If there’s one thing Serious Sam isn’t so serious about, it’s keeping appointments. Devolver Digital and Croteam today announced the second delay for the PC version of Serious Sam 3: BFE, pushing the game’s launch back to November 22.

The PC game was originally announced as a summer release and then issued what would turn out to be an equally erroneous October 18 launch date. There is still no word on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 editions of the game, which were announced for summer but have not been given a new release window.

You won’t see Serious Sam 3 launch for another month. This poor guy won’t see it launch ever.

A prequel to Serious Sam: The First Encounter, BFE takes place in 22nd-century Egypt amid a collapsing civilization beset by unearthly beasts. The game sees the return of the series’ signature adversaries like the Headless Kamikaze and Gnaar, as well as new opponents going by names like Scrapjack and Khnum.

Serious Sam 3′s gameplay also features a number of additions, with Sam in particular getting an assortment of new melee moves. Additionally, up to 16 players at a time can play through the game’s cooperative campaign mode.

For more on Serious Sam 3: BFE, check out GameSpot’s previous coverage.

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Due out November 8 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection includes “optimized and rebuilt” versions of classic PlayStation 2 and PSP installments in Konami’s stealth-action franchise. However, the publisher has even more in store for fans looking to relive Snake’s history via a limited edition for the high-def compilation pack.

MGS HD LTD ED.

In addition to updated versions of Metal Gear Sold 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, the limited edition of the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection will contain a 248-page art book and special packaging illustrated by lead artist Yoji Shinkawa. The standard iteration of the MGS HD Collection will retail for $50, but Konami did not note a price for the limited edition.

The HD updates pave the way for Konami’s latest game-transferring initiative, which Konami vice president Hideo Kojima has dubbed “transfarring.” Transfarring allows players to play through a game on both the PS3 and PSP by wirelessly transferring a save file between the two.

The first game to take advantage of this initiative will be the HD Collection version of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker for the PS3. However, Kojima hopes to expand this program by bringing the transfarring functionality to PlayStation 2 games, whereby saves would be mobile to and from the PS3 and PlayStation Vita. The final evolution of this system, according to Kojima, is to create all-new games for the PS3 and PlayStation Vita that make use of transfarring.

For more on the MGS HD Collection, check out GameSpot’s latest preview.

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Today Kotaku confirmed that developer Cyanide Studio is indeed working on another Game of Thrones title. Having just finished the RTS A Game of Thrones: Genesis, the studio is now working on an RPG set in George R.R. Martin’s fantasy universe.

It will take place during the same time frame as the HBO TV series and the first book, Game of Thrones. The RPG is described by Studio Director Yves Bordelea as drawing inspiration from several BioWare titles. For instance he likens the combat in the Game of Thrones RPG to Knights of the Old Republic, where it doesn’t completely pause the game when you give orders, but slows down time considerably.

The story will also be akin to the style of the novels, switching back and forth between two playable characters. Famous characters from the novel series will appear in the RPG, but will not be playable.

According to the original story there will also be some choices that affect the story, with Bordelea stating that “some of your actions and choices will have consequences in the game story.”

The Game of Thrones RPG is targeted for release in early 2012. We’ll have more information as details become available.

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Pushing back the PC release for multiplatform games is becoming Ubisoft’s standard operating procedure. The PC versions of Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, Tom Clancy’s HAWX 2, Driver: San Francisco, and Call of Juarez: The Cartel all trailed their console counterparts, and the publisher might be adding one more to that list.

Revelations might come to pass two weeks later on PC.

According to a Eurogamer report, Ubisoft’s official Czech Facebook page was updated with news that the PC edition of Assassin’s Creed: Revelations would hit stores on December 2, a couple of weeks after the console versions’ November 15 debut. The update was apparently pulled, as the link provided by Eurogamer to the Facebook update regarding the delay points instead to a notice that the content in question is unavailable.

Specialty retailer GameStop also apparently believes the game will be pushed back, as it lists the physical and digital release dates for the PC edition of Revelations as November 29. As of press time, a Ubisoft representative had not responded to GameSpot’s request for comment.

Revelations will follow the story of Ezio, who was first introduced in Assassin’s Creed II. This time out, Ezio will seek out the haunts of original Assassin’s Creed protagonist Altair, visiting such Middle East strongholds as the Ottoman Empire’s Constantinople. There, Ezio will once again take up arms against the Templar order.

For more on the game, check out GameSpot’s previous coverage.

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Following the release of the well-received Portal 2 in April, Valve marketing director Doug Lombardi said the puzzle game would receive free downloadable content over the summer. However, summer has come and gone without further word on the DLC.

Portal 2 gets more co-op content next week.

Valve ended its silence today, titling the complimentary DLC “Portal 2: Peer Review” and scheduling it to arrive simultaneously on the PC, Mac, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 next Tuesday, October 4.

The pack continues the cooperative adventures of P-Body and Atlas, who will ultimately take on GLaDOS in a new test track. The pack also includes a Challenge mode playable both in single-player and co-op, as well as leaderboard support.

