Both Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and Medal of Honour: Warfighter are set to air adverts during today’s champions League Final between Chelsea and Bayern Munich.

As battle commences on the pitch, Activison and EA will be waiting until half time to flex their own muscles and unleash a new dose of FPS carnage. With the game kicking off at 7.45PM (BST), half time will occur around 8.30PM (BST) on both ITV 1 and Sky Sports 1. At this time it is unknown whether both ads will air on each channel or as direct competitors.

Black Ops 2 takes us into the future, as the Call of Duty franchise gets to grips with the impact of technology upon future warfare during a 21^st Century Cold War, whilst Medal of Honour: Warfighter tells the story of ‘Preacher’. A US Tier 1 Operator who is desperately longing for his return home.

Whilst no news has emerged regarding the contents of each games advert, it is expected that both will rely heavily upon cinematic imagery, with any in-depth gameplay footage likely to be reserved for next month’s E3 event.

Medal of Honour: Warfighter will be released for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC on October 23 in North America and October 26 in Europe, whilst Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is scheduled for a November 13 worldwide release on the same platforms.

Sega are set to release a number of nostalgia inducing games and bundle packs onto the Xbox 360’s Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation 3’s PlayStation Network in the next two weeks.

Whilst PlayStation users are set to be treated to individually priced titles such as Wonder Boy in Monster Land and Revenge of Shinobi, Xbox users will be treated to a series of gaming packs, with the Monster World Collection, Alex Kidd & Co. Collection, Golden Axe Collection and Streets of Rage collection each featuring three games from the arcade, Master System and Genesis/ Mega Drive.

With the announcement coming from the Sega’s US headquarters, there is no word yet whether the title will launch simultaneously across the US and Europe, however previous releases indicate that this is likely. The previously released Sega Megadrive Ultimate Collection for Xbox 360 and PS3 was a critical success and proved that there is still plenty of life in the likes of Alex Kidd, Sonic the Hedgehog and Ecco the Dolphin.

PSN games in the series will be available at $4.99 (£3.20) each, whilst each XBLA bundle can be purchased at a cost of 800 Microsoft Points. Release dates and titles are listed below:

PlayStation Network

• Wonder Boy in Monster Land (Arcade)
• Wonder Boy in Monster World (Mega Drive)
• Monster World IV (Genesis/Mega Drive)
• Super Hang-On (Arcade)
• Revenge of Shinobi (Genesis/Mega Drive)
• Alex Kidd in Miracle World (Master System)

  Release Date: May 22 ($4.99 each)

  Xbox Live Arcade

  Monster World Collection (Contains the following):

• Wonder Boy in Monster Land (Arcade)
• Wonder Boy in Monster World (Genesis/Mega Drive)
• Monster World IV (Genesis/Mega Drive)

  Release date May 23 (800 Microsoft Points each)

  Alex Kidd & Co. Collection (Contains the following):

• Super Hang-On (Arcade)
• The Revenge of Shinobi (Genesis/Mega Drive)
• Alex Kidd in Miracle World (Master System)

  Release date May 23 (800 Microsoft Points each)

  Golden Axe Collection (Contains the following):

• Golden Axe (Arcade)
• Golden Axe 2 (Genesis/Mega Drive)
• Golden Axe 3 (Genesis/Mega Drive)

  Release date May 30 (800 Microsoft Points each)

  Streets of Rage Collection (Contains the following):

• Streets of Rage (Genesis/Mega Drive)
• Streets of Rage 2 (Genesis/Mega Drive)
• Streets of Rage 3 (Genesis/Mega Drive)

  Release date May 30 (800 Microsoft Points each)

Unsurprisingly, ‘conventionality’ isn’t a word which comes up too often at Bethesda and they plan to create a new vision of the modern MMO with their release of Elder Scrolls Online.

