NEWS: EA Giving Away Free Games

Whilst just one title is currently available to download free of charge, more games are to be added eventually.

A new promotion known as On The House has launched, which has an initiative to provide free content on a regular basis via the Origin webstore. Origin claims:

"There's no catch. Grab full games, expansions and more at absolutely no cost. Just make sure to act fast because On The House specials can appear and disappear at any time."

This could be an attempt to ease the frustrations of many PC gamers as recent criticisms against EA and Origin has emerged. Currently, the 2008 survival-horror Dead Space is available to download - the original price stands at £9.99..

NEWS: Games With Gold March 2014 - Civilization: Revolution and Dungeon Defenders

March's free content has been revealed as part of Microsoft's monthly Games with Gold promotion.

Those subscribed to Xbox LIVE Gold are currently able to download Sid Meier's Civilization: Revolution completely free of charge until March 15. 

Revolution put's you in control of a settler in the year 4000BC, in which you must seek out fellow settlers in order to create cities, seek out food, and eventually achieve a state of victory through four different methods - taking over other players' cities, creating a culture full of wonders, racking up large amounts of money, or  researching enough technology to launch a rocket into space.

Beginning March 16, Dungeon Defenders will be up for grabs - featuring mulitplayer gameplay combining tower defense and action-RPG elements, players have to survive mulitple waves consisting of numerous types of fantasy-like enemies such as kobolds, orcs, and goblins.

NEWS: Xbox One Could Get More Free-To-Play Games

More information on F2P games on Xbox One will be revealed closer to their release dates.

When asked about adding F2P titles to the Xbox One, Microsoft's gaming executive Phil Spencer replied on Twitter, saying the team has had "good success with F2P on 360", promising to reveal more information closer to their launch dates.

Various F2P games are available on the Xbox 360, including the more well-known Happy Wars - launching in October 2012, the game has been played by approximately 6 million players, whilst the game is free to play, users are encouraged to spend real money on items to improve their experience.

Other titles include Warface, World of Tanks, and Ascend: Hand of Kul - also free to play with additional content becoming available through real money.

PREVIEW: Deep Down - Enemy Details & New Screenshots

A batch of new screenshots has revealed enemies players can expect in the upcoming PS4-exclusive RPG.

Posted online today are a total of three new screenshots showing off impressive visuals as well as two types of enemies players will encounter in Capcom's free-to-play online RPG - check them out below.

The Jackie - professional treasure chest lookalike

Pictured above, the Jackie boasts an ability to deal damage despite the players armour - even with the best equipment in the game, expect to take a considerable amount of damage. These particular enemies disguise themselves as treasure chests, so opening what looks to be an innocent chest could lead to a nasty battle.

They can move very quickly and will attack players using its many incredibly sharped teeth - also note in the picture we can see what looks to be a Great Sword, one of the many weapon types the game has to offer.

The Pooriiz - the not so cute Caterpillars

Typically stuck to the ceilings, these Caterpillar looking creatures are known as Pooriiz and will attack in swarms, and whilst not the most difficult enemy in the game, they can become deadly when their numbers continue to grow - getting surrounded could get messy. 

Teleporting to the past... as you do.

The final screenshot shows the player successfully being brought back to the past - something we'll be doing a lot of as all of the game's dungeons can be explored through these devices. 

Deep Down will be released in 2014 with no specific date mentioned - however it has only been confirmed for a Japanese release currently, but its safe to assume a western release will eventually take place. 

NEWS: Sony To Give Away Free Games On PlayStation Mobile

Throughout the next five weeks, Sony will be distributing free games on PlayStation Mobile devices as well as PS Vita.

Sony are getting into the festive spirit as European Product Manager Mayumi Donovan revealed various games will be periodically released in blocks over the next five weeks completely free of charge.

Two new games will release each Wednesday, however the first games are available right now, including Passing Time, which has been described as "An all-new touch-controlled football game", with the objective to "burn the opposition with a blistering fireball". Sounds fun, right?

The second game is Rymdkapsel "a meditative strategy game set in the depths of space.", players will be "tasked with building the best possible space station by commanding your minions to collect and utilise the different resources at your disposal."

