and the Cybran Nation. more »

Crysis developer Crytek is reaching out to the academic world in a big way, allowing the programmers and graphic designers of tomorrow to get an early head start on creating games powered by its latest cross-platform middleware — CryENGINE 3. As of today, the development solution is now available free of charge to any qualified educational institution, providing the tools necessary to create scalable experiences across all major platforms, namely PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.

Crytek director of Global Business Development Carl Jones shares his thoughts on the initiative: more »

October NPD results are in. Nintendo had a strong showing, shifting 506,900 Wii units, no doubt thanks to the $50 price cut that went into effect late last September. Despite an overall slump in sales elsewhere across the spectrum, PS3 sales remained relatively brisk, edging past the Xbox 360 by around 70,000 in total unit sales.

All in all, it was a $1.07 billion month for the video game industry, a 13 percent drop from last year. Much of that decline can be attributed to the hardware sector. Expect things to perk up next month, though, evident by the blockbuster sales of Modern Warfare 2. Front-runner titles like Assassin’s Creed 2 and Left 4 Dead 2 will likely follow in its footsteps. See the full breakdown of hardware and software sales past the jump. more »

As per usual, Valve are offering a special deal this weekend on Steam and this week it’s the turn of both Crysis and Crysis Warhead with a 50% saving on both titles to bring the price down to just £9.99 for each game.

If you haven’t already got a copy of Crysis or Crysis Warhead, now would be a good time to grab a bargain.

EA today announced that the concluding chapter to the Tiberian saga, entitled Commander & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight, will hit store shelves March 16 in the US, with a European release following on the 19th.

Exclusive to PC, those who pre-order the game at participating retailers will receive access to the upcoming beta test, as well as a copy of the game’s soundtrack and an additional prequel bonus mission.

With an official count of 1.23 million units sold in the UK on launch day, Modern Warfare 2 is well on track to become this year’s biggest entertainment launch, just as publisher Activision said it would.

How is the proper sequel to 2007’s Infinity Ward-developed Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare stacking up in terms of worldwide sales? While exact figures are still unknown, Broadpoint AmTech analyst Ben Schachter surmises that 7 million copies went into the hands of gamers worldwide on day one.

It’s a lofty prediction, but very possible, taking the buzz surrounding this launch into consideration. If true, it’d mean that MW2 nearly doubled the units GTA IV sold on its first day. Quite an impressive feat.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Sold an Estimated 7 Million Copies Day One, says Analyst [GameDaily]

Developer Gearbox Software today stamped a November 24 release date on the first batch of downloadable content for its open-world RPG Borderlands. Priced at $9.99, it welcomes players to Dr. Ned’s Zombie Island, an eery land inhabited by humans-turned-zombies following the breakout of a virus. It’s up to you to restore peace by finding a cure.

Note that this date only applies to PS3 and Xbox 360. There’s no word yet if PC owners will be able to access this content. We assume they will, but at a later date.

The space marine pictured above doesn’t look too happy, and neither are we. While the release date of the StarCraft II beta was originally up in air, producer Chris Sigaty has confirmed that it won’t hit until 2010, effectively crushing the hopes and dreams of those wanting to play by this year’s end. Betcha weren’t expecting that, eh?

The first chapter of StarCraft II, entitled Wings of Liberty, is still on for a release in the first half of 2010 however. If we’re lucky, Blizzard will manage to get the beta out by Q1 and the full game in Q2.

Beta Pushed to 2010, IgroMir 2009 StarCraft II Coverage – Day 1 [SC Legacy]

Good news on the RTS front: the release date for StarCraft II has been narrowed down by a bit. In Activision’s Q3 financial call, Blizzard president Mike Morhaime broke word that the title is currently targeted for a release in the first half of 2010. That calls for a Q2 2010 debut at the latest, assuming no delays. Which, considering Blizzard’s track record, we can’t confidently rule out at this point.

Further, Morhaime briefly spoke in regards to the promised beta test for StarCraft II, noting that it is still planned but would not pin down any firm release date. With 11 million units of the franchise shifted thus far, Blizzard expects the eventual launch to be massive.