Rarely a company to follow in the footsteps of those gone before, Bethesda has always been inspired by the plight, struggle and journey of the single player. Essentially, despite the myriad of unique characters, locations and hurdles you will battle throughout your time in any Elder Scrolls game, the essential story has always been one of lone hero.

Bethesda clearly has this in mind for their own rendition of the MMO genre, as the Elder Scrolls Online game director Matt Firor told Game Informer, “In the Elder Scrolls games you’re always the hero, whether you want to or not. The last thing you want to do is have the final confrontation with Mehrunes Dagon as he’s stomping across the imperial city and you see like 15 guys behind you waiting to kill him because they’re on the same quest.”

This shows a clear side-step from the standard MMO and the first chance to create a truly natural blend of the single player and multiplayer experience:

“As MMO online designers, the thing we needed to make sure we hit the most was that feeling that you’re awesome, you’re the hero and we do that through a mix of technology  where, when I am confronting a major foe in the game I’m doing it in an instance where I’m alone,” continued Feror.

“We have a whole part of the game that’s 100 percent solo which is the main story where the world focuses on you, you’re the hero. Everything you do is solo and the world reacts to you that way.”

Due for release on the PC and Mac some time in 2013, Bethesda announced The Elder Scrolls Online earlier this month alongside the release of an all new trailer.

According to reports at Gamasutra, Sony are set to unveil a new digital pre-buy system; a first for console users.

The  pre-buy system, which is similar to that utilised via Steam for PC and Mac, will allow users to download games prior to release and have them available in preparation for their official launch date. At this point it is unknown whether the game will unlock at midnight, or whether it will be delayed until a scheduled roll-out time later in the day.

The first game set to use this new method of game release will be the PlayStation move enable title Sorcery. Set for release next week, Sorcery sees you take on the role of a young apprentice as he journeys to the heart of the Faerie Kingdom. With new magic skills learnt along the way, the action adventure is set for release on 23 May.

This move appears to be a big step forward in an increasingly digitally focuses market and with rumours of future generation consoles being made available without disc drives (dubious as the rumour may be), this step could perhaps herald a video game age where discs and other physical forms of games are a thing of the past.

So, what do you think of this move? Is it a positive one and do you expect to see Microsoft follow suit in the future? Let us know your thoughts in the comments box below.

Epic Games has released the first set of details and still images of their Unreal Engine 4 video demo, which was showcased at GDC earlier this year.

Shown to only “”select licensees, partners and prospective customers”, the video showcased the Gears of War creators’ latest games engine and was an instant hit with those lucky enough to get a brief glimpse. Of course, with such fascination regarding the next-generation, it was vital that the video remained visible on a ‘for your eyes only’ basis. However, Epic has now revealed the first set of details about the next-gen engine in an interview with US Wired.

Reportedly created in less than 3 months by a collaboration of just 14 engineers, the first interactive scene which Epic are describing as “the first title of the next generation”, is your classic introductory cinematic:

“Like so many games, the demo begins with what’s known as a cinematic, a non-interactive scene meant to wow players with all the punch of a blockbuster movie trailer,” Wired recalls.

“In this case, it’s as if H. R. Giger and George R. R. Martin took peyote together. And had a baby. And that baby had a fever dream. But it’s not just empty spectacle-it’s a crystal ball. Every pixel is spent on visual effects that are impossible in today’s games because of hardware limitations.

“But those limitations could be overcome: In an impressive departure from the usual practice of such demos, this one is running on a single consumer-level graphics card-Nvidia’s new Kepler GTX 680.”

Whilst the cost of this single piece of hardware may already have gamers guessing, the next scene is Epic’s attempts to “singe the eyeballs” over at Sony and Microsoft, who are being expected by the likes of Epic to make their next generation of consoles as powerful as possible.

“A heavily armored demon knight sits frozen to his throne in a ruined mountain fortress. As he awakens, lava begins to flow around him and flames engulf the world. A magma vent spews a column of smoke and smoldering embers. He stands, sending up showers of sparks that dance, fall out of focus, and fade into ash.

