Comic book legend Todd McFarlane, best known for creating Spawn, has teamed up with bestselling author R.A. Salvatore and MLB Hall of Famer Curt Schilling for a new series of videogames set in the fantasy world of Amalur. The first title, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, is an action role-playing game for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. McFarlane, who serves as executive art director at 38 Studios, talks about his first full-fledged adventure into the virtual world of gaming in this exclusive interview.

In a series known for delivering one of the most cinematic experiences in all of interactive entertainment with an emphasis on high quality digital acting, BioWare is aiming to once again set a new bar with Mass Effect 3. BioWare unveiled the cast for Mass Effect 3, which ships Marc 6 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. The ensemble will see the return of fan favorites, including Martin Sheen as the Illusive Man, Mark Meer and Jennifer Hale as Male and Female Shepard and will introduce Freddie Prinze, Jr. as James Vega, a marine who will help Commander Shepard take Earth back. Seth Green, who reprises his role as Joker, talks about the new game in this exclusive video interview.

One of the first genre’s I ever got addicted to was tower defense games, but for awhile now tower defense games have long been stale. For a long time now, the genre hasn’t seen any dramatic changes, but still provided quality games for its fans. Recently, the genre has escalated to new heights thanks to advancements in smart phone technology and the integration of app marketplace. Developed by Futuremark Games Studio, Unstoppable Gorg attempts to reinvent the genre, but costly design choices ruin a potential hit.

Del Rey, an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group, is publishing the second novel based on the Hitman video game series from Io Interactive. Hitman: Damnation will be written by author Raymond Benson and will release in North America in summer 2012 before launching internationally. Square Enix’ IO Interactive is developing Hitman: Absolution for release this year, which can be seen in the video below.

LAS VEGAS -- Intel brought its director of creative innovation will.i.am on stage during Paul Otellini’s keynote at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Will.i.am is gearing up for another world tour. This time, however, he will be traveling around the globe as part of the Intel Ultrabook Project. Mirroring the musician’s vision of a richer, more participatory music experience for his fans, the Ultrabook Project will put music at the epicenter of social content to create the ultimate musical expedition. Fans will be able to see what will.i.am sees and experiences, and showcases the inspiration for and creation process behind each of the pieces of music.

Lets face it, your have probably played at least one third person shooter this console generation. Minus the story, they have all similar game-styles with little differences in between. With the Gears of War franchise retiring last September, the third person shooter genre is looking for someone to take reins and lead the genre into the next generation. After spending two hours with the game, I came away relativity surprised on what Saber Interactive was bring and how Inversion could be one of the biggest surprise hits of 2012.  

Trion Worlds, a leading publisher and developer of premium games for the connected era, has completed an $85 million round of strategic growth equity financing, led by Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (Teachers’), one of the world's leading pension funds focused on direct investments in both public and private equities. Also participating was current Trion investor Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments (BDMI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Bertelsmann AG, a leading international media company. Trion will utilize the financing to further grow its worldwide premium online games business. The game maker is currently working on End of Nations, which can be seen in the exclusive video interview below.