So you’ve got a bit of a dilemma, the Mass Effect 3 demo comes out this coming Tuesday, but that also happens to be Valentines Day, and you’re sweetie may not be too keen on you skipping your scheduled dinner and viewing of The Vow to get a taste of the crew of The Normandy’s finale. What do you do?

If you’re a card carrying member of Facebook (and let’s be honest, who isn’t these days), you can head over to the Mass Effect 3 Facebook page and take part in a flash game — the result, early access to the Mass Effect 3 demo, like instant access.

So boom — you get your first taste of Mass Effect 3, and your girlfriend doesn’t miss out on her Channing Tatum flick. You’re welcome.

Former Infinity Ward members Jason West and Vince Zampella formed Respawn Entertainment back in 2010 after a nasty and very public split from Activision. Now, nearly two years later, all we’ve seen from the new company’s first game was a set of blurry images, and an announcement that the game would in fact be multiplatform, but we may finally be getting a possible release window.

According to a reportedly leaked  marketing EA calendar and posted by French site Hardgamers, the publisher expects the company’s first game to hit sometime in the year 2013.  EA hasn’t commented on the rumor, we’ve reached out them and Respawn, but don’t expect comment.

AbleGamers, the advocacy publication for disabled video game enthusiasts has named Star Wars: The Old Republic as its mainstream Game of the Year, meaning that it’s the most widely released title that is also widely accessible and accommodating for gamers with different needs to experience full gameplay.

The publication cited The Old Republic for ”many accessibility options such as full subtitles, queue-able actions, multiple action bars, area looting, auto looting, and built-in mouse sensitivity.”  The color-blind friendly mini map, and full keyboard and mouse functionality also received mentions.  Perhaps most interesting is what the publication calls the unintentional accessibility by the NPCs. ”These NPC characters which accompany the player through most of the game provide support to those who need it without forcing them to request help from other players,” AbleGamers wrote

Past honorees for the award include Forza Motorsport 3 and Dragon Age.

Hey, remember Freddy Prinze Jr.? He was that guy in that thing once. You know, that 90s teen movie.

Bioware and EA have announced that actor and screenwriter Freddy Prinze Jr. will be lending his voice to the newly announced James Vega in the upcoming Mass Effect 3.

The studio also announced that for the first time in the series, players will venture to Mars. It’s rumored that when players get to the red planet, they’ll be reunited with returning character Liara.

“Maybe there’s something there,” said Bioware lead writer Mac Walters when referring to Mars and the Prothean Archive. “The Protheans came very close to defeating the Reapers…unfortunately the Illusive Man [and] Cerberus are there ahead of you.”

It was also earlier in the week that a playable multiplayer and single player demo will hit Xbox Live and the Playstation Network on Valentines day, ahead of the game’s March 6 release date.

EA’s stock prices appear to be in a bit of trouble, and it’s reportedly due in large part to the performance of EA’s long anticipated MMORPG Star Wars: The Old republic.

The company’s shares fell almost 3% to $17.75 after stock analyst Todd Mitchell, working with  Brean Murray Carret & Co, released a briefing on the company’s performance, citing an unimpressive December 20 launch of the mega MMO. ”Initial sales appear to be below expectations, and casual observation of early play is causing us to rethink our assumptions,” Murray said in a note to his clients.

EA has announced that Klei’s Shank 2, the sequel to the highly acclaimed and stylish 2D side scrolling beat-em-up will release on PC and the PlayStation Network February 7 and will hit Xbox Live the next day.

Of course, we’ll have the full review for you here at Blast.

My dad loves football, but he finds football video games too complicated. I can’t really blame him either; I’ve tried to get him into Madden, but when you really break the 800 LB gorilla of a gaming franchise down, it’s tough to explain; even if it is second nature when playing. That’s exactly why NFL Blitz works so well — it’s America’s favorite game (Yeah, that’s right, I said it baseball) boiled down to its most basic elements.

Now, after years of being absent, the arcade style footballer returns; in all of its glory — well, sort of. It’s still just as frantic and fun as you remember, but it also comes during a turbulent time in the NFL, once that changes the very landscape and identity of what NFL Blitz is. Still, if you have even the slightest love for NFL Football, Blitz is a blast, especially played with friends.

