The Ubisoft Forums now offer another new release date for Might & Magic Heroes VI, saying the upcoming continuation of the fantasy-themed strategy series should now be expected on September 8. This comes just one month after it was announced the game was coming in June. A post to the French Ubisoft Forums explains the reason (in French), which translates to say the game needed more development time. Each thread includes complaints from users unhappy at feeling misled.

GameInformer has a pair of screenshots from Mass Effect 3, which are not included in the shots in the Mass Effect 3 preview in the latest issue of their print magazine. As they note: "Both of the screens highlight Commander Shepard fighting Cerberus forces on the Salarian homeworld."

Steam News announces the release of Dawn of War II: Retribution – The Last Standalone, a standalone game based on the cooperative survival mode in Dawn of War II: Retribution (owners of the original game do not need this, as they already have it). Word is: "Dawn of War II: Retribution – The Last Standalone is a cooperative survival mode where you control a single hero and face off against waves of enemies with two other teammates. Choose from one of the six available heroes and gain experience points to level up and unlock new wargear and abilities." On a related note, IndustryGamers has comments from Relic on sales of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn Of War II – Retribution through Steam, crediting the "hype and activity" of being on Valve's online service for exceeding their digital pre-order forecast by 129 percent. Relic producer Jeff Lydell's comments indicate that the strategy expansion also benefited from cutting Games for Windows LIVE out of the equation:

“The content of the game wasn't dependent on the online service provider. However, one of our goals when making expansions to our games is to address problems in the original,” he added. “The combination of requiring both a Steam account and a Games for Windows Live account had been a source of frustration for many of our players, so we took the necessary steps to fix that. We also got to take full advantage of the Steamworks SDK features like cloud saving.”

“The new online matchmaking experience is definitely a step up in many players' eyes. The new skill rating system gives better granularity on ladder standings, and makes it easier to see the changes in rating after a match. The Steam community features for organizing friends lists are all frequently used, and there are many groups with active users, as well the in-game chat lobby is always active with players,” he noted. “There was a lot of concern the move away from our previous expansion strategy would fragment the community. Looking at the numbers, it's clear most active players have moved over to Retribution, and the total hasn't gone down.”

The Battlefield Blog announces that those who preorder Battlefield 3 through the EA Store will receive two in-game items for Battlefield Play4Free. These are: "The Battlefield 3 Edition 870 Combat shotgun and the Battlefield 3 Beret. Not only will these help customize your in-game avatar, you’ll also be able to get up-close and personal, devastating the competition with the business end of one of the most effective close-quarter weapons in history."

EA today announced Legends DLC for SHIFT 2: Legends, their racing sequel, but only mentioned this coming to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. We inquired whether this would also be released for Windows, and got the following reply: "The Legends DLC is for Xbox 360 and PS3 and we’ll have more release details in the future." EA sends an announcement saying the console editions of Alice: Madness Returns will include one of those codes used to discourage used game sales that will allow the download of the original American McGee's Alice. Those who purchase the game second-hand will be able to buy a code to redeem, and the Alice: Madness Returns disc will be required to play. We wrote to see if there were plans to include the original game with the Windows edition of the sequel, but a few hours later have still received no response.

DLC Pack 4 for The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom is now available on GamersGate, adding co-op maps to the game. Also, though not mentioned on The Settlers 7 Website, which seems abandoned, the promised patch for The Settlers 7 is also now available, updating the strategy sequel to version 1.12, adding co-op support and other changes. There is a patch to update version 1.09 or later as well as a full patch for any prior version, both of which are mirrored on The Patches Scrolls and WorthPlaying. All the changes are outlined in this post.

New beta patches for Depths of Peril are available on the Depths of Peril patches page, updating the Windows and OS X editions of Soldak Entertainment's action/RPG to version 1.015. This page outlines all the changes, which include a new viewing perspective, a new advanced shadows option, better widescreen UI, and a bunch of bug fixes. Word is the price tag for the game is now $14.99 USD.

Gamasutra reports the results of the U.S. FTC's latest "secret shopper" campaign, where they found that 13% of children were about to purchase "M" rated games, down from 20% in 2009. They outline the steady improvements made by the ESRB over the past decade, as video games have become the hardest media for underage consumers to illicitly purchase: "The new results represent a massive turnaround for the industry since 2000, when 86 percent of unaccompanied children could buy an M-rated game. That number has improved consistently throughout the decade, and from 2008 onward FTC studies have found M-rated titles were significantly harder for children to obtain than R-rated movie tickets and DVDs, as well as CDs with a parental advisory label."

