It seems EA are finally getting in on the Kickstarter frenzy, with news of an offer that even the most cynical PC Independent developer would have a hard time saying no to, free distribution.

Origin, EA's digital service similar to Steam, is giving any developer that has a successfully crowd-funded, ready-to-publish, downloadable PC game 90 days of free distribution.

“The crowd-funding movement is incredibly healthy for the gaming industry,” said David DeMartini, Senior Vice President of Origin. “Gamers around the world deserve a chance to play every great new game, and by waiving distribution fees on Origin we can help make that a reality for successfully crowd-funded developers.”

Both Jane Jensen of Gabriel Knight fame and Wasteland designer Brian Fargo are optimistic about the program's ability to open doors for independent developers. "Having Origin waive their distribution fees for 90 days for fan funded games is a major economic bonus for small developers," said Fargo. "We look forward to bringing Wasteland 2 to the Origin audience."

While some developers will be hesitant to lock backers into a somewhat DRM scenario when a majority have encouraged free DRM versions, it will be interesting to see who takes up this offer and whether it will prove to be helpful for independent developers.

Another day, another matinée - here are all the gaming-related videos that have crossed our desktops since the last screening:

• Prototype 2 "Tribute" Trailer
• XCOM: Enemy Unknown "Modernising A Classic - Community Video 3" Trailer
• Gotham City Imposters DLC #3 Trailer
• The Amazing Spiderman "Web Rush" Trailer
• Ghost Recon: Future Soldier "Thank You for Playing the Beta" Trailer
• Mortal Kombat PS Vita "Tips & Tricks" Trailer
• Guns of Icarus Online "Closed Beta Weekend 2 Highlights" Trailer
• Gas Guzzlers: Combat Carnage Launch Trailer
• EVE Online: Inferno Trailer
• Gratuitous Tank Battles Launch Trailer
• Mad Riders Launch Trailer
• Dungeons & Dragons Online: Menace of the Underdark "Behind the Scenes Developer Diary #3" Trailer
• Foosball 2012 "PlayStation Move Controls Developer Diary" Trailer
• Dungeon Gate Gameplay Trailer
• Renaissance Heroes "Jaque" Trailer
• Starvoid GDC 2012 Trailer
• Starvoid "Overview and Backstory" Trailer

Stay tuned for the latest game videos as we get them online!

Usually I'm not one for collectors edition versions of a game, but it seems 2K Games know how to swindle me out of my money with the announcement of the Ultimate Loot Chest Limited Edition for Borderlands 2.

Featuring a replica of the in-game loot chests seen in the gun touting series, the Ultimate Loot Chest Limited Edition includes a range of high quality goodies from a authentic Markus bobblhead to a high quality art book.

Fans of Borderlands will not want to miss the Ultimate Loot Chest Limited Edition. In addition to the Borderlands 2 game, this premium pack also includes the following physical and digital content:

Borderlands 2 Game

Replica Borderlands Loot Chest

Authentic Marcus Kincaid Bobblehead

Numbered Certificate of Authenticity

Steelbook Case

Creatures of Pandora Wide Format ID Chart

4 Lithograph Postcards

Field Notes from Sir Hammerlock

Comic Book Download

4 Exclusive Stickers

Cloth Map

Inside the Vault: The Art of Borderlands 2 Hardbound Book

Bonus Digital Content

So if you feel like having the game isn't enough, EB Games is retailing the bountiful collection at $138.00 for PC and $158.00 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Borderlands 2 will be available to Australians on the 21st of September for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. You can check out all the latest trailers and screenshots over at our game page.

Konami has today unveiled the launch date for the upcoming Metal Gear Solid HD Collection for PlayStation Vita, a very eagerly anticipated title for fans of the series.

Featuring two beloved classics, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, the HD Collection sees the titles re-imagined in all new graphics as well as tweaked controls for the PS Vita.

Featuring stunning, upgraded graphics from the original releases on the PlayStation 2, both titles include Transferring. Players can transfer and save data from their PlayStation 3 METAL GEAR SOLID HD Collection to their PlayStation Vita system and start the action from where they left off.

METAL GEAR SOLID HD Collection for the PlayStation Vita allows fans to experience the series like never before with optimized controls that take full advantage of the Vita's unique touch-screen and rear touchpad. Using just their fingers, gamers can zoom in on captivating cut-scenes, peek around corners, interrogate enemies, cycle through weapons, and perform rapid attacks with their knife.

So if your a fan of the box wearing Solid Snake, make sure you keep your eyes peeled on June 12th for the release of the HD remake on PlayStation Vita.

Those of you still enjoying the very explosive and comical gameplay of Gotham City Impostors will be happy to know that the latest update has gone live, bringing with it a brand new map straight from the Batman: Arkham Asylum scene.