In order to get these games, you'll need the PlayStation Mobile App installed or you can head over to the PlayStation Store to directly download the games to your PS Vita.

NEWS: Games With Gold December 2013 - Gears of War and Shoot Many Robots

With December quickly approaching, Microsoft have revealed the latest games available as part of the Games With Gold scheme.

It's safe to assume every Xbox 360 owner has played Gears of War at some point, and as it turns out it will feature as the highlight to December's Games With Gold scheme Microsoft started back in June. 

Gears originally launched in 2006 and since has grown a large committed fanbase and spawning various sequels. 

It is your mission to save the human race from the hordes of Locusts, to do this you'll take control of Marcus Fenix and use a variety of weaponry to take down the enemy in any way possible. You can download the game from December 1-15.

Making itself available December 16-31, Shoot Many Robots does exactly what it says on the tin - blast your way through numerous robotic enemies in 2D environments. The game also allows up to 4 players for multiplayer play, making for even more chaos than there already is.

NEWS: Microsoft Giving Away Killer Instinct

Xbox LIVE users with a respectable gamerscore and long-running membership could get Killer Instinct (2013) completely free.

Spanning across numerous regions, Xbox users have been receiving emails stating they have been given a free copy of the 2013 reboot; Killer Instinct. The message says:

"You're a fan of us and we're a fan of yours. Thank you for your dedication to Xbox. We want to show you our appreciation so we're giving you Killer Instinct. 

We've unlocked all characters so you can hit the ground running. Watch your inbox on 22 November for instructions on how to claim your free gift."

Microsoft have recently confirmed the email to be legitimate - Twitter user Aceattorney even received a free Xbox One, in which the official Xbox account replied:

"We appreciate your ongoing support. Thank you for joining us on this journey!"

The game will release alongside the Xbox One November 22.

NEWS: Metal Gear Rising Revengeance - Free DLC

Two pieces of DLC are now free to download, as well as a lowering of the game's price.

Konami have announced that the DLC's; Jetstream and Bladewolf are now available to download completely free of charge - a decision was made to also reduce the price of the game in US to $29.99, with no mention of a reduction in other territories.

A statement was made by Konami in regards to the announcement:

"The lower price point gives new fans the opportunity to experience the game at a reduced price, with the added bonus free DLC packs that lengthen the overall experience."

MGS Revengeance was recently added to the PlayStation Plus service as a free download throughout Europe.

NEWS: Uncharted 3 - New Multiplayer Map and Past DLC Maps Now Free

Previous DLC will now be completely free-of-charge, and a new map has also been unveiled.

Since its release 2 years ago, Naughty Dog are celebrating by making all the DLC multiplayer maps available to everyone, with no cost what so ever. Alongside this announcement, a new map titled Dry Docks has been revealed - set upon a very wet and slippery dock during the night.

Community Strategist at Naughty Dog praises the Uncharted community and fanbase, saying:

"It's been two years since Uncharted 3 was released. Our community is simply amazing, and we're looking to make it stronger than ever. To that end, we combed over a multitude of comments and forum posts to see what you wanted changed in the multiplayer game. We took the most highly-sought changes mentioned and made them happen. The list of those changes is below, and it's an epic patch that rivals patch 1.13"

You might remember Dry Docks in the beta gameplay videos released prior to Uncharted 3's release, but it never made it to the final version of the game - Naughty Dog are bringing that map pack with many improvements. 

There were various reasons the map never made the original cut, one of those being time investment:

"It made sense to prevent our art team from investing time into the multiplayer version of Dry Docks to match the level of quality we adhere to at Naughty Dog --- therefore the Dry Docks map was cut."

Heavy rain pollutes the docks, creating a hectic atmosphere.

A view of the map from a distance, displaying both the boat and dock area.

A full list of the new patch details can be seen below.

Maps

• All DLC maps are now available to download for free! Go to the in-game store and download the Flashback Map Pack 1, 2, and Drake’s Deception Map Pack.
• Dry Docks makes its triumphant debut and is available in all competitive playlists and custom games!

Co-op

• Old Quarter map has been added to Co-op arena mode.
• The drop rate for all co-op treasures has been increased.
• Old Quarter has been removed from the Hunter Arena playlist.