All preorders on Direct2Drive are 10% off.

• Another World on GOG.com. Save 60%.
• Empire: Total War on Direct2Drive. Save 75%.
• Grotesque Tactics: Evil Heroes on Steam. Save 75%.
• Section 8: Prejudice on Steam. Save 10% on prepurchases.
• Sins of a Solar Empire - Trinity on Impulse. Save 30%.
• The Wonderful End of the World on Impulse. Save 75%.
  
  Still on sale (previously reported):
  Continue here to read the full story.

• Join the tournament over at Battlefield World at War.

• Diablo III on Blizzplanet.com.
• Serious Sam 3: BFE on Blue's News.

• Fans Select Mark Ingram as NCAA Football 12 Cover Athlete.
• Gears of War 3 executions.
• Walnut Neo Geo.

• Confirmed: The PSP Go is no more. PSP Gone. Thanks Mike Martinez.
• iPhones secretly stashing history of your location.
• iPhone Success - An Insider's Guide.
• How green is the iPhone? [infographic].
• Build a Machine Empire on iPad with Robot Tycoon.
• HISTORY Egypt Engineering an Empire on the iPad.
• Word Punk for WP7.

• Alleged Stalker Broke Into Google Last Month, Left A Note For Larry And Sergey. Thanks [H]ard-OCP.

• The Companies with the Best and Worst Consumer Loyalty. Thanks Ant.
• Niyari brings back Atari 400 nostalgia with USB keyboard, brown never looked so good.

• Settle up- voicemails show P2P porn law firms in action.
• TiVo Statement on Decision by U.S. Court of Appeals in Lawsuit Against EchoStar.
• Big Content now opposes FM tuner requirement for smart phones.
• Linux patent protection network gets boost from Facebook, HP.
• Online poker players- your deposited money isn't lost.

• THQ to Report Fiscal 2011 Fourth Quarter and Year End Results on May 3, 2011…
• The Final Hours of Portal 2 teaser. Thanks Big Download…
• UKIE director general Rawlinson resigns…
• Minecraft Beta 1.5, and some thoughts on this blog…
• MameUI version 0.142.1 is now available. Thanks Ant…
• Portal 2 easter egg outlines ARG…
• Left Behind Games to File Suit Against the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board…

Link of the Day: Class cancelled. Thanks Reddit. Also: Skynet is activated tv studio cameras have begun the attack. Thanks Ant.

EGOSOFT and Deep Silver announce X Rebirth, the next game set in the X Universe of space combat games, saying this will "transport the multi-award-winning series to another dimension with radically new game design and top notch graphics" upon release in the fourth quarter of this year. It seems this is the promised TNBT announcement, though that's not explicitly stated. The reveal trailer offers gameplay footage, and here's a bit on the game:

X Rebirth represents a spectacular new beginning for the X series, offering loyal fans and newcomers alike a vast, vivid and extremely detailed universe to explore throughout the game.

Varied gameplay elements such as action-packed space combat, detailed trading mechanics and high-speed space exploration with fast travel allow players to experience a truly unique space saga that will keep them hooked for dozens of hours.

A new hero spotlight trailer from Darkspore introduces Necro Ravager Skar, one of more than 25 characters to collect, upgrade, and customize in the action/RPG in development at EA's Maxis studio. Word is: "With a devastating Dual Strike basic attack and a Shadow Cloak squad ability that enables him to become invisible for six seconds – making him immune to all forms of attack and granting him an automatic critical strike when attacking – Skar is a hero you never want to turn your back on. The new Hero Spotlight Video gives gamers a sneak peek into all of these abilities and more!" The embedded version follows. Continue here to read the full story.

Kalypso Media announces that The First Templar is gold, and Haemimont's action/adventure game is due in North America for Windows and Xbox 360 on May 10. Here's word:

The First Templar is a co-operative action adventure game, set in a dark and gritty portrayal of the late 13th Century during the Crusade where old friends become enemies, corruption spreads throughout the Church and once noble knights oppress the weak and renounce their oaths.

Follow the path of two unlikely heroes on their search for the Holy Grail. The young french Templar Celian teams up with the noble lady and proclaimed heretic Marie to unveil a grand conspiracy within the Order of the Knights Templar. The heroes face powerful opponents at every turn including the Saracen, King Philip of France and the Holy Inquisition.

