Nintendo Network Announced

Nintendo have announced the Nintendo Network; an online service for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, which will allow customers to browse and purchase content as well as connect with other gamers.

For the Wii U, Nintendo plan to introduce personal accounts, which will also be fully compatible with the Nintendo Network.

The Wii U will launch between E3 and the end of the calendar year.

The Witcher 2 – Xbox 360 Info

CD Projekt have revealed that the Xbox 360 version of third-person RPG The Witcher 2: Enhanced Edition will be released on 17th April.

The console version of the game will include new cinematics, four additional hours of gameplay, new characters and locations and more.  A PC version of the Enhanced Edition will also be available for sale, whilst existing owners will receive the new content via a free download.

An exclusive Dark Edition, including some extras for hardcore fans and collectors, will also be made available on the same date.

The Witcher II has also been announced as one of the upcoming additions EA’s digital distribution service Origin, along with Trion Worlds’ RIFT.

Rayman Origins announced for PC

Ubisoft has announced a release date of 30th March for the PC version of Rayman Origins, the platform game previously released in November for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii.  Releases for the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita are yet to be announced.

The game can be pre-ordered now on the UbiShop, for £19.99.

Rayman Origins will have a one time activation for digital download versions, with no DRM for boxed copies (via RockPaperShotgun).

Steam for Mobile Devices

Valve have today announced the launch of a Steam mobile app for iOS and Android!

The free app will allow customers to access the gaming news feeds and check out games on the Steam store, as well as connecting with friends through Steam profiles, chat, and Steam groups.

The app is currently in beta, and you can express interest in joining by signing in to Steam through the app.  New users will be rolled into the beta at a later time.

Terraria – Exclusive Collectors’ Edition

Terraria, the adventure action sandbox game by Re-Logic, is being released on the 16th March, on retail store Merge Games as an exclusive Collectors’ Edition, with an in-game pet, physical toy pick, trading cards and a poster.

The price? £19.95.

Terraria has been available for download since May 2011, and is currently available on Steam for £5.99.

Rumours about the Next Xbox

Sources at Kotaku have claimed that the next Xbox, dubbed the Xbox 720 by reporters, will play Blu-Ray, introduce Kinect 2.. and may not play used games.

It is not clear how the system would prevent gamers from playing used games.

The first chips for the new Xbox development kits have been reported as being in production now, which means the new Xbox may be ready by late 2013.

The Darkness II – Demo Release

The demo for The Darkness II has now been released on Steam and Xbox Live, with the PSN release following tomorrow.

The Darkness II, by Digital Extremes and 2K Games, takes place two years after the events of the first game, and lead character Jackie is struggling to keep The Darkness inside.

The game releases in the UK on February 7th!

Indie Royale – The Serious Sam Lightning Pack

Indie Royale‘s first Lightning Round brings us a bundle of Serious Sam themed indies, containing Serious Sam: The Random Encounter, Serious Sam Double D, Serious Sam: Kamikaze Attack, and Serious Sam: The First & Second Encounter.  The bonus game is Serious Sam: The Greek Encounter, a top-down, 8 bit version of the game.

This bundle is on sale for just 100 hours, on the same pay what you want scheme all the previous sales have used.

The Serious Sam Indie Series was commissioned by Devolver Digital with the support of Croteam around the release of Serious Sam 3: BFE.  More information on the pack is available here.

UFC Undisputed 3 Demo

THQ have released a demo for UFC Undisputed 3, downloadable on PSN and Xbox Live now for the US, and tomorrow for the UK and everyone else.  The game itself is due out in the UK on February 17th, on both PS3 and 360.

The demo allows players to fight in a UFC matchup between light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and middleweight champion Anderson Silva, or take part in a PRIDE match between Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson and Wanderlei Silva.  Players can also try out a mirror match, against friends or AI, where both play as the same fighter!

TF2 Maps – Level Design Contest

Team Fortress 2 modding site TF2Maps.net are currently running a level design competition for maps with an all-new dynamic payload element.

Exactly what this element involves is up to the level designer, giving them the freedom to exercise their own creativity to come up with something quite different.

More details and rules are available on the competition page.