NEW SKYRIM DLC: HEARTHFIRE

This morn Bethesda released the above trailer/ad for the second official batch of DLC for their uber-popular title, "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim." Basically, this is for those who revel in the home management qualities in Bethesda's games. There are a number of existing houses you can acquire throughout your adventures but "Hearthfire" is the ultimate experience, allowing one to pick a plot of land, design your home, and furnish it with dozens of addendums. Watch the trailer and you will see what I mean. One aspect I geeked about was the ability to add "trophies" to your hall (a la "Fable"). Slaying a troll is always satisfying, but being able to display his corpse in your home, priceless. Let us hope you can have room big enough to put a dragon skeleton (or am I being too hopeful?).

Yes, there have been mods and PC add-ons (made all the easier by "The Elder Scrolls Construction Set") that grant you similar abilities, but for us console users this a very big deal. Besides, there is an undeniable polish involved when something is released by the developers themselves.

I actually have yet to add "Dawnguard" to my "Skyrim" experience. I have hardly played the game at all in recent months (which has more to do with not getting around to it than not wanting to). However, with "Hearthfire" on the way I will definitely be heading back to "Skyrim" soon. As cool as the features in "Dawnguard" sounded, it is the ability to finally really leave your mark on the already meticulously crafted realm of Skyrim that is most appealing to me. Playing house may sound far from exciting to some of my fellow gamers. Yes, it has more in common with "The Sims" than an action RPG, but one of the biggest draws of this series as always been living in a mythical world--this will only add to the effect for me.

The best part of this announcement is two-fold. First, this DLC will be a mere $5! Second, this will be released a week from today (September 4th)!

Live on. Game on.

THE ROCKSTAR OF GAMING: RDR: GOTY AND GTA III: 10TH ANNIVERSARY

Rockstar Games is a developer and publisher that lives up to their name. They have consistently delivered good games, but oftentimes good is too far an understatement. They've started franchises such as "Midnight Club," "Max Payne," "Red Dead Redemption," and the popular and controversy "Grand Theft Auto." Earlier this year they published the innovative "L.A. Noire," which far too people are remembering was developed by Team Bondi). Their games are usually for mature audiences, but there is no denying how well they actually make games. This week we have two items of note from the legendary company.

"Red Dead Redemption" (my pick for best game of 2010) is appropriately crowned with a "Game of the Year" edition. I called this back in July, not like it was that unexpected though. It includes the full game, the "Undead Nightmare" expansion, and all the multiplayer DLC. If you still haven't picked up this game, now is the time to do so and this is the version to get. "Red Dead Redemption" boats a massive wild west open-world set just after the turn of the century. It breathes and behaves like it should, complete with a wide array of wildlife and plentiful things to do. The single-player story is among the most entertaining, compelling, and thought-provoking I have ever encounter in a video game. "Undead Nightmare" is exactly what is says and changes the entire way you play the game (with zombies of course).Then there is all the multiplayer options. There's your standard Deathmatch options, Grab the Bag, and even a Horde mode where you team up with others against wave after wave of undead cowboys. The highlight is the Free Roam where you can form posses with friends and strangers alike and do whatever the heck you want. Seriously, play this game. Here is Rockstar Newswire regarding "Red Dead Redemption: Game of the Year."

What's more? Rockstar Games is celebrating the 10 Year Anniversary of the title that chagned video games forever, "Grand Theft Auto III." The game will be coming to iOS and Android devices later this fall! It seems an interesting choice. I currently don't have any such device to support it, but I can always play it on my original Xbox. How do you think such a game will play on the iPad2 and company? It seems very much meant for a controller, but I don't doubt Rockstar's abilities. "GTA III" is a remarkable game and still holds up a decade later. I spent significant time with it just last year. It was a pioneer in the sandbox and open-world movement of games that I, for one, fell head over heels for! The freedom-induced gameplay is exhilarating and the sprawling city awaits your royal thug-ness. When GameInformer did their "Top 200 Games of All-Time" about two years ago it ranked number 4 for a reason. Actually, for several reasons.

Along with that news Rockstar announced a limited edition Claude (the anti-hero you play as in "GTA III") action-figure! The specifics: "This fully articulated 1:6 scale action figure of Claude comes dressed in his original attire of cargo pants and a bomber jacket, but can also sport his iconic Liberty City Prison-issued jumpsuit (supplied) and comes equipped with an arsenal of classic weapons from Grand Theft Auto III including a bat, knife, grenades, pistol, sniper rifle, and assault rifle." It's not cheap (at $150), but is currently for sale from the Rockstar Warehouse should you consider yourself that much of a fan. Rockstar Newswire has more on these "GTA III" announcements.

MORE "RED DEAD REDEMPTION"? MORE "RED DEAD REDEMPTION"!

Rockstar's open-world Western, "Red Dead Redemption," not only became one of my favorite games in recent years, but one of my favorites of all-time. They followed up the game with some impressive DLC packs (mainly to boost the already extensive multiplayer), the latest and most elaborate of which was "Undead Nightmare," which added a new single-player campaign and even more multiplayer options! Overall, it was an impressive run of add-ons and myself and others were more than content with the modern masterpiece, thinking that we had seen it all for this installment.

Imagine my surprise and delight (or perhaps you'll experience it for yourself) when I saw @RockstarGames, who I follow on Twitter, Tweet this Tweet just two days ago. Plain and simple: In the coming weeks Rockstar will announce future DLC for "Red Dead Redemption"! Yeehaw! My cowboy avatar is already polishing his spurs for the occasion.

What's more? Earlier this week, Rockstar announced the Quadruple XP event that is officially underway and will go until midnight on July 4th. Jump into multiplayer for your Xbox 360 or PS3 to begin reaping these benefits. All multiplayer modes (even Free Roam!) will take your experience and times it by four! I took advantage of the opportunity and played a couple rounds of Undead Overrun earlier today. Two others and I made it 8 rounds one time. That battle was fierce and there were too many close-calls than I'd like to remember... Best of all, each time I garnered at least 2000 XP! I will continue to capitalize on this current event and hopefully reach level 20 (or more?) by the time it is over.

Now (especially this weekend...) is as good a time as any to pick up this game if you haven't already. Sure, there will inevitably and eventually be a "Game of the Year" version of sorts with all the DLC included, which would no doubt be the best buy, but if you haven't picked up the game and played through the single-player and tried your hand at the multiplayer (as the gameplay photo above depicts, forming a posse with other players looks and feels so awesome), you are missing out on one of the finest experiences video games currently have to offer.