Already revealed last week, Sony Online Entertainment has officially announced Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom for the PS3. Billed as an “anticipated launch title” for the console, the RPG will feature high-definition graphics (up to 1080p), 7.1 audio and physics-based gameplay. Below is additional information:

Dark Kingdom will be utilizing the powerful PlayStation 3 Cell processors for unique physics-based game mechanics including audio, visual and FXs. Players will be able to fully interact with the environments by breaking or smashing objects, or even using NPCs as living, unwilling weapons. Players will choose from one of three unique characters and be able to unlock spells and abilities, as well as collect unique weapons, armor and other items throughout the game. Other next-gen features include support for high definition formats up to 1080p, highly detailed graphics, digital surround sound, high resolution textures and detailed character models.

For the epic storyline of Dark Kingdom, SOE engaged renowned fantasy author Keith Baker, writer of several best-selling Dungeons and Dragons and Star Wars novels. In Dark Kingdom, players have loyally served the king, yet have reason to believe he is being corrupted by dark forces. Sensing distrust, the king sends some of his military off to quell an uprising in the barbaric borderlands. After returning home, players find the land a horribly changed place. It is revealed that the king is responsible for torturing and killing many innocent people, and now players must battle through forests, caverns, villages and the palace, all the while betraying the king in order to save the kingdom!

Key features in Dark Kingdom include:

• Next-Gen HD Graphics: Experience next-gen graphics in true high-definition formats up to 1080p. Watch as the fantasy unfolds through vibrant environments, beautifully rendered characters, highly-detailed creatures, and intense battles filled with engaging combat, magical spells and brilliant SFX.
  
• All-new RPG Action Combat: Unique physics-based game mechanics will give the heroes of Dark Kingdom the ability to tear through environments and defeat enemies in all-new ways. Knock enemies against walls and watch them bounce to the ground. Smash through crates, pillars and boxes to clear a way through the environment. Or grab NPCs and use them as living, unwilling weapons.
  
• Epic storyline: Immerse yourself in an intriguing storyline as you seek to end an evil king’s reign of oppression that he has bestowed upon your fellow citizens - all told through in-game dialog and scripted cut sequences.
  
• Engaging combat: Take complete control of every battle by using chained melee attacks, or an array of spells and special abilities acquired along your journey.
  
• In-depth character progression: Choose from three distinctly different character\class combinations and unlock new spells and abilities as you adventure! Collect hundreds of armor, weapons and other items that will aid your hero on their perilous journey!
  
• Co-op and internet modes: Adventure alone or with your friends with a full range of multiplayer support.
  
• Challenging puzzles: Solve environmental puzzles as you explore multiple levels of game play.

More information on the game can be found on its official website; a lackluster gallery of screenshots can be found on Gamespot.

Microsoft, in conjunction with 4Kids Entertainment, today announced Viva Piñata, their mass-market property developed by Rare. Made to appeal to young kids through a bright, colorful world full of “wild-roaming piñata animals,” the franchise will see it being made into a Saturday morning 3D animated television series as well as a Xbox 360 game.

Slated to air in the US this Fall on 4Kids TV, Viva Piñata will see a cast of piñata “friends” embark on wild adventures on Piñata Island. The videogame, set for worldwide release this Holiday season, will see players “of all ages” exploring the world of Piñata, as they build and take control of their environment to attract and host more than 60 species of wild piñata. The game will feature support for new content via Xbox Live and the ability to play, trade and interact with others.

The franchising deal with 4Kids will also see the release of additional licensed products next year.

Marking the day as expansion day, Lionhead announced the Battle of the Gods expansion pack for Black & White 2, their God-simulation title. Here’s the deal:

The war between the Aztecs and the allies was over. The Aztecs, crazed with dreams of ruling the planet, had come up against the steely resolve of the stronger, cleverer Greeks. And, most importantly of all, they’d come up against the Greek god.

The graves of the Aztec army covered the lands, but one band of survivors would not accept the defeat, the death of their nation. Over many months they built Totems. Shrines to the thousands of slain Aztec warriors. Then, slowly, they started pulling the bodies from the ground. They dragged them to the Totems and sacrificed them, chanting mindlessly to the skies. For a long time nothing happened. The survivors dug and pulled and dragged and hundreds of bodies went into the Totems. Yet nothing happened. As every believer knows, sacrifices must be living to bring forth a response.

Then the incredible happened. As more bodies piled into the Totems, without warning the sky split with a flash. The accumulated dead had been enough and a god had been summoned. Born of an army of the slain, this was no ordinary god. This was a god never seen before. For the first time in this world there was a god of the Undead. And the ground began to shake. This Aztec deity was raising an entire corpse army. Death was coming to the world on a massive scale.