If you’ve never played NFL Blitz, it’s basically a suped up version of Madden. The players are bigger and ripped with muscles and the plays more explosive. The game nixes strategy and philosophy for over-the-top action and adrenaline. In Blitz, there are no penalties, teams can catch on fire and it takes 30 yards for a first down rather than the standard ten yards.

The action in Blitz is fast, fun and in-your-face. It’s not uncommon to have score upwards of 30 points in the first quarter, and you’re bound to jump off your feet at least a few times. This is where Blitz excels, there’s never really a dull moment, and it gets even better when you’re playing against friends. This is the type of game that friendships are tested on, as it’s extremely fun to play against your friends in Blitz. Think throwing the game winning hail mary in Madden is fun? Imagine the thrill of doing it in Blitz, complete with players on fire and jumping clean over their opponents.

The most impressive aspect of Blitz is how much it retains the original arcade feel. Games are quick and easy for anyone to jump in and pick up and play. Perhaps more impressive, they’re also just as easy for anyone to win. It’s this accessibility that seems to be missing from most other current gen sports games. Blitz even features the old school Midway style codes to be entered at the versus screen for effects like different stadiums, characters and effects.

This isn’t however, the NFL Blitz of old, not completely anyways. The NFL is a much different league than we saw when the last entry in the series was released and that’s something that Blitz both falls victim to and benefits from at the same time. This season, the NFL has been tougher on late hits, and as a result, you won’t be able to stop your opponent’s touchdown celebration with a late, bone jarring hit. Sure, the hits in Blitz are ferocious enough, (come on, I delivered a piledriver to a Quarterback during a sack) but the late hits were a big part of the original games.

Aside from the Play Now option, you’re bound to get the majority of playtime from the game’s Blitz Gauntlet mode. Similar to modes found in games like NBA Jam and Mortal Kombat, you’ll face off with teams in a ladder format, with bosses mixed in. These bosses range from fictional characters (zombies) to team inspired creations (my Packers for instance had to face off with guys in overalls, Packer Jerseys and cheeseheads). These boss battles also feature powerups spread throughout the field, which makes them feel different than your standard games. There’s also a trading card game similar to that found in Madden, but I didn’t like it there and I don’t here either.

Tim Kitzrow from the original Blitz and NBA Jam games makes his return, and is just as entertaining as ever. Him and his announcing partner openly mock pop culture, including games, which includes Blitz. My favorite was when the two said that next year they’re going to audition for Madden because it pays more. Visually, NFL Blitz is on par with what you’d expect, though I was a bit disappointed at the lack of detail in some of the player’s faces. Sure, sometimes Aaron Rodgers looks like himself in the game, but others he just looks like another nameless, faceless NFL Quarterback.

The Blast Factor:NFL Blitz proves that arcade style sports gaming still has a place in modern gaming. It’s a blast to play, especially with other human players, and its accessibility makes it easy for just about anyone to jump in and play. . If you’ve got even the most slightest affinity for the sport or multiplayer gaming — you owe it to yourself to check out this modern day revival.

Earlier this year, a flame war raged over just which game was better, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 or Battlefield 3. Still haven’t made up your mind? Well now you don’t have to, as Battle Duty: Modern Field 3, a satirical look at Modern Day Shooters is now available on the App Store and Android Marketplace. Just what do you do? You…tap…to kill soldiers. Just watch the trailer above.  The game costs $1 and is worth a laugh or two.

A new report by the Associated Press claims that EA’s AAA shooter Battlefield 3 has been banned in Iran, where a portion of the game takes place.

Citing fears that the game will spark further fear and retaliation against the region, stores have been prohibited from selling the game, and there are reports of police raiding establishments rumored of selling it.

“We understand that the story of a videogame is hypothetical,” an online petition filed by an Iranian youth group read. “We believe the game is purposely released at a time when the US is pushing the international community into fearing Iran.”

It’s interesting to note that the game was never readily available in Iran, and not many shops were said to have been carrying it in the first place.

In the months of hype leading up to Battlefield 3′s release, EA announced that the those who buy the PS3 version of the game will receive a free copy of early franchise entry Battlefield 1943. Then, when the game was released, the extra game was missing, and people weren’t happy.

Facing a number of lawsuits, EA has announced that they will be providing vouchers for those that bought the PS3 version of the game. Those looking to secure a copy of the game are required to go to EA’s portal; 1943redemption.battlefield.com and using their Origin ID, request a code for their region.

Check out our review of Battlefield 3 here.

