EA today officially announced FIFA Street 3, the third installment in the street football series. The game will feature a new look that turns today’s global football icons into action heroes; it will also offer a simplified control system, allowing players to easily perform over-the-top trick moves. It is in development at EA Canada and is scheduled for release in Spring 2008 on PS3 and Xbox 360.

Featuring over 250 of the world’s best players representing 18 of the top international teams, each player has been rendered into a stylized caricature with heroic qualities. Decked out in authentic training kits, every player boasts their own, distinctive style of play with unique abilities to match. Whether you’re after brawn, brains, silky skills or crunching tackles to complete your team, the perfect street player is out there. Choose from Tricksters, Enforcers, Playmakers and Finishers to give you different options on the ball and make your mark on the street.

Using the same engine as the critically acclaimed NBA STREET Homecourt basketball arcade game, combined with the market-leading AI from FIFA 08, FIFA Street 3 delivers animations and ball control that enables you to take complete control of your players with a responsive and intuitive control system that makes it easier than ever to pull off sensational moves. Use the simple button configuration and analog stick to seamlessly combine moves - providing you with hundreds of different ways to show off your street skills. Fill up your all-new Game Breaker to power your ultimate abilities and express yourself like never before. Maneuver your players to leap past defenders, flip off walls, or perform gravity-defying one-timers to score spectacular goals.

From the urban playgrounds of South America to the rooftops in Asia to the streets of Europe, your players perform to an eclectic selection of music seamlessly infused into the surroundings, where the game’s environments pulsate, and explode to life with every well-timed tackle, outrageous trick move or unstoppable shot on goal.

Below are the first screenshots from the game. Check them out:

Apparently nu-metal band Korn was “inspired” by Haze so much that they composed and performed a song just for it. The track, titled “Haze”, will be launched to radio and video next month to coincide with the release of the game. It will also be available for purchase via online music download sites.

“Gaming for me is a religion and Haze is the shit!” said Jonathan Davis. “I had to come up with a track that can hit up that kind of rush I get from the game and I think we really rocked it!”

The game is set to launch next month exclusively on PS3.

Bringing good news to gamers (and to Ethan, in particular), Microsoft and BioWare today announced that Mass Effect has gone gold; they also offered details on the limited collector’s edition. Available through participating retailers, the collector’s edition will offer the following bonus materials:

• A “Mass Effect” fiction book titled “Galactic Codex: Essentials”
  • A 36-page guide to the “Mass Effect” universe, including a Citadel timeline and a guide to all non-human races, biotics and the key locations in the Perseus arm of the galaxy
  
  
• An additional “Mass Effect” art book titled “A Future Imagined”
  • A 36-page collection of BioWare’s concept art for the game
  
  
• A bonus DVD of exclusive “Mass Effect” background material and additional content including:
  
  • “The Vision of “Mass Effect” documentary
    
  • “The Making of “Mass Effect” documentary
    
  • “Interactive Storytelling” documentary
    
  • “Inside BioWare” documentary
    
  • 18 “Mass Effect” themed gamer pics (three unique sets of six)
    
  • 16 dashboard themes (four unique sets of four)
    
  • Ten songs from the “Mass Effect” soundtrack
    
  • Five historical “Mass Effect” trailers from X05 through E3 2007 and the official TV trailer
    
  • A demo for “Blue Dragon” and videos for “Lost Odyssey,” “Halo 3″ and “Halo Wars”
    
  • Design galleries featuring 600 concept images fully commented by the Art Directors

This Wednesday marks the release of two new Xbox Live Arcade games on the service - Battlestar Galactica and Exit. Here’s the deal:

“Battlestar Galactica,” developed by Australian-based Auran Games, involves intense space battles as players choose to side with either the Humans or Cylon forces. Piloting iconic ships from the Viper II to the Heavy Raider, players lead a squadron through fast-action multiplayer space combat or can play through the intense single-player campaign based on memorable episodes from the TV series, including the riveting first episode of the continuing series, “33,” and the 2007 Emmy Award-winning episode, “Exodus.” “Battlestar Galactica” features both single and multi-player modes for up to eight players, skill-based matchmaking and leaderboards.

A uniquely stylish and addictive puzzle game, “Exit” will have players using their decision-making skills and quick wit to escape numerous obstacles while rescuing people from more emergencies in over 220 levels. Developed by Taito, “Exit” stars Mr. ESC, the escape artist who goes wherever he’s needed to get people out of the worst predicaments you’ve ever seen. When it comes to escape, nothing’s impossible for Mr. ESC.