The expansion will feature a brand new creature, two new lands and four new miracles, as well as six new challenges, among other content. A Spring release date was stated; however, no pricing was announced.

Need for Speed fans will be disappointed to learn] that no more patches will be issued for Most Wanted, despite the fact that the game has some problems. Here’s the deal:

Final result - there will not be another patch for Most Wanted.

Longer version - While I’m sure very few of you are surprised by this, there was a good deal of internal debate surrounding this patch and whether to proceed. While there was never a question of whether there should be support for the community, the issues were a matter of time and resources. Both of which were not available.

The positive however, is that all the information collected on this issue won’t be tossed aside and will be used for any future releases.

So with that, I can only add that I’m sorry I couldn’t do more.

Continuing their increased teasing, Bethesda has issued three more screenshots from the Xbox 360 version of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

Linux junkies out there can rejoice as S2 Games today sent word that Savage 2 will be supporting the Linux community by offering native support for the OS.

In order to facilitate the use of a Linux Client at launch, the S2 Games team is working diligently to convert their DirectX® K2 engine, a next-gen game engine built from the ground up specifically for Savage 2, to that of Linux’s OpenGL system. The conversion is a necessity as the high-end renderer (DirectX) in the new engine is a Microsoft® product and does not work with Linux. With help from the Linux community and two of Savage’s top enthusiasts — Uttar and WhiteDwarf — S2 is converting the DirectX renderer, one of the more impressive aspects of the game engine, as the effort will enable Linux gamers to utilize their Linux Client when playing the game.

Savage: The Battle for Newerth will be available this Fall as digital download only.

Codemasters has posted an update, announcing that LMA Manager 2006 has been delayed for the PC and Xbox 360. This is to ensure that the game “remains true to its heritage and strengths,” meaning that the company is allocating additional development time to the installment. No confirmed release date has been provided, though one is expected shortly.

This Sierra product page marks the release of Ice Age 2: The Meltdown game for the PC. Based on the upcoming sequel to the animated movie, the game has players “swim, splash and scurry” through the action of the movie.

Proving that Dungeon Siege is still popular, 2K Games today announced that it has acquired publishing rights to Gas Powered Games’ RPG series. As a result, the company announced “Broken World,” the first expansion pack for the game, along with “Throne of Agony,” a completely new title for the PSP.

Dungeon Siege II: Broken World, due this Summer, features an all-new campaign mode, a new playable race, new items, a brand new multi-class character development system and more. It will require the full version of Dungeon Siege II.

The series’ first foray into the portable world will be handled by SuperVillain Studios. The company is currently working on Dungeon Siege: Throne of Agony, an entirely new adventure created for Sony’s handheld. It will feature all-new playable characters and a non-linear single-player campaign as well as support for Ad Hoc co-operative and competitive multiplayer games. The title is due this Autumn.

Activision and Lionhead have officially announced Stunts & Effects, an upcoming add-on for The Movies which was revealed some time ago. Scheduled for release this Spring, the add-on will add stuntmen to the lot, enhance the movie-making toolset, add a diverse selection of dangerous stunts, new visual effects, new sets and new techniques and technologies which can be unlocked.

The Movies: Stunts & Effects allows players to hone their movie making skills with features that can turn an ordinary script into an extraordinary blockbuster. In addition to stunts and effects, the game introduces new backdrops, costumes and props, as well as upgrades to the Advanced Movie Making mode that lets players take control of even more movie features. Players are further immersed into the Hollywood lifestyle as they train and manage stuntmen, as well as compete for industry awards and achievements by uploading their movies to www.themoviesgame.com for the entire world to see.

No pricing or exact release date was provided.

On Egosoft’s website you’ll now find a pair of new patches for X3: Reunion, updating the space-sim to v1.4. This post offers details on the bug-fixes and updates in the patch.

The German-language edition of Neverend has received a new patch as well as a free add-on called Neverend Reinforcement. Those who understand German can refer to this page.

Victoria has been patched to v1.04, with details on the update available here. An extensive list of changes to be found in the upcoming Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords patch has been posted.

Konami has shipped Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, the bonus-laden re-release of 2004’s MGS3. The new package adds online multiplayer action, a new third-person perspective, a demo theater for viewing in-game cinematic, the original Metal Gear and its sequel, mini-games and much more. There is also a three-disc Subsistence Limited Edition, which adds a feature-length edit of all the cut-scenes present in the game.