Gotham City Impostors is an original first-person shooter where up to 12 players battle for control of an unhinged Gotham City overrun by impostors inspired by the DC Comics characters Batman and The Joker. Players can engage in deliriously fast paced, uniquely vertical, and completely unconventional urban warfare where progress supports leveling up and access to a mind-boggling array of customization options.

The free update is available now on the PlayStation Network and the Xbox LIVE Marketplace, however PC players will have to wait until the near future for the update.

Check out the trailer below showing off the new map (HD over here) or you can spread your wings and glide to our game page for all the latest screenshots and news.

Jagex has today revealed the latest update for their long running free-to-play browser MMO, RuneScape. The update is titled "The Evolution of Combat" and is set to re-invigorate the combat many of us remember so fondly.

The Evolution of Combat project will see the biggest change in any system in RuneScape’s history. By bringing this eagerly anticipated update to life, Jagex will be completely redesigning RuneScape’s combat system to offer players an even more immersive and involving experience. On release, the Evolution of Combat update will completely revolutionise the way players fight and interact in game.

“It’s impossible to downplay the significance of this update,” stated Mark Ogilvie, RuneScape’s lead designer. “A rework of the combat system has been the most requested update from our community, and thousands of man hours have gone into developing a more fluid, interactive and tactical combat system. The Evolution of Combat update will fundamentally change the way people play and view RuneScape forever.”

Those still enjoying the largest browser-based MMO will be pleased to know that Jagex will be conducting a beta for all current members. Beta registration will open to all RuneScape members on 1st June in preparation for the first beta entry on 26th June. The beta will run from 26th June until September and will allow testers the exclusive chance to preview the expansion before the rest of the world.

If you've been hanging out for beta access to get a taste of the upcoming Torchlight II, the odds may be much better this weekend. Runic Games have updated the official Torchlight II site with word that their current beta session is coming to a close, but not before they suit up for a wide network stress test.

We'll be sending out many more beta codes to those who have already made their Runic Games Account. Haven't signed up yet? Go for it now! Creating your account is always your best chance to receive a beta invite - especially this weekend.

The Beta Weekend will start on Friday, May 18th at 11:00am PDT and go until Tuesday, May 22nd at 11:00am PDT. We will be staggering invitations to let participants know they have been chosen, but you will not be able to play until the start of the Beta Weekend on Friday. This is to help stagger downloading of the game client.

In Sydney time (AEST) That start date translates to Saturday May 19th at 04:00am and the end date to Wednesday May 23rd at 04:00am.

There's no strict guarantee you'll get in, but if you want to be in with a shot, best head over to torchlight2game.com soon.

The high-jumping Italian plumber from Brooklyn can do anything he sets his mind to and that's a virtue that Nintendo have frequently exploited. We've seen Mario and his friends pick up a racquets and head for centre-court before, but not in glasses-free 3D!

Mario Tennis Open lands on the Nintendo 3DS next Thursday, May 24th, and Jickle can tell you all about it in today's AusGamers review.

The Silicon Sports crew have reminded us that their BarCraft gathering is meeting again tomorrow night at Melbourne's The Exchange Hotel for another round of alcohol-fueled e-sports action. The occasion is the GSL Season 2 Final which will see StarCraft 2 players MVP and Squirtle duke it in a Terran vs Protoss showdown.

The Exchange Hotel wants to support eSports as much as it can and have opened the entire venue for BarCraft Melbourne on May 19th at 5 pm. With a capacity of 1000 people, 7 screens and 3 bars, we will all be able to watch, enjoy and celebrate the GSL Season 2 Grand Final in comfort. I am sure MVP and Squirtle will put on an epic TvP series – I can’t wait! Go MVP!!!

Hit up the Silicon Sports website for further details.

Space is near endless. It offers a vast amount of unmapped knowledge that we have yet to even comprehend as human beings. This is where video games come in, giving us that opportunity to explore the vast universe and beyond.

While there are a few titles that offer freedom beyond what we would normally expect, the majority of space themed games have a set of limitations in place. Not being able to dock anywhere, only one single method of flying, destroying individual parts of an enemy ship and even using other pieces of ships to create your own are just some of the limitations.

The team over at Digitilus are changing things up with their latest title, Skyjacker, a 3D first-person space simulation based on an original IP from the “Abyss Lights” book series. The game offers a vast amount of freedom, with the core focus being immersive space combat that gives players something they have been longing for in the space themed market.

In SKYJACKER the player controls a space pirate, roaming space in his starship. Game objectives are:

Be the real space pirate, flying, shooting, robbing and crashing alien ships all around the Galaxy

Collect the loot to improve your own spacecraft

Climb the criminal ladder, getting higher ranks

Space combat is a large focus of this game. The ability to break any in-game objects into their component parts is the key factor of space battle in SKYJACKER. The player has to use all his skills and talents in tandem with battle features of his spacecraft to achieve mission goals. Such factors as 4 models of the flight, vehicle physical parameters and weaponry settings have a direct influence on the combat result. The player is motivated to progress in all aspects of the game to win his space battles.