The games will be available for 800 Microsoft points each.

A postgraduate Computer Science student at Nottingham Trent University has developed a new Robin Hood game to bolster the drive to secure investment to transform Sherwood Forest into a tourist destination. The game will be launched this Thursday in Nottingham’s Market Square.

Those looking for more awesome Neverwinter Nights 2 action won’t have to wait much longer: Atari has announced an Adventure Pack for the game that will be made available exclusively by digital download. Created by Atari and some of the most prominent members of the NWN2 communities, Mysteries of Westgate will offer a new storyline, professional voice acting, new musical scores, new in-game content and more.

Set in the infamous Forgotten Realms city of Westgate, players find themselves in possession of a powerful but cursed treasure that threatens to destroy them. Linked to the underworld organization known as the Night Masks, the treasure will draw players into a city-spanning clash between warring factions. Players must choose their allegiance in order to break the curse and ultimately uncover a plot that threatens Westgate itself.

The expansion will feature a non-linear, open-ended single-player campaign with numerous side quests covering more than 15 hours of game play. It will also feature 3 new companions, an entirely new underground sewers tile set, new monsters and more. It is scheduled for release later this Fall.

It’s that time of the week again when Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channel. Here are this week’s additions:

Lunar Pool (NES, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): Lunar Pool takes the historical game of billiards and reinvents it with a unique and futuristic flair. The rules are simple: All you need to do is use your cue stick to hit the white cue ball, causing it to hit the other numbered balls and make them go into the pockets. You can enjoy nearly unlimited game play with 30 tables, two different ball arrangements, and the ability to change the degree of friction on the table. You can play against a computer or another human player, so try challenging someone once you’ve got the hang of the game.

Ninja JaJaMaru-kun (NES, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 600 Wii Points): Take on the role of a ninja called JaJaMaru and rescue the captured Princess Sakura from the evil Namazu Dayuu in this action-packed game, previously unreleased outside of Japan. JaJaMaru must use his throwing stars to defeat the monsters lurking in each of Dayuu’s many hideouts. JaJaMaru has to be careful though, as each monster has its own unique weapon and method of attacking. The only way for him to advance is to break the floor bricks above him and move up and down between the levels of each round, defeating monsters as he goes. To help him, broken bricks sometimes reveal items that JaJaMaru can use to his advantage, possibly leading to the ultimate power-up: a ride on Gamapakun, the giant frog. Throw in some bonus stages and you’ve got a game with a style all its own.

Golden Axe III (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, Rated E10+ for Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): The once-peaceful kingdom so familiar to fans of the original Golden Axe is under threat once again. The Prince of Darkness has stolen the invaluable Golden Axe, taken over the kingdom and rendered its warriors harmless with an evil curse. One warrior breaks free from the curse and must defeat the prince and regain the Golden Axe to save the kingdom. In this one- or two-player action game, play as a giant, a panther or a sword-wielding human and fight your way to victory once again.

Europeans will have to wait a while longer than American gamers, as shredders in the region will be able to get their picks on Guitar Hero 3 on November 23. The game will be available on the PS2, PS3, Wii and Xbox 360, and will feature the brand-new wireless Gibson Les Paul guitar controllers.

The third installment in the venerable franchise sees the addition of boss characters - played by Slash and Tom Morello - an all-new duel multiplayer mode and more. Guitar Hero 3 will be released in North America later this month.

Brand new content and a new zone for Flagship Studio’s upcoming free MMORPG Mythos have been announced today. The expansion to the closed beta program will see the introduction of a new zone, Bloodbristle Heath, and the outpost town of Tulin’s Hope. They will roughly double the size of Mythos’ universe and will also add new levels, monsters, quests, items and skills. Gamers are invited to apply for the closed beta here.

The game is in development at Flagship Seattle, a subsidiary of Flagship Studios, which has just completed Hellgate: London. Mythos offers players three races - human, satyr, or gremlins - to play out in a fantasy world. The game, once released, will be free to download and play.

Activision and Spider-Man Merchandising LP today announced their support of Bullying UK, an anti-bullying resource in the region. To celebrate the recent release of Spider-Man: Friend or Foe, Bullying UK will run a national competition for children aged seven and older, giving away copies of the game to winners.

It has already begun and will run through to the end of Anti Bullying Week, starting on November 19. The contest will be promoted on the cause’s website, as well as its newsletter and MySpace profile.