After optimizations and restarts yesterday, we had been stable across all platforms. Unfortunately, we encountered another outage at approximately 9:30 AM PST today.

- X360 was severely impacted, and the service is being restarted. It should be back online and we are monitoring closely.
- PC had an outage, but the service is offline currently and the service is being restarted. It should be back online and we are monitoring closely. We will then start checking the quality of the customer experience to determine possible next steps.
- PS3 appeared to have a brief outage, but has quickly recovered and the services is functioning properly at this time.

All teams are actively engaged in diagnosis and remediation. We are adding additional services to alleviate load. Despite having a major infrastructure in place, the peak traffic this weekend has been huge, 400% higher than any other Battlefield’s peak simultaneous users. The teams will continue to monitor the services closely. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and will provide further updates on the latest developments as they are relevant.

Source ~ Battlefield Blog

After last nights EA server outage on PS3 and PC, EA have found the issue and put a fix in place and brought the servers back online. This means that both PS3 and PC players can return back to playing Bad Company 2.

We are aware of a number of remaining disconnect issues on PC and we have released the “R5” server to hosts yesterday to address some of the disconnects. We are continuing to work on the remaining disconnect issues to have a solution as fast as possible as well as looking into reports of other issues raised on the forums for consoles: http://forums.electronicarts.co.uk/battlefield-bad-company-2-ng/ and PC: http://forums.electronicarts.co.uk/battlefield-bad- company-2-pc/

Battlefield Bad Company 2 has managed to prove so popular that yesterday the concurrent users in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 surpassed that in Battlefield 2 which has been going strong for almost 5 years.

Don’t forget to claim your M1 Rifle for use in BFBC2 by registering your other Battlefield games at http://veteran.battlefield.com.

Battlefield Bad Company™ 2 brings the spectacular Battlefield gameplay to the forefront of next-gen consoles and PC, featuring best-in-class vehicular combat set across a wide range of huge sandbox maps each with a different tactical focus. New vehicles like the All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) and the UH-60 transport helicopter allow for all-new multiplayer tactics in the warzone. Extensive fine-tuning ensures that this will be the most realistic vehicle combat experience to date. Tactical destruction is taken to new heights with the updated DICE Frostbite engine. Players can now take down entire buildings or create their own vantage points by blasting holes through cover, thereby delivering a unique dynamic experience in every match.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The company licensed to operate World of Warcraft in China – home to 4 million of the MMO’s global installation base – still can’t find smooth sailing after being cleared to operate the game’s first expansion pack two weeks ago.

NetEase’s project chief for World of Warcraft, Li Riqiang, resigned without explanation, the company announced. No replacement has been named.

This latest disruption comes a couple weeks after NetEase had suspended all new registrations for the game, as it waited for government censors to approve the launch of The Burning Crusade.

Source ~ Kotaku

Age Of Conan: Hyborian Adventures is one of the most bloodstained MMOs on the market – and fiercely loved by its community.

Since its release in 2008, the title has has evolved to attract a dedicated fanbase – despite some trouble on the way – with developer Funcom receiving wide acclaim for pulling off a very ambitious project.

This year sees the release of expansion pack Rise Of The Godslayer. Set in the Eastern empire of Khitai – a mysterious setting within the world of Hyboria – ROTG promises a wealth of new features. The pack also introduces the Khitan – an all-new character race.

CVG caught up with Funcom Game Director Craig Morrison to get the full story…

Full Story ~ CVG

Blizzard Entertainment, the makers of World of Warcraft, donated $1.1 million to The Make-A-Wish Foundation on Tuesday.

In a press release Wednesday, the charity dedicated to bringing joy to the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions applauded the gamemaker for its large contribution.

The dough didn’t come straight out of Blizzard’s pocket. Players of the popular MMO pitched in by buying the Pandaren Monk in-game pet (pictured above left). Blizzard promised to donate $5 every time a player made a $10 microtransaction to gain the pet during the months of November and December.

“This donation also reflects the spirit and generosity of our players,” said Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime. “Their enthusiasm for World of Warcraft and for supporting a good cause made this possible.”

Full Story ~ Wired

A closed beta testing period for Blizzard Entertainment’s highly-anticipated real-time strategy game StarCraft II is set to kick off later this month, CEO Mike Morhaime said in a recent Activision-Blizzard earnings call.

The PC title is slated for release in mid-2010, and Blizzard plans another expansion to the studio’s World of Warcraft franchised, titled Cataclysm, for later this year.

Morhaime says Blizzard expects a “tremendous response” to the beta, which will be available worldwide. Blizzard has details on joining the beta testing on their official website.

Source ~ USA Today

Click here to view the embedded video.

It appears video game players are definitely looking forward to Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

Publisher Electronic Arts says a demo of the first-person shooter is on pace to become their fastest downloaded demo on record, crossing the 2 million mark in five days.

The demo on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network showcases the game’s multiplayer mode, and requires players to work as a team to either defend or take over a base. The vehicle-friendly demo map, Port Valdez, features 12-on-12 matches.

EA also says a similar beta for the PC has “met great success,” according to a press release. The game is slated for release on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on March 2.

Source ~ USA Today

Click here to view the embedded video.

2K Games have released BioShock 2 worldwide for the Xbox 360 console, PlayStation 3 system and Games for Windows-LIVE. Building on the original game that sold over 3 million copies, BioShock 2 delivers an artistic and entertaining video game experience.

The single player mode’s storyline serves as a sequel to the original game. BioShock 2 gives users a magnificent visual design and provides them with the evolution of the genetically enhanced shooter gameplay. Taking place nearly a decade after a horrifying civil war consumed the once lustrous city of Rapture, evil is swarms through the halls and a impiety once thought to be destroyed returns to the Atlantic seaboard.

After a series of kidnappings from local communities by an unknown monster, Rapture is once again repopulated with Little Sisters. Players are put into the boots of one Rapture’s deadliest foes, Big Daddy, as they travel through the ruined utopia, fending off attacks from genetically altered Splicers, while in a search for escape and the key to survival.

Source ~ TransWorldNews

Click here to view the embedded video.

The video shows high-quality graphics that are simply amazing, mounts (with combat?), swimming, underwater leveling areas, housing, killer casting animations, more active weather, city sieges?