Morning Battlefield 1943, it's nice of you to join us. We've been ...expecting you.

Go ahead and hit up the full list, or, if you're looking for a particular system, skip right to the PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii and PSP. Should you want to check out any past release lists, scope out our handy archive.

Retail releases should be at North American stores by Wednesday, July 8, with Tales of Monkey Island - Chapter 1 PC debuting via digital distribution on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Battlefield 1943 arrives in the Xbox Live Marketplace Wednesday and the PlayStation Store Thursday, with the multiplayer shooter dropping in on PC come September.

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What with today being Independence Day here in the good old United States of America, I can't help but recall the immortal words of renowned statesman William Smith, first imparted to me many, many years ago around this time: "Welcome to Earth."

In all seriousness, please do take care if you opt to partake in the traditional explosive festivities. Celebrations just aren't as much fun when they involve hospital trips.

"We really tried to make the different approaches not necessarily equivalent but always balanced," explains Alpha Protocol creative designer Travis Stout in a new developer diary, "and there's always something and interesting and fun going on in each path."

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Publisher Sega recently announced a release date of October 6 for Obsidian's PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 espionage RPG, with the creative tagline "The Espionage RPG."

Though Left 4 Dead 2 is slated to arrive on PC and Xbox 360 come November 17, developer Valve has reaffirmed that it will continue to support the original edition of its cooperative zombie shooter with as-yet-unspecified downloadable content.

"More info will be coming shortly on the [Left 4 Dead 1] DLC," Valve's Chet Faliszek told Shacknews, adding that the DLC will come in addition to enhancements, such as the promised team-based matchmaking update for the first Left 4 Dead.

"We plan to keep supporting Left 4 Dead 1," Valve marketing VP Doug Lombardi recently told CVG. "I think folks took our [E3] announcement [of Left 4 Dead 2] as a sign that we were dropping Left 4 Dead 1 and that's just not the case."

Lombardi noted that "there will be some announcements coming before summer's out about what's coming there," explaining that the internet's vocal... Read more

There'll be only a dribble of news today as US Independence Day is tomorrow, meaning everyone is busy stocking up on illegal fireworks, canned chickens, whole sides of beef, torso-sized cans of hot dogs and crates of low-quality lager. Happy Friday, world.

Taking the day off for an early start to the holiday? Then you've got the time to sit around and watch 17 minutes of Double Fine's Brutal Legend, all narrated by Tim Schafer himself.

Brutal Legend is set to arrive on October 13 on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

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"The art style...is the glue to everything," Gearbox's Mikey Neumann explains above the gentle hum of a crowded meeting room during E3. "It allows us to embrace what our game actually is, and man, when we had that epiphany, when it all came together, we were like, 'shit man, that's what this game is, this game is about having fun.'"

Neumann, whose job title today is "a guy who can get you things," is talking about the radical change that the studio's shooter-RPG Borderlands recently underwent, shifting from a gritty realistic aesthetic to something a bit more... stylized.

It was a risky move, especially considering that the game is nearing completion--it's hitting PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in October--and this is the first time that Gearbox has demonstrated the new art style, in real time, to most of the gaming media.

And though the game's not out until October, it needs to be completed much sooner than that due to the need for testing. "You can subtract two and a half to three months for certification time," he says. "Subtract three months off of October... Read more

It's all about Trine this weekend. And also probably Civilization IV, now that the insane 2K Steam pack has reminded me of its existence. Civilization IV is the ultimate black hole of gaming. Once it latches onto you, it pulls you down into its dark spiral, devouring your weekend and stripping away your dignity before the end.

• Fallout 3 is 50% off on Steam this weekend
• 2K Games 'Huge' pack is a great deal, too
• Asteroids is getting the Hollywood treatment
• Splinter Cell Conviction trailer captures interest
• Indie platformer Fez coming to XBLA next year

Codemasters seems to be on a screenshot kick today, with some new screenshots of Operation Flashoint: Dragon Rising accompanying this morning's DiRT 2 screens.

Developed internally at Codemasters, not by creator Boehmia Interactive, the tactical shooter sequel is slated to appear on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 this fall.