Most racing games flaunt their cars. They flaunt the insane amount of rides, how realistic they are and what it feels like to drive them. Need For Speed: The Run is different though. The cars seem like an afterthought in favor of…the ability to get out of the car.

Yeah, you can see where this is going.

In a year with two quality Need For Speed games and a slew of other high quality racing titles, Need For Speed: The Run feels like a step back, a fraud almost. The actual racing mechanics themselves feel lackluster when compared to similar games and even the Hollywood blockbuster style storyline feels boring and uninspired. The Run could have been a quality action romp, but instead it’s one of the most disappointing games of the year.

From the get-go, The Run could have been great. The game, which finds you as a contestant in a cross country race from San Francisco to New York, is basically a rehash of the 1981 Bruce Willis movie  Cannonball  Run. In truth, there’s nothing wrong with that – the game takes you on some pretty cool trips, from the hills of San Francisco to the fields of Middle America, the tunnels of Chicago and finally the bustling streets of New York City.  The game recreates these locales in pretty impressive styles and most looks just as you’d expect it to.

To the developers credit, they manage to get some pretty varied (well, at least early in the game) missions into these locales. In some stages you’ll be pitted against a clock because you’ll need to make up time against other racers, and others you’ll have to avoid cops and gangsters in Hollywood style action sequences.  They’re really well done, but odds are you won’t notice; these sequences are presented as QuickTime events, so you’ll be more focused on pounding on the button that appears in the corner of the screen to fully enjoy what the developers have done here.

It’s a shame then that this Hollywood style treatment isn’t found throughout the entire game; namely the plot…or lack thereof.  Everything in Need For Speed: The Run feels incredibly scripted and as a result, less than thrilling. There’s no room for error in this incredibly linear tale as you’ll always need to complete each of the game’s objectives in the right order to move on or your trying again. Cops and other NPCs all behave and speak the same way, and in some sections it doesn’t matter what you do, the game shoehorns you into quicktime event action sequences.

The most disappointing aspect of The Run is just how few of options there truly are. You can’t fine tune your car or buy new parts for it; hell – customization is completely gone here. You’ll pick up new cars along the road and in gas stations, but if you don’t like them, your only option is to wait until you find a new one. This takes a lot of the replay value out of the game when compared to other Need For Speed games, and is especially apparent in the online mode. No longer are you racing against player’s own creations, you’re just racing against pre-made cars with attributes set by the computer. Where’s the fun in that?

Of course, this would all be forgivable if The Run was a great driving game, but it’s not…it’s not even a decent one. Gone are the fine tuned machines and mechanics from previous games in favor of arcade style controls that feel tacked on. Cars often feel floaty as if they don’t have any weight to them and handling can be incredibly frustrating.  It’s often that you’ll be chased by a group of pursuers, making good time, but be screwed over by one curve and have to start the whole race over again.

The Blast Factor: Need For Speed: Shift and Hot Pursuit served as rebirths for a racing franchise that had gone stale. They introduced new mechanics and were a blast to play through. In that sense The Run can only be seen as a major step back. It’s built on shoddy mechanics, goofy premises and a horribly bland story. There are plenty of great racing games on the market and this is not one of them.

This weekend, EA really wants you to play Battlefield 3, so much so that they’re willing to offer you the chance at cash, trips and prizes just for playing.

Users who play Battlefield 3 online this weekend will be automatically entered into a sweepstakes for three pretty heavy prizes. The grand prize allows the winner and three friends the chance to visit the DICE studios in Stockholm, Sweden, a trip which includes air and hotel accommodations. Second prize is $5,000 in cash and third is the choice between an Xbox 360, a PS3 and an Alienware PC. Players can earn one entry for each day they log in.

Of course, the timing of the sweepstakes is no accident, as Battlefield’s biggest competitor, the much anticipated Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 launches this Tuesday and is sure to take away from Battlefield 3′s share of online competition.

It may be getting mixed reviews from critics (including us), EA’s Battlefield 3 continues to roll at retailers, selling more than 5 million copies in its first week. The publisher also announced that it has shipped more than 10 million units.

“We had a spectacular first week,” said Patrick Soderlund, executive vice president of the EA Games label. “The quality is actually trending up. We’ve seen an uplift in metacritic on the console 87 on PS3 and 85 on 360. We are holding at 90 on the PC. So we are more pleased with the quality of the product and the perception of it. I think the word of mouth from gamers is really strong. People are saying, ‘You have to go in and play this multiplayer. It is like an addiction’.”

