2K Games has unleashed Firaxis Games’ XCOM: Enemy Unknown for Windows PC through Steam. The free demo offers players two levels of the single-player tutorial campaign, experiencing the combat controls and effective tactics for defending humanity against the alien threat. The two tutorial missions will also introduce players to the XCOM base, where soldier training and researching alien technology takes place, and offers a chance to experience the tactical and strategic layers of XCOM: Enemy Unknown. The XCOM: Enemy Unknown playable demo will be available soon for console gamers. The developer talks about the new game in the exclusive video interview below.

2K Games’ and Firaxis Games’ XCOM: Enemy Unknown, the re-imagining of one of the most revered PC games ever made, is now available for digital pre-sale for $50 from participating digital retailers. By pre-purchasing  XCOM: Enemy Unknown, gamers are guaranteed to receive the Elite Soldier Pack, a free launch bonus offering top-of-the-line soldier customization features that will only be available while supplies last.

Seventeen years and 17 games after the release of the first Command & Conquer title, Electronic Arts is bringing Command & Conquer The Ultimate Collection to PC gamers this October for $50. A compilation of all 17 games that have made Command & Conquer the #1 selling real-time strategy (RTS) franchise of all time, this collection  will not only give fans a chance to re-experience all three award-winning Command & Conquer universes – the epic clash between the GDI and Nod in Tiberium, the alternate Cold War of the Red Alert series and the modern warfare in Generals – but will also give them early access to the upcoming beta for the new Frostbite 2 powered Command & Conquer, coming in 2013.

Barry Sanders left the NFL too early for many. The running back broke records in college and in the pros. On July 10th, EA Sports NCAA Football 13 brought Sanders back to the gridiron. For the first time in franchise history, fans have been allowed to play as some of college football’s greatest athletes in the new Heisman Challenge mode. Gamers have been busy making first downs and throwing touchdowns with their favorite Heisman winners, and we wanted to provide you an inside look at stats related to player engagement with NCAA Football 13 so far. Sanders talks about video games in the exclusive video interview below.

Pro gaming continues to generate interest from around the globe. Thirty-two of the world’s best StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty players competed at the Major League Gaming (MLG) Summer StarCraft II Arena for more than $26,000 in prizes. At the end of the three day competition, Korean player Taeja beat Alicia 4-2 to capture his first MLG title and $10,000. Stephano, who came in fifth place, talks about eSports in the exclusive video interview below.

The USS IOWA battleship made its final voyage to its new home in the Port of Los Angeles and Wargaming America has been hard at work creating virtual battle scenarios for future USS IOWA visitors to enjoy. The battleship is set to become a museum, and Wargaming is bringing its history to life by creating a bridge experience and an aerial combat game that will live on the ship and showcase its firepower and aerial defenders in action. Historian Bob Rogers talks about the battleship in front of its big guns in this exclusive video interview below.

It’s been two years since Firaxis Games released the fifth installment into the legendary Sid Meier Civilization series. The game has been made available on Mac, while integrating the game into Steam’s workshop. During that time, the games bugs and glitches hurt the online multiplayer have been removed. Many have moved on from the game, but this week a new expansion is available called Civilization: Gods & Kings. With this new expansion is it worth revisiting CIV V?