If you still aren't quite convinced, you can check out the demo that offers a glimpse into the space filled extravaganza over here. Digitilus are also running a Kickstarter page for those keen to help out with development, with the goal of $200,000 and only 13 days left. If you aren't the type to play a demo than take a look at the gameplay below showing off the battle mode available in the demo.

Just a reminder to Aussies and Kiwis that Max Payne 3 is officially out on store shelves for the ANZAC market from today, giving you plenty of reason to sink into your couch or desk chair over the weekend to help Max finish that glass of whiskey he never seems to be able to.

From our review:

Max Payne is a package and a half, and also represents a massive leap forward, visually, for the Rockstar bench. The environments throughout are some of the most detailed I’ve seen in a long time, and even on the review platform I played the game on, Xbox 360, I was constantly dropping my jaw -- it’s simply breathtaking.

For the full review (8.8/10) click here.

And drop us a line with your Max thoughts post-purchase in the Comments section.

Another day, another matinée - here are all the gaming-related videos that have crossed our desktops since the last screening:

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 "Collection 2 DLC" Launch Trailer
• Darksiders 2: Death Lives "Death Strikes - Part 2" Cinematic Trailer
• Infinity Blade: Dungeons iOS Gameplay Trailer
• Batman: Arkham City: Harley Quinn's Revenge "Payback" DLC Trailer
• Quantum Conundrum "Fun with Physics - Time" Trailer
• Lollipop Chainsaw "Special Edition Reveal" Trailer
• Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition "Official" Trailer
• Grim Dawn "Pre-Alpha - Soldier & Demolition Melee Build" Trailer
• World of Warplanes "Ground Attack Planes" Teaser Trailer
• The Walking Dead "Episode 1 Accolades" Trailer
• Sorcery "Creatures" Dev Diary Trailer
• Ghost Recon: Future Soldier "Team Ghost - Kendrick Lamar" Trailer
• Blacklight Retribution "Netwar" Trailer
• Joyride Turbo Kinect Trailer
• Resonance Trailer

As always, stay tuned for the latest game videos as we get them online!

Unfortunately the demo-reel isn't yet available for public consumption, but over on Wired, you can find a very detailed article painstakingly describing everything they saw and learnt about Epic Games' Unreal Engine 4 in its debut press presentation.

As we've come to expect from these early tech-demos from Epic, the level of detail is another cut above anything that's out there right now. Running in real-time on one of Nvidia's new Kepler-architecture GeForce GTX 680s, the presentation showed an armour-clad demonic figure in a volcanic mountain-top fortress with liberal use of smoke, embers and liquid-hot-magma effects.

In previous engines, one floating ember was enough to slow performance considerably; a shower of them was impossible. With Unreal Engine 4, there can be millions of such particles, as long as the hardware is potent enough to sustain them. Game developers overuse features of every new engine, because they are suddenly so easy to implement. In the original Unreal Engine, for example, the ability to render colored lighting led to a rash of games that employed the effect. The same may prove true for UE4′s particle effects, for better or worse. (“Mark my words,” Bleszinski says, “those particles are going to be whored by developers.”)

In one 153-second clip, the Epic team has packed all the show-off effects that have flummoxed developers for years: lens flare, bokeh distortion, lava flow, environmental destruction, fire, and detail in landscapes many miles away. Plus, it’s breathtakingly photo-realistic—or would be if demon knights were, you know, a real thing.

Upon completion of the cinematic sequence, direct control was taken by the epic presenter to navigate around the world in a first person perspective:

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.

It's not all about visual fidelity either, as the Wired article goes on to describe the Kismet 2 visual scripting tool. Epic's Tim Sweeney explains that as the rendering tech evolves and improves, that it becomes more and more laborious for artists, animators and level designers to craft the content that takes advantage of it, so productivity increases in these processes at the engine-level are essential.

Need to determine how many bullets it will take to shatter that reinforced glass? Kismet 2 is your tool. Once behaviors are set, they can be executed immediately and edited on the fly. With Kismet 2, Epic empowers level designers—the people responsible for conceptualizing the world—to breathe life into that world directly, rather than relying on programmers to do it on their behalf. Says Golding, “We’re turning our level designers into godlike creatures who can walk into a world and create with a swipe of their hand.”

For more details and screenshots from the demo, check out the full Wired article. The public unveiling of this demo and more details about Unreal Engine 4 are expected in early June around the E3 expo.

We still know next to nothing about the game -- only speculation that it will be a more open-world racing title to compliment the track-focused Forza Motorsport -- but here's the first screenshot of Forza Horizon, the Xbox 360 exclusive title in the works at new UK studio Playground Games.