So just how good are those numbers? To put it into comparison, Call of Duty: Black Ops, the latest installment in the rival series doubled those numbers, selling 10 million copies in its first week, totaling a whopping $650 million.

Still though, it can’t be denied that the shooter, has momentum, entering the holiday season as one of the hottest games on the market, but how long could it last? Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, a game which has been in a heated rivalry with launches on November 8, and is expected to top the sales results of Black Ops.

Perhaps the most telling tale of Battlefield 3’s complicated existence comes before the game even enters your system. Certain versions of the game come in multiple discs, one for the game’s multiplayer suite, which comes first – and the other for the single player. After more than a decade,  EA and DICE  surely know their audience and have justly put the majority of their time and development into the game’s online gameplay, but as a result, the single player suffers and you’re left with a mixed and uneven shooter that fails to deliver on all of the hype it’s generated since being announced. No, Battlefield 3 is not a bad game – it’s just not as good as it could be.

Before you go any further you should know something about me — I’m a single player campaign first kind of guy. Before I even touch the online multiplayer I want a game to tell me a story, I want the game to take me places, to make me care. Quite simply, Battlefield 3 failed to do that for me.  That’s not to say that there aren’t any edge-of-your-seat moments; when Battlefield 3 fires on all cylinders, it’s great action, just not great drama. Take for example on sequence early on in the game where you’re asked to take out an enemy held up in a hotel balcony. It was thrilling to run up to the top of the building and strategize with my squad-mates as to how to take them out; but for the life of me, I can’t tell you just why we were doing it.  The uninspired story of Battlefield 3 feels less like a fleshed out plot, and more like a device to move you from set piece to set piece, and they’re just not all thrilling enough to make you care. You can only take so much military jargon before you just find yourself just pointing at something and shooting.

It’s almost impossible to write this review without mentioning the 800 LB gorilla in the room – the rivalry that’s played out between Battlefield and Call of Duty over the last year. In the midst of the verbal sparring; a strange thing has happened, Battlefield has become everything they’ve spoken out against. Modes from previous Battlefield games have been removed (where’s my commander mode EA?), and the team at DICE seems insistent on making this feel like a Modern Warfare game. All of the plot points are here, the stolen nukes, the gruff commanders and the stereotypically evil Russians; hell there’s even a few missions that feel like they were lifted directly from previous editions of the rival series.  What’s most disappointing about the campaign experience is when it’s clear that they didn’t do the necessary research. In fear of spoiling some key moments, I won’t get into much detail, but there are some moments that defy military law that are sure to take you completely out of the game.

That being said, I can’t deny the sheer enjoyment I had when the campaign worked. When Battlefield 3 fires on all cylinders and gives you frantic action, it’s hard to argue that it delivers.  Lessons are learned quick in the world of Battlefield 3, like the time I was facing down a sniper and mistakenly got up from my cover in an effort to get a better vantage point, only to be instantly shot down. It’s moments like these that make Battlefield enjoyable, where you’re forced to make split second decisions in the face of a coming onslaught. These edge of your seat moments don’t come often in Battlefield 3, but when they do, they’re more than worth it.

Let’s be honest though, myself aside, the majority of gamers are going to jump in to Battlefield 3 for its online play – and this is where the game undoubtedly shines. On the PC version up to 64 players (24 on console versions) can load out in nine different maps which vary from industrial to urban and even some jungle locations. What makes these maps so interesting is not their size (though, they are quite large), but how varied in scope they are.  One map for example had me dodging sniper shots from multiple roofs, while the other had me scurrying between tunnels to try to get an advantage. Of course, this is a Battlefield game, and that means you’ll have access to plenty of vehicles, which can be a great addition to the game, but can also be a pain in the ass. Getting a vehicle, like a tank or a helicopter can turn a battle around completely, but they’re so powerful that each game becomes a mad dash to occupy each vehicle, and if you you’re not the lucky one, you better turn around and run. We also experienced a slew of issues with the EA servers while playing Battlefield online. These issues mostly cropped up with the console versions, and they’re likely to be fixed via a patch, but it was incredibly frustrating to not be able to get in to a game on launch week.