The First Templar offers a captivating campaign that can be enjoyed alone or cooperatively with a friend. When playing solo, the player can switch freely between the two characters, leaving the control of the second hero to the game’s AI. At any time, a second player may join in and take control of the second hero.

The reviews of the PC edition of Portal 2 on Metacritic reflect the unhappiness of some users with Valve's just-released puzzle sequel. While the game boasts a 95 score based on critics' scores, the user score has dropped to 7.3, as there are 101 negative reviews as of this writing, many of them giving the game a zero. GamesIndustry.biz (registration required) summarizes the situation:

The complaints appear to come primarily from PC users, upset that the game is a console port - and even includes references to turning off the 'console' when saving. Most anger, though, seems to be directed at the online store - which is already filled with downloadable content.

The volume of day one downloadable content seems to have come as a surprise to many PC users, unused to the console-style arrangement. They have also expressed disappointment at the game's short running time and the controversial ARG promotional campaign - which tempted players into buying unrelated indie titles.

There's a poll on the Magicka FaceBook Page to determine which of two challenge maps will be released for free in Magicka, the action/adventure from Arrowhead Games. The poll is between Caverns and Marshlands. Both maps will be released on April 26th, but only one will be free. Here's word:

Players will soon be able to punish themselves by attempting the Caverns and Marshlands maps, each featuring a different swarm of terrible creatures with an appetite for your face. Wizards can try to survive the Caverns, inhabited by more trolls than this website, or try something refreshing and new in the Marshlands: Zombies, the monster that fills a completely untapped niche.

While both maps are difficult and dangerous enough that adding them to one’s Magicka game is the demented act of a madman, one of these maps will be offered entirely free of charge, while the other one will cost a comparatively astronomical 1.99 USD. Choosing which map will be free is an agonizing decision though, which we didn’t feel like making, so instead we’re opting to conduct an extremely scientific poll via Facebook to let Magicka fans ultimately decide. This poll will run for only 24 hours, allowing it to fit within our very short attention spans. Look, a squirrel! Wait, what did we just say?

Ars Technica - Why complaints about Valve's Portal 2 ARG miss the point.
As the "main" game progressed, the titles in the Potato Sack were updated with new levels and content. If you were able to finish that content you earned Potatoes that were used to move the whole thing along. The thing is, the new content was all Portal themed, and gave new life to games people may have already finished. In a world where people are used to paying real money for new content for their games, these developers were giving away new content for free.

MCV - Give 'em an inch.
But there's no escaping the fact that some of you, and some of the wider gaming public, are – for want of a more eloquent description – morons. Last month we had to shut down comments on MCVuk.com because of this very phenomenon. A tragic and feeble few were ruining the fun for the decent and noble many.

• E3 2011: Just a few days left for online registration.

• Crysis 2 on PC Games Hardware. In German.
• Guild Wars 2 on Ten Ton Hammer.
• Section 8: Prejudice on Gaming Nexus.
• Sengoku on YouTube. Video developer diary 1: Clans.

• Rockstar working on Wii 2 title.
• Team Ico delays PS3 titles.
• The headset that gives you superhearing and lets you cheat.
• This Is What Mega Man Legends 3 Looked Like In December.
• The Last Guardian Won’t Fly This Year.
• Pandora’s Tower Feels Rather Grim In Its Theme.
• Section 8: Prejudice on Xbox LIVE Arcade.
• The Fancy Pants Adventures on Xbox LIVE Arcade.

• iPhone 5 production begins in July and ships in September.
• T-Mobile Launches Free 'Bobsled' Facebook VoIP.
• Why the PlayBook launch didn't turn out as RIM would have liked.

Thanks Ant.

• Mozilla Firefox 4.0.1 now in Beta, Fixes 52 bugs.
• All YouTube uploads now in open-source WebM codec.
• Playfish adopts Facebook Credits (registration required).
• MySpace co-founder adds new games acquisitions.
• Walmart To Buy Social Media Firm Kosmix. Thanks Acleacius.

• Microsoft’s Quest for Greater Efficiency in the Cloud. Thanks [H]ard-OCP.
• Paul Allen: Microsoft's Strategy Was To Clone Rivals, Take Their Ideas. Thanks Acleacius.
• Critical Design Flaw Found in WD Caviar Green HDDs.
• From $1 to $1.25M- Google's Eric Schmidt Gets a Huge Salary Increase. Thanks [H]ard-OCP.
• HWiNFO32 version 3.73 is now available.
• Intel Sandy Bridge Overclocking Guide.

