Developer BioWare today officially revealed the collector’s edition package for Mass Effect 2 in all its shimmering glory. Enclosed in a premium tin case brandishing the iconic N7 logo, it includes a 48-page hardcover artbook, issue #1 of the Mass Effect Redemption comic, a bonus “making of” DVD containing behind-the-scenes features, and of course the game itself. To top it all off, also included are unlock codes that will net purchasers exclusive in-game weapons and armor. more »

Microsoft released a statement today announcing that it has completed its planned workforce reduction today, cutting 800 jobs this week. Nine months ahead of schedule, the tally brings Microsoft over its original target of 5000 jobs in a span of nine months.

While here’s no breakdown on which divisions have been affected, we’ve heard that a percentage of these cuts have impacted the Xbox side of business. more »

Retailer Walmart is kicking off its post-Thanksgiving deals earlier than usual this year, offering a $100 gift card with the purchase of an Xbox 360 Arcade unit. As you’d expect, this sale will last for one day only – starting on November 7. Quantities are limited, so it’s safe to assume stock will run dry long before the day ends, meaning you may want to head out early for this one to avoid leaving empty handed.

Apparently, Walmart has decided to take a different approach to its Black Friday initiative this year, scattering out deals rather then droping them all at once on the big day. That said, expect to see more price reductions and promotions cropping up as we approach the end of November. It’s a smart move to keep customers coming back for more. Here’s hoping more gaming oriented deals are in the pipeline.

In what we presume is a last ditch effort to move copies of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and associated downloadable content in preparation for the release of its follow-up, Activision has slashed the price on Infinity Ward’s Variety Map Pack, bringing it down to $4.99, a 50 percent reduction. That translates to 400 Microsoft Points on the 360 side of things. The pack was released last year as the final piece of DLC for CoD 4 and features four additional maps, namely Broadcast, Creek, Chinatown and Killhouse. more »

Microsoft has an unpleasant surprise in store for Xbox 360 modders this Halloween. The company confirmed today that it has taken action against consoles modified to play pirated game discs.

As usual, the bans are hitting in droves and do not appear to be linked to any particular drive firmware. Additionally, we’ve caught wind of reports indicating that modified boxes — even those that have never accessed Live before — are still at risk. If your unit remains unaffected, consider this a terse warning, as the banhammer is unpredictable and from what we’ve seen, can strike at any moment.

The official statement, per a Microsoft spokesperson, is as follows: more »

It’s one thing to have dreams about assuming the life of a video game character, but taking those actions into reality is another, and is telling of when you’ve overstepped your bounds. That’s what Jan H. did when he shut off the main power switch at Sophia Hospital in the Netherlands last April, blaming his actions on Silent Hill, Konami’s hit survival horror franchise.

A court ruling that wrapped up last Tuesday concluded that the man was not guilty but did suffer from psychosis, which led to the subconscious belief that he was solving a puzzle from the game. As a consequence, he will now undergo psychiatric treatment in order to combat this condition. Luckily patients in the hospital remained unharmed throughout this whole ordeal, which resulted in a 45-minute blackout.

Insane. That’s all we can say. more »

Speaking in a recent interview with CVG, Rockstar North’s Imran Sarwar stated that both pieces of Grand Theft Auto IV DLC were planned “from the beginning.” Rather than building on top of the expansive world in GTA IV after completion, Rockstar decided to flesh everything out at the start, from concept to creation. Additionally, the aim for Niko’s persona was “to make him feel like a small part of a much larger world.”

Further, Sarwar elaborated on why including the DLC with the retail product was not possible: more »

Microsoft today whipped up a system update for Xbox 360 owners, adding support for connecting to WPA2-encrypted wireless networks. Nothing terribly exciting, but useful nonetheless.

A mandatory update, it does not include Last.FM, Twitter, or Facebook integration. Currently under beta testing, those features will be coming next month, as planned.

As unfortunate as it may be, it’s never a Valve release without delays. While already available on Xbox 360, the PC version of the Left 4 Dead 2 demo has been re-scheduled to hit Steam tomorrow, a day later than originally planned.

“The Left 4 Dead 2 Xbox 360 Demo is now available for those who pre-ordered and obtained early access to the demo. The PC Demo is currently targeted for release on Wednesday, October 28,” noted the company in a statement.

While no reason for the abrupt delay was given, we’d assume that some unforeseen last-minute issues prompted the setback. For what its worth, the dedicated server files are now available, which gives us a little assurance that things are on the move.

DLC is becoming quite a significant revenue stream for publishers. According to analysis conducted by Gamasutra staff writer Matt Matthews, Call of Duty: World at War map pack downloads have reached seven million. Back in August, Activision pegged sales at 6.5 million. With a two month gap, that estimation is rather conservative. And at ten a pop, that’s a cool 70 million in revenue, barring licensing and distribution costs incurred on PSN on Xbox Live.

It’s safe to say we’ll be seeing multiple map packs for Modern Warfare 2.

Analysis: How Call Of Duty DLC Boosts Revenue, Publicity [Gamasutra]