The entire Battlefield package comes together with the new Frostbite 2 engine. There’s no denying that the game is nothing short of gorgeous; from the detail on characters and buildings, to the views of the city around you. Most impressive perhaps is the level of detail Frostbite allows for in its destruction. Remember that scene early on I was talking about? The one where you’re trying to take out the enemy in the hotel? It’s extremely satisfying to watch as the entire building rumbles, smoke starts to billow out and pieces start to fall off. At times its almost impossible to not marvel at how well it all comes together. It’s not all perfect though, as we did notice a few oddly muddy textures and a bit of slowdown – especially in the console versions.

The Blast Factor: Battlefield 3 may be the toughest game I’ve yet to review; it’s majorly flawed, but at the same time, it does so much right that it’s almost impossible not to at least enjoy your time with it. After all the hype and the name calling, Battlefield 3 is here. Was it worth the wait? The easy answer is an emphatic yes; it may not be the end-all-be-all first person shooter you’re looking for, but it is a remarkable one, that you’re going to want to play – especially if you’re into multiplayer.

Battlefield 3 is available now for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 from EA and DICE. The Xbox 360 and PC versions of the game were used for this review and provided by the publisher.

Fans eagerly awaiting Mass Effect 3′s March release will be getting a bit of an early taste; as EA has announced that a beta for the highly anticipated title will hit Xbox Live and PSN this coming January.

The beta, which will include both multiplayer and single player sections will be first available to those who buy Battlefield 3, but EA does say that there will be other ways in. Perhaps dark and twisted ways that you’ll only tell your shrink about in ten years.

Or maybe they’ll just sling codes on Twitter. Who know…

We’re exactly one month away from the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Check out the new redemption trailer below!

EA and Klei Entertainment announced that they’re developing a sequel to Xbox Live indie darling Shank for release next year; but they’d rather you not call it a sequel.

“We didn’t make another Shank,” Jamie Cheng, CEO of Klei said, “we completely ripped the game apart and reconstructed it with better controls and visuals.”

According to Cheng, the studio has listened to fan feedback regarding the original title, and developed a better game, including better visuals, controls and yes — more co-op.

Shank 2 is expected to be released sometime in early 2012.

Remember like two days ago when we told you that EA might delay Star Wars:The Old republic into next year. Just kidding — Bioware and Lucas Arts announced today at the Eurogamer expo that their highly anticipated MMO will release in the United States on December 20.

“This is an incredible moment for everyone at BioWare and our partners at LucasArts who have dedicated their lives to build this extraordinary game.,” Bioware’s Ray Muzyka said . “We appreciate the patience from the millions of fans who have been waiting for the game’s release.”

Each copy of the game will come with a 30-day free trial, after which gamers will have to join one of three subscription models:

1 Month Subscription: $14.99
3 Month Subscription: $13.99 per month
6 Month Subscription: $12.99 per month

Those who preorder the game will get early access.

In a move that’s going to surprise no one, it was confirmed at this year’s E3 that all Modern Warfare 3 DLC will be timed exclusives to the Xbox 360.  You didn’t expect Sony to take that lying down did you?

It was announced today that beginning with the already announced Road to Karkand,  all DLC for Modern Warfare 3′s closest competitor, EA’s Battlefield 3 will be exclusive to PS3 for one week before it hits Xbox Live.

You’ve been waiting a long time for Star Wars: The Old Republic and now…you could be waiting even longer.

Speaking to a group of investors, EA CFO Eric Brown revealed that a release date won’t be announced until late October; “In terms of timing we haven’t given a street date yet,” Brown said. “We won’t do so for some time, possibly at our next upcoming earnings call towards the end of October.”

Then Brown confirmed what gamers have feared for quite some time, the long awaited, long in development game could slip to next year. “”We did hold out a slight possibility that it could slip to our March quarter,” he said, “and the factors that would cause a slip is, for example, us not being completely satisfied with the scalability testing, and wanting to tune it for several extra weeks.”

Bioware’s Stephen Reid has said that the comments were not supposed to be made public, but stands by Brown’s comments, saying that the slip to next year is only a possibility and not a promise.

If the game does get delayed, it won’t be the first Star Wars title to be delayed this month, Star Wars Kinect was recently pushed back to the first quarter of 2012.

EA has announced that Battlefield 3′s highly anticipated open beta will kick off next week for both PC and console platforms.

Kicking off September 29 and running until October 10, and set in Paris on the Operation Metro map playing the game’s Rush mode, the beta will give players an opportunity to explore the game, as well as Battlelog, the game’s social networking and matchmaking service.