“The knight hefts a massive hammer that glows with an inner fire. As he stalks down an empty corridor, a deep rumble sounds and masonry falls from the ceiling-this is no mountain but a volcano on the verge of eruption.

“When the knight steps outside, we see a range of snow-capped peaks in the far-off distance, rendered in stunning clarity. Behind him the volcano belches black smoke, while burning embers mix with swirling snowflakes.”

Whilst impressive cinematics are one thing, we as experience gamers have come to know that gameplay is something different altogether. However, Alan Willard takes over the controls and begins playing the demo, proving that there is much more under the hood than pretty pictures.

“At this point the view switches to that disembodied first-person perspective made so ubiquitous by shooting games like the Call of Duty franchise and Epic’s own influential Unreal titles,” it describes.

“Willard maneuvers his avatar into a dimly lit room where a flashlight turns on, revealing eddies of dust-thousands of floating particles that were invisible until exposed. In another room, globes of various sizes float in the air.

“Willard rolls a light-emanating orb along the floor (think of a spherical flashlight that rolls like a bowling ball) and beams of light wobble and change direction, illuminating parts of the room and revealing the clusters of floating spheres with a kind of strobe effect.

“At first it all seems perfectly familiar: ‘Well, yeah,’ you think, ‘that’s how they’d act in the real world. What’s the big deal?’ But it is a big deal: This is stuff that videogames have never been able to simulate-the effects simply aren’t possible on today’s consoles.”

With UE4 very much utilising the finest in hardware capabilities, it is questionable as to whether we can expect to see this engine at launch, with many still anticipating UE3 to be a major player comes launch day for Sony and Microsoft’s next gen releases.

In the meantime, enjoy the screenshots from the video below:

Activision has released a brand new trailer for the recently released Modern Warfare 3 game mode, Face Off.

Having gone live to Elite members on Tuesday, the new game mode, which features as part of the Modern Warfare 3 Content Collection 3 DLC, will be available on general sale to Xbox Live Gold subscribers from next week and introduces the stand-off excitement of 1 vs. 1 and 2 vs. 2 combat taking place on specifically designed, close quarters multiplayer maps.

Of course, it isn’t like Activision to take it easy on the hype and new Infinity Ward community manager Tina Palacios has already taken time out of her busy schedule to get onto Twitter and let us know of upcoming addition to the game mode, Tweeting: “A little bird told me 3v3 may be coming soon.”

Current modes within Face OFF are limited to Team Deathmatch and Kill Confirmed, with no current plans to add further game modes into the mix. Aground and Erosion have already been specifically released to play in line with the new game mode, whilst two further maps, Getaway and Lookout, are scheduled for release on May 22 for Xbox 360 and later dates for PS3 and PC.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is available on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

Microsoft has lavished Spartan fans with a new dose of Halo 4 news, including multiplayer details and the reveal of a Limited Edition version of the game.

As previously announced at OnVideoGames, Halo 4 will feature the all new Spartan Ops, effectively splitting the multiplayer mode into two, with Spartan Ops featuring episodic co-op mission and the traditional competitive side of multiplayer, titled War Games.

Players will be able to interact with crew and manage their career through the UNSC airship hub, whilst every single choice and action by a user will result in changed appearances, weapons and warfare role for your online character.

Adding even further customisation to proceedings, Halo 4 will see players use specialisations, changing the entire manner and abilities of your character throughout online combat.

Specialisations will be available by playing online and also unlockable as a digital purchase, whilst the Limited Edition will include six ready to use skills.

The Limited Edition will also include an additional nine multiplayer maps, six custom character specialisations and an extended, 90 minute edition of the Forward Unto Dawn live action series.