Weapons

• Hipfire accuracy has been greatly reduced on all weapons, along with the angle and distance at which the auto lock engages. But Blindfire from cover has not been changed.
• Increased recoil on the M9.
• Decreased recoil on FAL-SS.
• Rate of Fire mod has been decreased on the M9, Arm Micro, and KAL-7.
• The recoil of the last round fired in a G-MAL burst has been significantly reduced.
• The burst delay and recoil have been reduced on the Raffica.
• The accuracy mod on the Raffica has been slightly improved.
• The recoil has been reduced on the Tau Sniper and the weapon does not automatically scope.
• The rate of fire mod has increased effectiveness for the Tau Sniper.

Gameplay

• Sprint maneuverability moderately reduced.
• Mega Bombs and Cluster Bombs can no longer be thrown back (competitive mode only).
• The Marked Man power play now occurs when a team is up 8 kills instead of 6.
• The Exposed power play occurs when a team is up 10 kills instead of 8, and the range that player names appear has been reduced from 40 meters to 20.
• The Double Damage power play now occurs when a team is up 15 kills instead of 10, and the damage the losing team does is only x1.5 instead of x2.
• Deathmatch has been removed from Team Objective.
• Increase score limit in three-team Deathmatch from 20 to 25.
• Increase score limit of free-for-all from 15 to 20.
• Multiple steps have been added during the matchmaking process to help find games with lower ping. Wait times to find matches during off peak hours may increase.

Medal Kickbacks

• The Medal Kickback Creepy Crawler now costs 12 medals and lasts for 25 seconds.
• Quick Boom now costs 12 medals and lasts for 12 seconds.
• Explosives now costs 5 medals.

Boosters

• Slot 1 now has Kickback Endurance, Ammo Award, Bargain, and Team Safe
• Slot 2 now has Beast Mode, Regeneration, Explosive Expert, and Explosive Shell Expert.
• Bargain paid booster cost increase from $100k to $250k.
• PING paid booster cost increase from $100k to $250k.

New 3rd Buddy Boosters

• Cutter — Cutter KAL-7 — Jade Para 9 — Sugar Buddy
• Eddie — Eddie’s AK — Jade Para 9 — Booty Buddy
• Draza — Draza’s Dragon — Jade Para 9 — Thanks Buddy
• Flynn — Flynn’s G-MAL — Jade Para 9 — Explosive Buddy
• Lazarevic — Lazarevic’s FAL-SS – Jade Para 9 — Stealth Buddy

Map Adjustments

• Gate added to London Underground tunnel to block off dead end.
• Plunders chests have been rebalanced on Syria and Museum.

NEWS: Games with Gold Mid-October 2013 - Halo 3

Microsoft has revealed Halo 3 as the next free-to-download title.

If for some crazy reason you still haven't played Halo 3, it will be joining Microsoft's Games with Gold promotion on October 16-31. Of course, the game will be completely free to download, which usually sells for around £5-15 from most retailers.

Fancy playing Halo 3 matchmaking again? Now's your chance if you've got rid of your physical copy. The game was originally released in September 2007 and served as one of the most anticipated games on the Xbox 360, taking place directly after the cliffhanger ending of Halo 2.

NEWS: Dead Island Riptide - Free on Steam Temporarily

Steam users can download and play Dead Island Riptide completely free of charge for a limited time only - this special offer will end at 9PM Sunday 29 September.

If you decide to purchase the game whilst this free window is open, you will be able to purchase the game at a massive 66% discount, knocking the original price of £34.99 to £11.89. 

NEWS: Fantasy Agito Comes to iOS and Android Devices

The port of Final Fantasy Type-O on the PSP was announced yesterday it would be ported to iOS and Android devices, players familiar with the PSP version won't find the gameplay too suprising, but it's a nice look into what tablet users can expect. 

In fact, the game was originally only available in Japan, so gamers everywhere now can experience this lesser known game in the Final Fantasy series.

However, the game is not a direct port, the tablet edition includes the option to spend real world money on things such as items, health, energy, and so fourth.

It is free to play, but I imagine some features will require your hard earned money to unlock. Watch the Japanese trailer below, which shows the player exploring the world and engaging in battles.

The game hasn't got an official release date, but I expect it to be early 2014.