Faery: Legends of Avalon is a Role Playing / Adventure game packed with an original and unique atmosphere, and a graphics design close to illustration. The game immerses players in a fantasy world inhabited by many colourful characters and magical creatures.

In Faery: Legends of Avalon, the player plays as an elf or a fairy that will evolve during the story, through numerous quests and epic turn-based battles. Throughout the adventure, the player will customize his avatar thanks to a unique system changing not only the whole look of the character in every detail, but also its spells and special abilities! The player will recruit various companions during his journey to assist him in his mission, and he will be given the chance to explore mythical places full of magic such as the World Tree, the famous ‘Flying Dutchman’ ghost ship, and many others, in order to try to understand why the Kingdom of Avalon is dying.

The Battlefield: Bad Company 2 console demo and PC beta will feature Port Valdez, a new vehicle focused map where up to 24 players (32 on PC) will compete against each other as either the US or Russian armies in the game’s Rush multiplayer mode. Players will have access to five land and three air vehicles where the Russian side can use everything in their arsenal including Main Battle Tanks as well as the fast-moving Quad Bikes and Mobile Armored AA. The fight will also be packed with plenty of infantry combat fought alongside the waterline towards a great oil industrial landscape in the Alaskan mountains.
Have you played the demo?  What did you think about it?  Leave a comment.

Chances are high that if you have some sort of DLC code for BioWare’s newly released sci-fi RPG epic, Mass Effect 2, you’re probably pulling your hair out right now.

According to Kotaku, there are myriad issues plaguing players’ experience with the game. For instance, there are reports of GameStop codes not working, activation issues on the Cerberus Network (BioWare’s in-game DLC launching pad), and an inability for many players to even connect on the PC version’s Cerberus Network. There are also reports of Blood Dragon armor issues, the helmet in particular being a thorn in some gamers’ sides.

Have any of you fine folks run into similar problems? My course load prevents me from diving into Mass Effect 2 until the semester ends, so I can’t say I’ve experienced any troubles—or the game, for that matter. I might just cry. But if you’re experiencing download troubles, don’t fret, because BioWare handyman Chris Priestly (sorta) has you covered.

Enter Game Room, a free downloadable virtual arcade (say that three times fast) for Xbox 360 and PC. Players will be able to arrange arcade cabinets in their own personal space and show off their custom arcade to friends on Xbox Live or Games for Windows Live. Avatars will explore these spaces and tackle arcade classics like Centipede, Tempest, Gravitar, and many more.

Game Room titles will come with their own achievements and online leaderboards, which is great incentive for you youngins to check out games you might otherwise never touch. Gamers can purchase these titles for 240 MS Points for play on one console, or pay 400 space bucks to play on both Xbox 360 and PC. Also, a pay-for-play option will be available, which will cost 40 points. Fifty cents is a bit pricey, seeing as most of the announced titles cost a measly quarter back in the good ol’ days.

So folks, are you excited? Does this seem like a cool idea, or is Game Room doomed to fail as hard as Home’s arcade (or PlayStation Home in general)? I’m all about old-school gaming, so I’m excited to see some titles previously unreleased on Xbox Live get some love, like Pitfall! or Battlezone. And, hey: achievements! I’m not an achievement junkie, but I’ll gladly play through Crystal Castles again if it’ll boost my crappy gamerscore a wee bit.

When Nintendo Power announced the upcoming Mega Man 10 for WiiWare, they neglected to mention that the retro 8-bit sequel will also grace Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. Makes sense, given that it is a Nintendo publication.

Anyhoo, I just thought you XBL and PSN folks would like to know. If you’re hankering for more punishing old-school gameplay that makes Demon’s Souls look like a Disney game, but you don’t have a Wii, Capcom still has you covered. Capcom has plenty of Sheep Man to go around.

Do you like starting up a Xbox Live party chat with your friends while you blast each other to pieces in your favorite multiplayer games? I bet you do; heck, I do. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to do so in Infinity Ward’s upcoming Modern Warfare 2.

The crazy nerds over at NeoGaf discovered via MW2 footage (which contains spoilers, so click on that link at your own peril) that the game forces players in party chat to switch to in-game chat when playing in a multiplayer session. It seems the idea is to eliminate the possiblity of cheating with friends playing on the opposing team (achievement boosting and whatnot).