Portal 2–which has shipped 2 million units–is the continuation of the 2007 Orange Box pack-in Portal. The single-player portion of the new title continues the travails of human lab rat Chell, who in the original game used a portal gun to create interdimensional openings on ceilings, walls, and floors in an effort to escape the Aperture Science labs and thwart the diabolical artificial intelligence known as GLaDOS.

For more on the title, check out GameSpot’s review of Portal 2.

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To most gamers, the amazing vistas and destructible scenery of Battlefield 3 is a thing of impressive beauty. But not for the development team. Oh no. According to DICE executive producer Patrick Bach, all he can see while playing the game are visual imperfections and slight animation problems.

Bach made the comments while speaking to The Wall Street Journal:

We have shown this game to many people, and we have gotten approval from our audience that this is going to be something really special. But I’m still extremely nervous, not about what other people will think, but about how I will feel about the game. My biggest worry is that I will feel bad about the product. For me my job is very personal.

Just before this interview I was extremely upset about how ugly our animations looked in a specific part of the game. But five minutes later I realized that I was comparing it to our own standards. Every other game developer would have been extremely happy with that animation.

It’s not just Battlefield 3 that is keeping Bach awake at night, he had the same issues with Battlefield: Bad Company 2:

“I don’t know why, but I always feel ashamed about the games I’m involved in making. I can’t even bring myself to start up ‘Battlefield Bad Company 2,’ our last game, because I feel so ashamed. I know it is a great product but still I only see the things we could have done better.”

The beta of Battlefield 3 officially launched a couple of days ago, and despite the apparent negativity of some of DICE’s spokesmen, the game looks very promising. Battlefield 3 will see full release on October 25.

Thanks, The Wall Street Journal, via VG247.

Spy Guy says: This guy really needs to just pick up a M16 and relax already. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 looked amazing, and Battlefield 3 looks even better. Still, the interview goes some way to explaining why the Battlefield franchise is so good… because these guys are seriously obsessed.

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This holiday season sees the release of numerous high-profile titles, and according to tracking firm Nielsen, Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is the most wanted game of all.

Online conversations about Modern Warfare 3 are driven by launch parties and talk of a “darker mood.”

Nielsen recently published its “Top 20 Games to Watch” and the Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games-developed shooter topped all others by a significant margin. According to Nielsen, 27 percent of respondents designated Modern Warfare 3 as one of the top five titles they intend to purchase during the 2011 holiday season.

The next two most coveted games of the season, based on Nielsen’s data, are the recently released Gears of War 3 and Madden NFL 12. Both games found their way onto 19 percent of respondents’ lists.

Just one title on the list–Dead Island–is a new intellectual property. All others are either sequels or extensions of existing franchises.

Other games making the list include forthcoming titles Assassin’s Creed: Revelations (17 percent), Batman: Arkham City (15 percent), The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (14 percent), and Battlefield 3 (12 percent).

Nielsen’s online survey of what it calls “active gamers,” was conducted from August 21 to September 17 of this year. Supplemental information was provided by Nielsen company NM Incite, which mined more than 417 million online conversations about the top 20 games to determine the top factors for hype.

According to NM Incite, Modern Warfare 3 conversations tended to be centered on launch parties, changes to the game, a “darker mood,” and the difference between the Hardened version and its standard counterpart. Gamers excited about Assassin’s Creed: Revelations are interested in the game’s multiplayer component. Further, based on the firm’s findings, gamers enthusiastic about Batman: Arkham City are interested in finding out which villains they will face.

For more on the study and what drove the online conversations regarding games on the list, check out Nielsen’s official blog.

Nielsen’s Top 20 Games to Watch for Holiday 2011
(Title–Percent of players listing it among their top five)

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3–27 percent
2. Gears of War 3–19 percent
3. Madden NFL 12–19 percent
4. Assassin’s Creed: Revelations–17 percent
5. Batman: Arkham City–15 percent
6. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword–14 percent
7. Battlefield 3–12 percent
8. Just Dance 3–12 percent
9. NBA 2K12–9 percent
10. Need for Speed: The Run–9 percent
11. Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception–9 percent
12. Mario Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games–8 percent
13. Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7–8 percent
14. FIFA Soccer 12–8 percent
15. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim–8 percent
16. Dead Island–7 percent
17. Kinect Sports: Season 2–6 percent
18. Resistance 3–4 percent
19. Dance Central 2–4 percent
20. Deus Ex: Human Revolution–3 percent

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Ever wondered what Team Fortress 2 would look like as a 2D side-scrolling beat ‘em up? Me neither. But indie game developer Eric Ruth sure did, and the result is Team Fortress Arcade. Think Final Fight on the SNES… but with pyros.

The free downloadable game features ten levels, nine playable characters and, of course, co-op play. Players take control of the blue team… and fight bosses from the red team at the end of each stage.