Xbox 360 and PS3 owners must log on to their console’s digital marketplace to download the beta, while PC owners must install Origin to play the beta. Those who bought Medal of Honor’s special edition or pre-ordered the game on Origin will gain access two days earlier, on September 27.

Over the last year, there’s been a lot of talk about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 VS Battlefield 3. Who’s got the better engine? Who’s got the better multiplayer? Which one is going to sell more when they release within mere weeks of each other this fall. You know who doesn’t care? Infinity Ward — developers of Modern Warfare 3.

Speaking to IGN at an event to promote the game in Sydney, Australia, Robert Bowling, Infinity Ward’s Director of Communications and Community Manager, said that the studio isn’t focused on anything but getting the next Call of Duty ready.

“There’s no buy in on that sort of stuff,” says Bowling. “We don’t care about sales numbers, we don’t care about competition, we don’t care about beating anyone. Our 100 per cent focus is making a game that we’re going to love to play, that we’re going to be proud of, and that we know that our fans are going to play. To us, we don’t care if there are three people playing it or 30 million people playing it. If there are three people having a great time then we’ve done our job correctly and we will be happy.”

The war of words between EA, who is developing Battlefield 3 and Activision, who is developing Modern Warfare 3 has been anything but passive. Both companies (but admittedly EA a bit more) have taken potshots at the other, and there’s even rumors of CEOs of both companies being told they couldn’t see each other’s game at E3. Then again, reps from both companies did play nice at this year’s GamesCom, taking to Twitter to praise their rivals.

Battlefield 3 releases on October 25, with Modern Warfare 3 following behind it on November 8.

Since its announcement, we’ve heard so much about Battlefield 3 running at half the speed on console as its PC counterpart. Well, see for yourself, here’s the recently released full official look at Battlefield 3 running on an Xbox 360. Looks pretty good to me.

The last two Call of Duty games have featured three editions — the standard, the prestige and the hardened editions. Well, my middle of the road friends, you’re going to have to choose, as Infinity Ward Creative Director Robert Bowling answered a fan question regarding the lack of news for the Prestige Edition announcing that there isn’t one planned.

If the Japanese promotional poster to the right is to be believed, the Xbox 360 version of the hotly anticipated Battlefield 3 will ship on two discs. The poster, which has been seen in gaming shops throughout the country clearly depicts the differences between the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game.

This one seems pretty cut and dry, but without comment from EA, we’re filing it as a rumor.Battlefield 3 hits US stores on October 25.

Okay you two, break it up — I said break it up!

For the better part of the last year, EA and Activision have been trading barbs, quips and insults  regarding the real life war between Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3, which release less than two weeks apart later this year. EA has already said they want the long running Call of Duty franchise to “rot,” but now they’re calling for something a bit more severe, the franchise’s death, an inevitable event according to one EA employee.

In response to Activision’s Publishing Executive Eric Hirshberg calling for an end to the mudslinging between the two companies, EA’s Jeff Brown had a clear message for the competion — “Welcome to the big leagues Eric.”

“You’ve got every reason to be nervous. Last year Activision had a 90 [percent] share in the shooter category. This year, Battlefield 3 is going to take you down to 60 or 70. At that rate, you’ll be out of the category in 2-3 years,” he continued. “If you don’t believe me, go to the store and try to buy a copy of Guitar Hero or Tony Hawk.”

With all of the trash talk going on in the video game business lately, you’d expect the folks at Steam to be pretty pissed that EA won’t be offering their hugely anticipated shooter Battlefield 3 to the service in favor of their own client, Origin. You’ve apparently never met Gabe Newell.

Newell, head of Valve and Steam recently spoke to Develop Magazine regarding getting the publisher’s titles back on the service. “We have to show EA it’s a smart decision to have EA games on Steam, and we’re going to try to show them that,” he said.

Though Newell wasn’t clear on just how he was going to show EA, he was pretty confident that the two parties would be able to come to some kind of agreement. “I think at the end of the day we’re going to prove to Electronic Arts they have happier customers, a higher quality service, and will make more money if they have their titles on Steam. It’s our duty to demonstrate that to them. We don’t have a natural right to publish their games.”

Battlefield 3 launches October 25 on PS3, Xbox 360, PC and Origin.

Today in Germany, EA showed off some fresh Battlefield 3 footage. This time we got a glimpse of the game’s co-op missions and an incredible 64 player multiplayer trailer. See them both for yourself below. Battlefield 3 launches for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 and October 25.