This doesn’t affect the PS3 version because it doesn’t support party chat anyway. 360 owners, will this hurt your Modern Warfare 2 sessions, or could you not care less? I probably won’t bother with MW2′s multiplayer anyway, but I’m curious to see how this affects single player party chat. Keep in mind that this hasn’t been confirmed with Activision or Infinity Ward, but it looks legit.

I enter a buttload of contests on any given month but I never win anything; yet every time I sign up for the Xbox Live Update Preview, I’m accepted. Go figure. The newest update, coming next month to everyone who doesn’t get into the preview, brings Twitter and Facebook to all Xbox Live users, and Last.fm for Gold subscribers. The update also changes the Video Marketplace a bit, re-branding it with Zune logos, adding Zune Social connections, and throwing in a bit more content for good measure.

To give you a better idea of how each new addition works, I’m going to give each one its own section and go into as much detail as possible. If reading isn’t your thing, feel free to check out the demonstration videos on Kotaku. I hear that Stephen Totilo guy has a lovely voice.

Facebook and Twitter

Both can be found under the new “My Community” section, which is located below Spotlight. I’d rather see them listed in the “My Xbox” section, but that’s probably my OCD talking. First up: Facebook.

Facebook on Xbox Live is a wee bit bare-bones. You have to download a 6 MB file to use the service, then you sign in (thankfully, you’re given the option of saving your sign-in info) and your on your way. You can update your status; view friends’ profiles; view news feeds, including specialized friends list feeds, and comment; and view photos and leave comments if you wish. There’s also a neat section that shows Facebook friends who are on Xbox Live, and also XBL friends on Facebook. This allows you to add Facebook friends to XBL who aren’t already on your list, and vice versa.

What’s missing? Just about everything else, actually. No apps, no videos (from what I’ve seen), no music, no quizzes…nada, zip, zilch. You also can’t leave wall posts on a profile. Basically, the stuff that keeps people hooked on Facebook is completely absent. Even so, it’s nice to have a means of checking out news feeds, looking at friends’ pics, and updating my status without opening my laptop.

Now I’ll move on to Twitter, which offers most of the service’s abilities, unlike Facebook. You can tweet, view your friends’ tweets, send direct messages, and retweet posts. You can also search for friends, topics, etc. Speaking of topics: there’s a section to check out trending topics, which is nice if that’s your bag. Lastly, you can view profiles, and follow—or unfollow—people. Like Facebook, Twitter will save your log-in data, but it won’t stay logged in like the former. Not a big deal, really.

If you wish to make good use of either Twitter or Facebook, it’s in your best interest to purchase the Xbox 360 chat pad or plug in a USB keyboard. I took the latter option, and it works well. Both options beat the crap out of typing with the on-screen keyboard. I’m typically a patient guy, but that thing really tests me. Also, keep in mind you can only use the Twitter service through the dashboard menu. You can’t view tweets while playing a game or watching a movie.

Last.fm

If you have no idea what a Last.fm is, let me fill you with some knowledge. Last.fm is a music service designed to help users discover new music based on listening habits. Last.fm keeps track of your music via “scrobbles,” which save listened tracks to your profile so others can see and so the service can help find music you might like. The biggest feature of Last.fm is its radio stations, which come in myriad flavors. There are band-specific stations; stations based on music Last.fm recommends for you; music tag stations (based on artist and track tags, such “classic rock” and “80s music”); and so on.

So now that you know what Last.fm does, you’re not doubt wondering how it is integrated into Xbox Live. Thankfully, most of the service’s best features are present and in full effect. You can use the aforementioned stations to listen to music; “love” tracks you enjoy, which helps Last.fm to better learn your preferences (or you can ban a track, if you really hate it); and check out band bios and similar artists. If you want to listen without a commercial or two popping up, you need to pay a S3-a-month fee for a premium subscription. I didn’t hear any commercials while I played with the service on my 360, so take that for what you will.

Sadly, you can’t view user profiles, check out groups or forums, or leave comments. Part of discovering new music is seeing what your friends listen to and love; without that feature, you’re stuck listening to what Last.fm recommends. Thank goodness that Last.fm does a pretty good job of figuring out what you’ll like. In my experience, Last.fm has a spot-on batting average recommending new artists to me. Your mileage, however, my wildly vary.