Halo 4 will be available exclusively on Xbox 360 on November 6, watch the trailer at the top of the page. Check out brand new screenshots from Halo 4’s multiplayer mode below:

Continuing their sports branded promotions, Activision is set to unveil a new trailer for the impending release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 during Saturday’s Champions League final between Chelsea and Bayern Munich.

Whilst there are currently no details about the upcoming advert, what is known is that the original trailer was giving very little away when it comes to the games multiplayer component. Perhaps we could see some new shots of zombie beheading carnage to go alongside the almost guaranteed doses of cinematic drama and fast action cuts.

Having seen the first Black Ops title recently declared as the best selling game from the Call of Duty franchise, Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg is said to be “Increasingly pleased” with the early numbers for Black Ops 2 pre-orders, “which in the first week since reveal are tracking ahead of the record-breaking pace set by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3″.

The first Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 trailer aired earlier this month and has already revealed a number of key elements to the upcoming campaign. With destinations set in the past, present and future, it seems that Black Ops 2 is set to open up the playing field, whilst the inclusion of interactive and non-linear gameplay components are sure to provide some fresh life to a series which has been criticised in recent years for failing to break the mould.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is available on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC and Mac on November 13 worldwide.

After a less than smooth launch, Blizzard has come out to issue an apology to any fans experiencing problems accessing their Diablo 3 account.

In an open letter to fans and users, Blizzard has apologised for not preparing adequately for the titles launch and have jokingly blamed “mortal infrastructure” for gamers inability to bring down the Lord of Terror.

Due to overwhelming traffic, the games servers have failed to cope with the demand since launch and Blizzard were forced to take Battle.net offline and launch a series of new servers in order to accommodate the traffic they were receiving.

Whilst many users were hit by the Error 37 message which left them stuck at the games title screen, others noticed a heavily dogged playing experience.  Confirming that they are keeping an eye on proceedings, Blizzard plans to carry out scheduled maintenance in the near future.

“We’d like to extend a very sincere thank you to everyone who joined the global Diablo III launch celebrations this week, as well as to everyone who was ready to jump into Sanctuary the moment the game went live,” reads the statement.

“To that end, we’d also like to say that we’ve been humbled by your enthusiasm — and we sincerely regret that your crusade to bring down the Lord of Terror was thwarted not by mobs of demons, but by mortal infrastructure.

“As many of you are aware, technical issues occurring within hours after the game’s launch led to players experiencing error messages and difficulty logging in. These issues cropped up again last night for the Americas and Europe servers. Despite very aggressive projections, our preparations for the launch of the game did not go far enough.

“We’ve been monitoring the game 24/7 and have applied several optimizations to help our systems better weather the global rush. As of late last night, specifically 11.50pm PDT on May 15, all systems have been online and running relatively smoothly.

“We’re continuing to monitor performance globally and will be taking further measures as needed to ensure a positive experience for everyone. This includes some maintenance to implement additional improvements for each region.”

Blizzard has also unveiled plans to delay real-money transactions, whilst they are also intending to look into a series of issues relating to the game’s faltering achievement system.

Free to World of Warcraft annual pass subscribers, Diablo 3 launched earlier this week, with a Starter Edition providing a limited introduction to the game.

South Park: The Game has been delayed until the first quarter of 2013.

Following in an ever growing line of game suspected, but failing to make it to a 2012 release, South Park: The Game has been officially suspended until next year, with THQ releasing the details via their annual earnings report.

Announcing that the title will see a final quarter released for the fiscal year, this means that we can expect to enter the world of South Park by March 31 at the latest, whilst January 1 marks the earliest possible date to head on down to South Park.

In bright news, a new PC version of the game has also been announced to go alongside console releases; surely a dream come true for the potential mod community likely to add more mayhem into the town than even Matt Stone and Trey parker could produce.

South Park: The Game will see you take on the role of the new kid in town, with a number of character types leading you through an array of adventures as you interact with the town’s more familiar faces.

In development by Obsidian Entertainment, South Park: The Game is set for release on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC in early 2013.