EA and Crytek have released a new batch of in-engine screen caps and concept art from the upcoming and very lush looking Crysis 3. You wouldn't know the game is supposed to be a first person shooter by looking at them though as all the images are once again gratuitously crafted scenes of urban-jungle action and dramatic pose-striking.

Crysis 3 is powered by Crytek’s proprietary CryENGINE and advances the state of the art with unparalleled visuals and incomparable shooter sandbox gameplay. Taking place in 2047, Prophet returns to New York City on a revenge mission only to discover that the city has been encased in a nanodome (Liberty Dome) and has become overgrown with trees, dense swamplands and raging rivers – a veritable urban rainforest. Seven distinct natural environments become known as the Liberty Dome’s Seven Wonders, where nobody is safe.

Hit them thumbs below for the full gallery.

Crysis 3 is due on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in early 2013

Robomodo, developer of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD has revealed via the game's Facebook page that post-release DLC for the digitally released game, coming later this year, will be select levels from Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3.

Moreover, they've asked fans to suggest levels from the third installment in the series, though the final nod of approval on what actually makes it in will come from Tony Hawk himself.

Ideally, as a giant fan of the original two games (the second being the pinnacle in my opinion), I think drawing some content from the third game is a good idea, but I'd also love to see some fresh new levels in there as well, built with the classic series' sensibility, only a bit more modern.

Watch a trailer featuring the Birdman himself and fellow pro, Chris Cole, embedded below, or right here via our videos page.

Those pesky file-finding savvy gamers. It turns out that the Max Payne 3 game disc harbours some information regarding the vehicles you'll be playing around with in Rockstar's forthcoming, and highly anticipated, Grand Theft Auto V.

The list is a heady one, and can be found over at NeoGaf, but the file's outing was originally posted over at GTAForums.com, which also features a video proving the folder exists, because it looks like there was a lot of non-believers out there.

Among the usual cars list, BMX bikes, fishing boats, trains, a monorail and tanks are mentioned as part of your transport repertoire.

Currently there's no other information regarding GTAV barring what we've seen in the game's debut trailer, which you can watch embedded below.

Following a recent community announcement the Dragon Age 2 team were shifting focus to a third installment in their fantasy action RPG, BioWare has extended a further olive-branch to their vocal fanbase, asking for ideas and a clear definition of what Dragon Age means to them.

"The next thing for the Dragon Age team members and I to do is hear from you," wrote Executive Producer, Mark Darrah. "What does Dragon Age mean to you, and where would you like to see it go? We’re excited to hear what you have to say."

The team also hosted a panel at PAX East recently where they spoke about "hypotheticals" in where to take the franchise next (the results of which can be seen here).

The end result appears to be an open dialogue between the team, BioWare itself and fans in a move that might be slightly related to the Mass Effect 3 ending furore, but could also be seen as a community-driven developer reaching out to its fans to draw them into the creation process.

"Beginning today, we’ll do a series of questions and discussions around Dragon Age," the team wrote on the BioWare blog. "Consider this a conversation between fans, the community team, and the developers.

"Everyone at BioWare is incredibly excited about the future of the franchise but we’re interested in what you have to say," the post continued. "Every month, we will discuss a topic or question about Dragon Age and game development. You will have one week to post your thoughts, desires, and hopes before we close the thread for review. Moderators and developers will pop into the thread to chat every now and again, so keep an eye out."

The post also revealed that this dialogue isn't specifically tied to simply helping the development of the next game, but the whole DA universe and beyond for the likes of novels, comics and more. However, the post also asserted that nothing produced via this system is to be set in stone and that it's essentially everyone "talking about ideas".

"This should remain a discussion between BioWare and fans about what you loved about Dragon Age Origins and Dragon Age 2 — what this franchise means to you," they concluded.

So, what would you have the team do with the next Dragon Age? Drop us a line in the Comments section with your thoughts and ideas.

THQ and Vigil Games have released another new cinematic trailer for the upcoming Darksiders 2. The new clip -- which is a continuation of the Death Strikes video -- features yet more of Darksiders II protagonist Death, tearing it up on his pale horse and taking on some kind of giant stone golem.

Hit play on the embed below for some hot scythe on stone action.

The trial regarding Activision's dismissal of Infinity Ward founders Jason West and Vince Zampella is still scheduled to go ahead on May 29, but the Call of Duty Publisher has reportedly settled out of court on $400 million claim it had made against Electronic Arts and their alledged collusion in the process.

Activision had accused EA of plotting with the IW developers to lure them away while their Call of Duty contracts were still active. West and Zampella have since gone on to found the new studio Respawn Entertainment, whose first yet-to-be-announced game is to be published under the EA Partners label.

According to Bloomberg, a statement from an Activision Lawyer after a Los Angeles Superior court hearing today, was simply that "Activision and Electronic Arts have decided to put this matter behind them".