EA has confirmed that highly anticipated shooter Battlefield 3 will not be available on Steam when it releases on October 25, instead, it will be exclusive to Origin, EA’s digital download system.

“Battlefield 3 will not be available on Steam as the service restricts our ability to directly support players,” an EA spokesperson told gaming blog Kotaku. “The service limits our ability to deliver patches and downloadable content directly to players. No other download service has adopted these practices. At EA, supporting our players is a top priority, and we are happy to partner with any download service that does not restrict our ability to connect directly with our own consumers.”

This isn’t the first time EA has pulled its AAA titles from the popular service, as Crysis 2, and Dragon Age 2 were both mysteriously pulled from the service recently.

EA Sports announced today that it will offer a premium subscription service, dubbed EA Sports Season Pass for all of the publisher’s major sports franchises. The Season Pass program will kick off this year with Madden for $25 as well as NHL and FIFA later this year, with Tiger Woods PGA Tour and NCAA Football next year.

The biggest draw of the pass is the ability to download a full  digital version of the latest EA Sports titles a full three days before they release to the public. Here’s the catch though, after those three days, the digital copy becomes void, and you’ll still have to head to the store and pick up a full retail version of the title (though save versions from the digital version will work with the physical versions).

The Season Pass also gives those who buy it a 20% discount on DLC for EA Sports titles, but the discount is very selective over what it covers.  First, it doesn’t cover DLC for previously released games; meaning that if you buy it for Madden, you won’t be able to use it on NCAA Football 2012, which was just released a month ago. Also, the pass is sold on a per console basis, so you won’t be able to use it on multiple systems to cover multiple games. The discount also doesn’t work with the Online Pass service, which is required for gamers to play online, but free with new copies of its games.

So, will you be buying the pass from EA?

Electronics Arts has announced today that it has purchased developer PopCap Games; most famous for cult favorite games like Plants VS Zombies, Bejeweled and Peggle. Though specifics of the deal are expected to be announced during a conference call scheduled for later tonight, it’s expected that the EA could be ponying up more than $750 million in cash and stocks.

“EA and PopCap are a compelling combination,” said EA CEO John Riccitiello in a statement released to the press. “PopCap’s great studio talent and powerful IP add to EA’s momentum and accelerated our drive towards a $1 billion digital business. EA’s global studio and publishing network will help PopCap rapidly expand their business to more digital devices, more countries, and more channels.”

It’s been hinted at over the last few weeks that someone was interested in buying the indie developer and rumors suggested everyone from EA to Activison.

“We picked EA because they have recast their culture around making great digital games,” said David Roberts, CEO of PopCap. “By working with EA, we’ll scale our games and services to deliver more social, mobile, casual fun to an even bigger, global audience.”

What exactly is the above image? We’re not quite sure, but Respawn Entertainment is. It’s apparently the first teaser image from the studio’s first game. The image comes from the newly launched website from the studio, which was formed by former Infinity Ward heads Jason West and Vince Zampella after a nasty dispute with former employers Activision that’s headed to court.

The game is rumored to be a “sci-fi shooter,” but you can’t really tell from the teaser images. Any interpretations?

Here’s the video of Battlefield 3 running on the PS3 from last night’s Jimmy Fallon. It’s our first non PC look at the game.

Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello

Electronic Art’s CEO John Riccitiello makes no bones about the fact that he thinks his company’s upcoming epic shooter Battlefield 3 is better than rival Activision’s Modern Warfare 3, in fact, he wants the competition to “rot from the core.”

Oh, things started off civil during the CEO’s chat with Industry Gamers. “The honest truth is I think Modern Warfare is going to be a really good game,” he said. Then, things turned sour quickly. “I think that in a weird way it’s starting to feel a little to me like the Disneyland abstraction of a war game – a little bit jump the shark. So it feels a little bit like that to me. And I think there’s a market for that.”

Riccitiello says that there’s a market for Call of Duty, but smart gamers will make the right choice. a concentration of people that might tell the difference between a good game and a bad game. We’re going to do really well there. A lot of people bought Modern Warfare more for the coffee table and didn’t play it for 2 months. There’s sort of that mass audience… they’re going to win there. The question is, ‘So, if the gamer buys our game and the mass audience buys their game, where do the two meet?’ And all I want to do, if you will, is to have them rot from the core,”

The CEO was quick to point out what he believes EA is doing right with Battlefield, versus Activision. “”I think our game is more authentic. It’s definitely going to do a lot of things better. Lighting’s better, physics is better, animations are better, particle effects are better, vehicles are better.”