Speaking to Piki Geek, Eric Roth said he also wanted to include a hat collecting feature, but in the end it was too difficult to program:

I would LOVE to keep the hat stuff intact, but because this game is a sprite based 2D game, that means that I would have to draw hats directly on to sprites, which means that there would be a LOT of room and A LOT of extra programming just to add a functioning hat system that ultimately has no place in a side-scroller anyways. It’s not that I don’t care or I don’t love hat collecting, but its just not realistic for this title. There is a nod to some in-game hats in TFA though, so keep your eyes peeled.

If you need a break from your usual TF2 action, then download Team Fortress Arcade via Piki Geek. Remember, it’s free!

Thanks, Joystiq.

Spy Guy says: Eric Roth is a prolific “de-maker” and is responsible for retro tributes to such next-gen titles as Halo, Left 4 Dead and DJ Hero. You can check out his work at his official website.

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It wasn’t too long ago when the SSX series was all the rage. With four games on the PlayStation 2 (as well as with appearances on other platforms), the SSX franchise was a critical and commercial success for Electronic Arts. But with the release of SSX Blur on the Wii in 2007, which was largely made up of assets from previous games, the franchise appeared dead. Until 2012, that is, when a new SSX is set to be released.

SSX is coming to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. A reboot of sorts, it reimagines what the series has already done to help steer the snowboarding subgenre of sports games away from the Coolboarders and 1080′s of the world and into something of its very own. Unlike older SSX games and many snowboarding games in general, this version of SSX seems to take a different approach, one of non-linearity combined with plenty of options for the gamer. For instance, while the older SSX games had a very limited track selection, the new game will contain something like 9 ranges, 27 peaks and about 100 separate drops, which helps mix things up right off the bat.

The demo of SSX I got to play was pre-alpha and contained three tracks: Himalayas West, Patagonia and Siberia. The Himalayas track is old news, as we saw that way back at E3, but the Siberia and Patagonia maps offered something new that we hadn’t yet seen. The Siberia track is especially fresh for those who have been following SSX’s development. It was never seen at all before the day I played it.

What’s most promising about SSX’s tracks isn’t only their non-linearity, but also the themes of each individual slope. These aren’t just sterile mountains placed in various places around the globe without anything to really differentiate them; you don’t have to be a geologist to figure out where you are and what’s going on. The Himalayas track takes place around the Great Wall of China, for instance, while Siberia has you weaving in and out of an abandoned Soviet nuclear power plant. The scenery is a really nice touch.

Unfortunately, the controls in SSX felt too loose for my liking, leaving me hoping they can be tightened up in future before its release. The iteration I played had a decidedly arcade-like feel, but also felt a bit too unwieldy. SSX isn’t a true-to-form snowboarding experience that forces you to realistically lean into turns and anticipate your movements well ahead of time; this is a game that allows you to launch your way into the air, pull off unreal and completely gnarly moves, and land just to do it all again. So it begs the question: why are the analog sticks so unresponsive?

Granted, this could be excused, as SSX is still pre-alpha, and I also hadn’t played it before this, so perhaps I wasn’t as good as I had hoped. But accessibility could certainly be a problem if the control scheme remains this loose and unresponsive, as I was certainly turned off by the experience, regardless of how promising everything else in the game seemed. I want to be able to precisely control my character’s movements, and it just wasn’t happening.

Of course, executing tricks as you’re working your way down the mountain is at the heart of SSX, and those controls work great. Using the face buttons to jump and pull off tricks once airborne is actually responsive, and while the game is extremely forgiving in terms of letting you land unscathed as soon as you pull off your final trick no matter how awkward or last-minute that last trick was, that’s exactly what I’m looking for in a game like this: an arcade experience.

SSX is thankfully still a ways out, giving the team at EA time to develop the entire experience. And while there’s reasons to be wary moving forward (primarily in terms of actually controlling your boarder as they shred down the mountain), SSX could still shape up to be a polished and worthwhile experience for those looking to delve back into this classic PS2-era franchise.

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PC gamers tend to draw the short straw when it comes to the release of multi-platform games (particularly if those games are developed by Ubisoft). Well, PC brethren, you now have yet another reason to feel neglected, because reports suggest that you will be playing Assassin’s Creed Revelations two weeks later than your console peers.

Eurogamer reports that the Czech arm of Ubisoft announced the delay via a Facebook status update. Assassin’s Creed Revelations will now be available for the PC on December 2nd. The game will still launch for PS3 and Xbox on November 15.

Ubisoft has a history of doing this. The PC versions of From Dust and Driver: San Francisco were also released after the launch of their console counterparts.

However, it’s not all bad news. Ubisoft has also released a new trailer for the game, showing the deadly “hook blade” weapon:

Thanks, Eurogamer.

Spy Guy says: Sure, it’s only two weeks. But it’s the principle of the matter: PC gamers are (sometimes) treated like second-class citizens. At least the delay is not as bad as that affecting L.A. Noire. Hell, that game won’t be released for PC until November (six months after its console release).

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