• Report: government cyberattacks against own citizens intensifying.
• Bug Forces Android Devices Off Princeton Campus Network. Thanks Ant.
• HBGary's open letter: full of denials that don't hold water.

• European Union to investigate net-neutrality concerns. Thanks Acleacius.
• Samsung Countersues Apple Right Back.
• ACLU- Michigan cops stealing drivers' phone data. Thanks [H]ard-OCP.
• Police: Man tried to rob store with game remote. Thanks [H]ard-OCP.

• Adam's Venture Episode 2: Solomon's Secret on Adventure Classic Gaming.
• Driving Simulator 2011 on IronHammers.org.
• Portal 2 on AtomicGamer, GameSpot, and Game Stooge.

• Alienware M18x Laptop on Hardware Heaven.
• AMD Radeon 6950 1GB Graphics Card on eTeknix.com.
• Arctic NC Laptop Cooler on Overclockers Online.
• ASUS ML248H 24” Monitor on Hardware Canucks.
• brite-View Air SyncHD Wireless HDMI Bridge on Missing Remote.
• Club 3D CSP-X1000CB 1000W PSU on techPowerUp.
• Coolermaster CM 690 II Advanced Case on Mad Shrimps.
• Coolermaster Storm SF-19 Strike Force Laptop Cooler on Mad Shrimps.
• Corsair TX750 V2 750W PSU on techPowerUp.
• Crucial Ballistix Smart Tracer 4GB Kit PC3-12800/DDR3-1600 RAM on OverClocked inside.
• Cubitek Mini-Tank Case on TechwareLabs.
• GIGABYTE G1 Assassin X58 Motherboard on Legit Reviews.
• HP Pavilion g6x Laptop on TechReviewSource.com.
• Icy Dock MB994SP-4S Quad HDD RAID Cage on Hardware Bistro.
• In Win Buc Case on Overclockers Club.
• InWin Dragon Rider ATX Computer Case on Modders-Inc.
• Noctua NH-D14 CPU "Monster" Cooler on Mad Shrimps.
• Razer Onza Controller on Examiner.com.
• Roccat Alumic Mouse Pad on XSReviews.
• Sapphire Radeon HD 6570 Graphics Card on [Phoronix] and TechwareLabs.
• Sapphire Radeon HD 6990 Graphics Card on Ultimate Hardware.
• SplitFish FragFX Shark Playstation 3 Gaming Mouse and Controller on OverclockersHQ.com.
• Thermaltake Armor A30 Small Form Factor Gaming Case on ProClockers.
• Thermaltake Level 10 GT Case on Neoseeker.
• Thermaltake V9 BlacX Mid-Tower Case on Bjorn3D.com.
• Vantec NexStar SE Dual 2.5-inch Hard Drive Rack on ThinkComputers.org.
• Xigmatek Elysium Super Tower Case on TweakTown.
• Zalman Z9 Plus Mid-Tower Case on Techgage.

• Portal 2 Easter egg: Valve never meta-ARG it didn't like. Thanks nin…
• Portal 2 Puts You On "Super 8" Train. Thanks Ant…
• Team Fortress 2 hats in Portal 2…

I'm usually very careful not to let my gaming habit get in the way of keeping up with the news here, but Portal 2 has sucked me in (no pun intended) as I feared, and I played that classic "one more level" late into the night. Sorry about the late morning... I think I'm pretty close to the conclusion of the solo campaign, which should ease the situation.

Portal Links:	Thanks Ant and Mike Martinez and Acleacius.
Play:	Infinite Tower Defense. Robotic Emergence 2. Roly-Poly Cannon: Bloody Monsters Pack.
Links:	8 Movie Special Effects You Won't Believe Aren't CGI. Astronauts Have to File Taxes Too. Except Kevin Bacon. Thanks Neatorama.
Stories:	Marijuana Legalization: Poll Suggests Public Support Growing. Not So Happy Days - Cast Sues CBS.
Science:	Cancer breath test 'step closer'. Fossilised spider 'biggest on record'.
Images:	HL2 Case Mod. Wildfires in Texas - Image of the Day. Thanks Jim.
Media:	Portal Kombat. Thanks nin. Charlie Sheen's Winning Recipes. Kids React To Charlie Sheen Interview.
Auction:	The Space History Sale. Thanks DrEnter.
The Funnies:	How to fix any computer - The Oatmeal. Brevity. xkcd- Heaven.
Follow-up:	Cotillard, Gordon-Levitt Locked For "Knight". FX To Carry Final ‘Running Wilde’ Episodes. Thanks TV.com.