Riccitiello also claims that Activision rushed their Call of Duty announcement in an effort to stay relevant. “I think the reason they led with their chin is that they needed to say something against what was clearly a more powerful presentation of Battlefield 3 over Modern Warfare. So they needed something to say. I think they picked the wrong thing, but there’s a lot of months between now and November so they’ve got plenty of time to recover,” he said.

Harsh words. What side are you going to be on this November?

One of the most disappointing aspects of this year’s E3 was the fact that we didn’t see anything from Respawn Entertainment, the new studio formed by former Infinity Ward heads Jason West and Vince Zampella. Now, the week after show, we’re starting to get a bit of information on the mystery title.

The tidbits come from an E3 meeting with Frank Gibeau, EA Games Label President. ““Titles like Respawn – and I think the Insomniac title (Editor’s Note: The Insomniac game would later be revealed to be Overstrike) is a little bit more of an action game than a pure shooter – we’ll sprinkle those in where we see opportunistic gaps, either in a release schedule or in a genre standpoint,” said Gibeau. Those typically are more sci-fi oriented shooters, where as the Medal of Honor and Battlefield brands are obviously more modern military oriented. So it allows us to pick and choose the best of the sci-fi shooters. It allows us to compete with things like Gears and Halo and put them on places in our release calendar where they’re not cannibalistic to the core business and that’s the essential strategy going forward.”

Gibeau went on to say that EA will be alternating releases of Battlefield and Medal of Honor, but would release the as of yet unnamed Respawn title when the time is right, or when an “opportunistic window opens.”

Respawn Entertainment was formed by West and Zampella after a messy divorce from Activision and the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series.

LOS ANGELES — One of the coolest moments of E3 so far was undoubtedly the unveiling of Overstrike, the brand new multi-platform title from Insomniac Games, the studio behind Ratchet and Clank.

Described by studio head Ted Price as a four player co-op with a lot of humor, Overstrike sets players in the role of a “black sheep” special ops team. Players take the role of one of four characters, an ex-merc, a thief, a scientist, and a detective each with unique abilities and characteristics.

No release date has been given, but Overstrike is quickly becoming one of our most wanted titles.

LOS ANGELES — It was announced today at EA’s press conference that the long anticipated shooter Battlefield 3 will be hitting store shelves on October 25, mere weeks before Modern Warfare 3.

It was also announced that a multi platform open beta would be launched sometime in September.

Stick with Blast for more up to the minute news from this year’s E3.

Commander Sheppard’s latest adventure could be Kinect enabled , that is if a new box art that popped up on the EA Store is to be believed.

The box art, as seen to the left, which shows the Mass Effect 3 box with the “Better with Kinect” header across the top was taken down quickly after being spotted by a NeoGaf forum member. Games adorned with the header feature some motion control functionality, but do not require it.

Could this be a hint as to what will be revealed at next week’s E3? While it could just be a mistake, and neither EA or Microsoft has commented on the image, it’s not hard to believe that the tech would be used for one of the platform’s biggest franchises.

Stick with Blast for more on this and all the hot news leading in to next week’s E3.

You didn’t take the 2011 date shown at the end of the Mass Effect 3 trailer to heart did you? Hope not, as Bioware has announced that Mass Effect 3 will now release sometime in the first three months of next year.

The announcement came via Mass Effect 2′s official Facebook page, where Executive Producer Casey Hudson assured fans that the delay was for the best. ”The development team is laser focused on making sure Mass Effect 3 is the biggest, boldest and best game in the series, ensuring that it exceeds everyone’s expectations.”

If Mass Effect 3 does release in the first quarter of next year, it will mirror the release of Mass Effect 2, which released in late January of 2010.

Blast has already booked time with Mass Effect 3 at this year’s E3, check back during the show to hear all of our nerdy lust for the game.

One of the first big reveals of this year’s Game Developer’s Conference in San Francisco was EA’s much talked about shooter sequel Battlefield 3 — and boy did they start with a bang.

Featuring an immense sense of realism, incredible lighting and some interesting mechanics, Battlefield 3 surely just took a leap up on everyone’s interest list. DICE plans to release the next trailer on March 16.