Oh, one last thing: like Facebook, you’ll need to download a 6 MB file to use the Last.fm service. Microsoft loves to slowly eat away at those 20GB drives, eh? I’m glad I bought my 120GB drive a while back.

Music/Video Marketplace

The last change to Xbox Live comes with the addition of a Zune-branded Music Marketplace and a revamped Video Marketplace. Actually, both marketplaces are one and the same, linking to the same service. Silly, yes, but that’s Microsoft for you.

The Zune music/video section works in the same way as the old version, but with Zune logos everywhere and a different, darker look. I actually prefer this look, but I’m just weird that way. I guess this is technically supposed to be the Zune Marketplace currently available via the Zune PC software, but I didn’t notice any functional differences. There’s definitely a slightly larger wealth of videos available now.

Perhaps the only real difference between the old Marketplace and the new is the addition of “Instant On” 1080p video viewing. What that means is that, theoretically, a video should immediately load in full 1080p high definition (assuming of course you’re watching a high-def video). In reality, videos need to buffer for a bit before reaching full 1080p quality. Once fully buffered, high-def videos look almost as nice as a Blu-Ray.

The Zune Music/Video Marketplace offers movies, TV shows, music videos, and independent video content. I know video rentals were available before, but I’m not sure about buying them. Movie rentals typically cost 320 MS points (standard) and 480 MS points (high-def), while buying them sets you back 1200/1600 MS points. Music videos are priced similar to movie rentals, but they don’t seem to come in high definition. I certainly couldn’t find any high-def music videos, but perhaps I wasn’t looking hard enough.

Should You Care?

Yes, if you any of the aforementioned features intrigue you. If you could care less, don’t worry about getting into the preview program. Nothing about Xbox Live proper has changed. Speaking of the preview: if you didn’t get in this time, there will be additional waves starting soon. Keep an eye on your email inbox for an invite, or check your status on the Microsoft Connect website.

The press release also states: “In this challenging puzzle platform game, players are tasked with keeping Sofi safe as she drifts deeper into the strange new world of her dreams. Through quick reaction and placement of randomly generated puzzle pieces, players must create a path through beautifully detailed dreamscapes to keep Sofi in perpetual motion and deliver her to safety.”

Lucidity is scheduled for release on October 7th with a release on both XBLA and PC.

US List:

1. Assassin’s Creed (Ubisoft)
2. BioShock (2K Games)
3. Burnout Paradise (EA)
4. Call of Duty 2 (Activision)
5. Dance Dance Revolution Universe (Konami)
6. Fight Night Round 3 (EA)
7. Kameo: Elements of Power (Microsoft Game Studios)
8. Karaoke Revolution American Idol Encore (Konami)
9. LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga (LucasArts)
10. Mass Effect (Microsoft Game Studios)
11. Meet The Robinsons (Disney)
12. MX vs. ATV Untamed (THQ)
13. Need for Speed Carbon (EA)
14. Need for Speed: Most Wanted (EA)
15. Perfect Dark Zero (Microsoft Game Studios)
16. Prey (2K Games)
17. Rainbow Six Vegas (Ubisoft)
18. ridge racer 6 (Namco)
19. Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis (Rockstar Games)
20. SONIC THE HEDGEHOG (SEGA)
21. TEST DRIVE: UNLIMITED (Atari)
22. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2K Games/Bethesda Softworks)
23. Viva Pinata (Microsoft Game Studios)
24. Viva Pinata 2: Trouble in Paradise (Microsoft Game Studios)

European List

1. Assassin’s Creed (Ubisoft)
2. Burnout Paradise (EA)
3. Call of Duty 2 (Activision)
4. Fight Night Round 3 (EA)
5. Kameo: Elements of Power (Microsoft Game Studios)
6. LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga (LucasArts)
7. Mass Effect (Microsoft Game Studios)
8. Meet The Robinsons (Disney)
9. MX vs. ATV Untamed (THQ)
10. Need for Speed Carbon (EA)
11. Need for Speed: Most Wanted (EA)
12. Perfect Dark Zero (Microsoft Game Studios)
13. Prey (2K Games)
14. Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis (Rockstar Games)
15. Sega Rally (Sega)
16. TEST DRIVE: UNLIMITED (Atari)
17. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
18. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas
19. Tomb Raider Legend (Eidos)
20. Viva Pinata (Microsoft Game Studios)
21. Viva Pinata 2: Trouble in Paradise (Microsoft Game Studios)