The long rumored 12th and final member of Commander Shepard’s dirty dozen, Kasumi, will finally be making an appearance on April 6th.  While pricing has not yet been announced, this will be the first paid for DLC for Mass Effect 2.  Also included in this DLC will be the Locust SMG, a flashbang loyalty power (undoubtedly gained through Kasumi’s loyalty mission) and a new achievement.

“Kasumi’s Stolen Memory” will revolve around a recovery mission of some sort (being that Kasumi is a thief) and it deals with a dirty art collector.  Expect more details to drop soon as Bioware finalizes the DLC pricing and formally makes an announcement.

[Via Joystiq]

EA is set to release a new VIP Map Pack on March 30th.  Undoubtedly taking a shot at Infinity Ward and Call of Duty, EA is taking aim with a free map pack set for release on the same day as the ‘mapathy’ cure.  “We’re dedicated to taking care of this product for a long time – helping you avoid “mapathy” without getting nickel-and-dimed.”  Taking no shame in their statements, they do bring up a good point as it “helps avoid segmenting the community, making sure everyone can play together having the same maps available.”

VIP Map Pack 2 contains the following:

Arica Harbor Conquest mode – US Command launches a break through action directly at the Russian base. Collateral damage is of no consequence. Capture and secure tactical positions in Conquest Mode across the vast Arica Harbor map.

Laguna Presa Rush mode – The valley and surrounding mountains possess a strategic value in the battle for South America, and an infantry assault supported by light armor vehicles is likely by both armies as US forces defend the nearby Dam.

 

[Via Battlefield Blog]

Bioware has released a new heavy weapon, the Arc Projector, on the Cerberus Network.  With the Firewalker DLC pack on its way, Bioware has made the Cerberus Network a worthwhile investment for those who purchased the game new.

The lack of weapon options was one of the drawbacks of Mass Effect 2.  Hopefully a new SMG and Heavy Pistol eventually make its way into the arsenal too.

Read on for screenshots, more info and a possible preview of the next DLC.

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This summer at E3, the biggest trade show in gaming, Microsoft plans to unveil a full lineup of games designed for Natal.  Set to be the biggest release of the year, expectations run high for the full body motion sensing hardware. 

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On March 9 (just 2 days away), retailers will have a new Xbox 360 Elite Bundle available.  Packaged with the sleek black 360 is a copy of Forza Motorsport 3 (X360D Rating: 10/10) and Halo 3:ODST (X360D Rating: 9/10).  A 120 GB HDD ($130 value) is also included, making this is a great deal for those of you out there looking to finally get a 360.  Priced at $299.99, this is certainly better than any other bundle that has been released in the past.

The crew over at The Tech Game supposedly got their hands on leaked screenshots of the upcoming Stimulus Package DLC set to be released by Infinity Ward.  You can see some old favorites from COD4 will be making a return along with some new locales. This seems to affirm the story we broke in January about possible new maps.

Here is an exclusive sneak peek at the brand new modern warfare 2 ’stimulus package’(DLC)slated for release around spring this year. Make sure you watch until the end of the video for somthing special.Keep an eye on thetechgame.com for more gameplay videos from the new maps . The video and images are all recorded on an xbox360 console. This is footage of the actual dlc.

UPDATE:All the videos we found and posted have been removed (per Copyright claims by Activision).

[Via The Tech Game]

In an SEC filing made this morning, Activision cited a human resources investigation.

The Company is concluding an internal human resources inquiry into breaches of contract and insubordination by two senior employees at Infinity Ward. This matter is expected to involve the departure of key personnel and litigation. At present, the Company does not expect this matter to have a material impact on the Company.

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Sean G. showing off his b-boy moves.  If only he broke out into headspins and windmills… 

While there’s minor lag between Sean’s movements and the avatar’s, this video shows that Natal is accurate in tracking his dance moves.  More than anything else, this video only helps to quell my own fears of the accuracy of Natal’s sensors.  Natal is an extremely ambitious product and to see it fluidly working in action is nothing short of impressive.

[Via Project Natal Games]

Though an official release date hasn’t been announced, Bioware has a soft date scheduled for late March.  This free DLC through the Cerberus Network will feature the Hammerhead tank and 5 new missions for you to undertake.

Hit the jump for some screenshots and info.

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The  recommendations in this guide are geared toward the Hardcore/Insanity difficulty.  Since almost all enemies have an extra layer of protection or two (Armor/Barrier/Shield), this takes into account which combinations are most effective at stripping away an enemies defense.  On the lower level difficulties, where you don’t need to worry about extra defensive layers, then feel free investing points into other abilities such as Pull, Throw, Cryo Blast, etc.  When you mainly only need to take into account enemy health, then that’s where classes such as the Adept and Vanguard, shine.

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