Crucial Gadgetz

Turbine, Inc. today launched The Lord of the Rings Online™: Siege of Mirkwood™, the digital expansion to the award-winning massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG). Siege of Mirkwood expands the online world of Middle-earth where players join forces to press further eastward into the dark, foreboding and treacherous forest of Mirkwood and take part in the epic conclusion to Volume II of The Lord of the Rings Online. Siege of Mirkwood is now available as a digital download with an increased level cap, the new region of Mirkwood including the legendary evil fortress of Dol Guldur, major enhancements to combat and Legendary Items and the introduction of Skirmishes, randomized, repeatable instances where players will train customizable soldiers and take them into battle as part of the War of the Ring.

“Today we unveil LOTRO’s second major expansion and let players enter the legendary forest of Mirkwood and experience the climax and conclusion to Volume II of our epic story,” said Jeffrey Steefel, Executive Producer of The Lord of the Rings Online. “The response from our players and the press has been nothing short of outstanding and serve as a real validation of LOTRO’s position as one of the world’s premium online games.”

Elite Units of America DLC announced

SEGA today announced that the 1 VS 1 Campaign Multiplayer Open Beta of the critically acclaimed Empire: Total War™ will be available to all Empire: Total War consumers globally on December 7th via STEAM. This Multiplayer Beta will allow 2 players to go head to head or cooperative against the AI on the full campaign map of Empire: Total War, including all 3 theaters of war. The free Campaign Multiplayer Beta is only available for owners of Empire: Total War, to get access sign up for the Beta Program on www.totalwar.com.

“After over 6 months of internal testing, we’re happy to finally give all players of Empire: Total War a taste of the future of Total War,” says Mike Simpson, Creative Director at the Creative Assembly, “Information and user feedback gathered from this Open Beta should help us getting the Campaign Multiplayer mode ready to be a regular feature in upcoming titles in the Total War series”

Also on December 7th, the Elite Units of the America Downloadable Content for Empire: Total War will be released, adding 15 new elite units to the American, British and French factions of Empire: Total War. In the last half of the 18th century, the political upheaval from thirteen of the British Colonies in North America ultimately led to the 1776 Declaration of Independence and changed history for ever. The 15 units from the Elite Units of America Downloadable Content have all played a major part in the American Revolution. Though their background owes a lot to European military traditions, their identity is tied to the destiny of the United States, and gave these men courage and audacity like no other soldier on the battlefields. The Elite Units of America are only available via STEAM for the price of $3.25.

Empire: Total War is set in the 18th century, a turbulent era that is the most requested by Total War’s loyal fan base and a period alive with global conflict, revolutionary fervour and technological advances. Empire: Total War was released on March 6th, 2009 and was expanded this October with The Warpath Campaign.

Paradox Interactive today unveiled the newest addition to its collection of real-time strategy titles with the announcement of Lionheart: Kings’ Crusade. Developed by Neocore Games, Lionheart: Kings’ Crusade places players between the years of 1189-1192, calling upon warriors to enter the heart of the battle in one of the most vicious wars of all time.

Players will have the opportunity to take on this challenge as either Richard the Lionheart, set to invade and take back the treasured Holy Land once and for all, or as the great Saladin, who patiently waits and prepares his people for the oncoming invasion.

Lionheart: Kings’ Crusade invites players to rewrite history through controlling and upgrading leaders and their armies, guiding various historical factions through political events, collecting relics, and unlocking new content in a feature-rich campaign set to take on the strategy genre by force.

Lionheart: Kings’ Crusade Features:
Play through two single-player campaigns – Crusader and Saracen
Oversee hundreds of soldiers in real-time epic battles
Command your forces, conquer territory, and expand your realm on a fully 3D map
Strategically manage your army between missions
Rewrite the past by playing as famous historical characters serving as the main heroes

Lionheart: Kings’ Crusade will be available in Q2 of 2010.

EA announces that the all-new Team Racing pack for the critically-acclaimed Need for Speed SHIFT is now available on Xbox 360 and PC. The content pack takes online racing to the next level with an action-packed new race mode and five renowned racing cars – all for free.

The Team Racing mode brings a fresh new challenge to SHIFT by completely redefining online racing. In this mode, two teams of up to six racers will battle against each other for online supremacy. Individual driving strategy and playing it safe won’t work as team tactics and 200 mph split-second decisions are required to push your team to the podium.

As part of the new content, players will also get access to these legendary racers:

1967 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 427
1967 Shelby GT-500
1969 Dodge Charger R/T
1971 Dodge Challenger R/T
1998 Toyota Supra Mark IV

The pack will be released for the PlayStation3 on December 3rd in Europe and on December 10th in North America.