The IGF award-winning platformer Fez will be released on Xbox Live Arcade early next year, according to developer Polytron.

The clever indie title makes use of perspective shifts and optical illusions, some of which can be seen in the trailer below.

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Another quiet week of PlayStation Store updates, outside of Zen Studios' downloadable shooter The Punisher: No Mercy.

The FPS title set in the Marvel universe promises six multiplayer modes--Vigilante, Team Deathmatch, Punish the Punisher, Elimination, Time Trial, Survival--and supports up to eight players online. A story mode offers four levels and supports two player co-op.

Click below for the full list:... Read more

The beta for the Dawn of War 2 update 'There Is Only War' is now live on Steam.

Users can participate by opting into the beta. In Steam, select "file," then under the "beta participation" section, click "change." Select Dawn of War 2, restart Steam, and the patch will automatically download.

The beta brings eight new multiplayer maps, balance changes, bug fixes, and a multiplayer map editor to Relic's RTS.

The insanely long list of content is copied below:... Read more

Now this is a deal. 2K Games just launched its Huge Game Pack on Steam, bundling 20 of its games--which would normally sell for $229.80 individually--for the total price of $60.

The pack has also been marked down by 10% for a limited time, bringing the cost to $54--a real steal considering the quality of games.

Bundled titles include Civilization III, Civ IV and its expansions, BioShock, X-COMs, Freedom Forces, Railroad Tycoon II and 3, Prey, Sid Meier's Railroads! and Pirates!, and more.

The full list:

• Sid Meier's Pirates!
• Shattered Union
• Prey
• CivCity: Rome
• Sid Meier's Railroads! ... Read more

A fourth Resident Evil film is in the works according to a new report by ShockTillYouDrop.

The film, to be written by series producer Paul W.S. Anderson, is purportedly titled "Resident Evil: Afterlife." STYD has apparently confirmed a release date of September 17, 2010.

No other details on the film were available, though series star Milla Jovovich has apparently been hinting at a reprisal of her role as Alice.

Originally scheduled to arrive earlier this year, publisher THQ today announced that Vigil's Darksiders: Wrath of War (PS3, 360) will now make it to stores on January 1, 2010.

A new trailer for the action game was released to mark the dating. Check it out below.

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Stardock has released new screenshots of its upcoming PC fantasy 4X strategy title Elemental: War of Magic.

"The best way I can describe the battles is that they're tactical with XCom being a major inspiration but designed to be relatively short," wrote Stardock CEO Brad Wardell. During the battles, players can zoom far down to the front lines (see below, left).

Wardell also noted that while city growth in the turn-based game is largely cosmetic, players will be able to zoom in to view their towns, and design roads that connect them.

Elemental is slated for release in February 2010. A beta test is scheduled to begin later this year.

Piranha Bytes, developer of the first three Gothic games, has announced that its RPG Risen will rise October 2 on PC and Xbox 360, with heavy testing now underway.

Described as a mature action-RPG, Risen is set in an open world on a tropical volcanic island, with multiple paths through the story and of course oodles of monsters to bash.

Piranha Bytes' entries in the Gothic series were often criticised as being buggy, but publisher Deep Silver points out that three quality assurance teams are already at work.

"We've been in beta for a few weeks now," said Deep Silver marketing VP Cathy Tische, "and are focusing on stamping out the remaining bugs and optimizing gameplay."

The first developer diary for Splinter Cell: Conviction sees the team at Ubisoft Montreal discussing their plans to push the stealth-action series "further" while staying true to it.

The oft-delayed title, once due in 2007, is now expected on PC and Xbox 360 this fall.

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Obsidian's spy-themed action-RPG Alpha Protocol will ship off to North American retailers on October 6, publisher Sega has just announced.

The game is now tagged "The Espionage RPG," going by the box art issued today, with all three versions--PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360--to be released simultaneously.

In addition to Alpha Protocol, Obsidian has two other projects in the works--Fallout: New Vegas and a secret mystery title--with its Aliens RPG recently confirmed to be cancelled.

A new Batman: Arkham Asylum developer diary introduces the twisted minds the instution houses and the creative souls of several developers plus writer Paul Dini.

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Batman: Arkham Asylum is released on August 25 for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.