Have you been wondering if StarCraft II if worth playing? Well it seems 3 million people can't be wrong. StarCraft II has everything an RTS fan, new or old would want or need in a game. And now the proof is in the sales reports. Today, Blizzard announced that in its first month Blizzard announced that StarCraft II has sold 3 million units in its first month of release.

"We appreciate all the enthusiasm that players around the world have shown for StarCraft II," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "It was important to us to deliver an overall gameplay experience that was accessible, balanced, and fun, and it’s been gratifying to see how strongly the global community has already embraced the game."

Not bad for game we've been waiting for the last ten years. Hopefully the next iteration does as well. I'm not sure it's going to be a problem.

When you pick up the Xbox 360 controller, you might notice a useless disc to lower right of the left analog stick. When it's a D-pad, and most gamers and developers have forgotten about it. This is why Microsoft went to great lengths to rework the controller all over again.

This time around, MS took a look at the D-pad and reworked it into a usable part of the controller. Now with a simple twist of the D-pad, you can turn it from a disc to a semi-true D-pad. Also the buttons have been repainted with a gray scale color scheme.

This isn't a perfect solution but it's the best you're going to find. That is until you hear about the price. For a new color scheme, reworked d-pad and semi-new controller design along with a change-and-play pack you'll have to turn over a cool $64.99. It may sound a little steep but if you're looking for a new controller this is the one to buy.

Look for the new Xbox 360 controller on November 9, 2010 for $64.99.

Source: Major Nelson

Worms recently made a big splash on Steam. Now with the game doing so well, you might think about running out to Target and pick up a copy of the game. The only problem is the game isn't available in stores. This is a digital only game and this is becoming the norm for most upcoming PC titles. In fact the makers of Worms, Team 17 made it clear that this is going to be their continued intend for the future of their games.

In an article with MCV, Team 17 co-founder Martyn Brown explained, “Digital distribution has allowed easy and direct access to the game for millions of customers at a time when it has become difficult to get attention at retail.”

As the world continues down the digital path, more and more companies will lean towards a digital only sales model. This could be a good thing for gamers but it is a double edged sword. Third party publishers are a pain in the ass for just about every game designer. They poke around at bad times for mostly bad reason but in the end they put up the money for most games so again there are always two sides to every story. Fortunately for this one it looks like Team 17 is happy with their decision and ready to go solo.

Source: MCV

The biggest thorn in the side of any Xbox 360 owner has to be paying for LIVE. It's the service no-one wants to pay for but it's the service we can't live without. Since the release of LIVE, gamers have constantly cried foul over its cost and demanded a lowering of the service’s price or a removal of the payments altogether. Recently Microsoft answered those demands with the announcement of a rate increase for LIVE.

In normal Microsoft fashion, rather than providing the service at the current rate of $49.99 a year, the good people at MS now need an extra $10 to continue the providing the same quality of service. This new price increase will begin on November 1, 2010.

Now to be fair, LIVE isn't something to be upset about. Without it, the Xbox 360 is just an over-sized paper weight and with it you're introduced to largest online console community around. This however won't justify another $10 year but again to be fair, the price of the service hasn't gone up since the introduction of the service. Plus since nearly every game comes with an redemption card with LIVE time on it, you might not even need to worry about than extra 10 dollars.

Oh, by the way PSN is still free.

Source: Major Nelson

When Disney announced Disney Epic Mickey, two things piqued the interest of gamers. First this is a game from the legendary game creator Warren Spector and second, the Wii and Mickey fans will finally get a game worth playing. Now, the game world is rocked again by the news that Disney isn’t just releasing a good game but you also have the opportunity to get a new Collector’s Edition as well.

"We're thrilled to roll out this Collectors' Edition featuring so many unique items including the collectible Disney Epic Mickey figurine and content that will surprise and delight gamers and Disney fans alike," said Graham Hopper, executive vice president and general manager, Disney Interactive Studios. "The addition of the bonus DVD with behind-the-scenes video and more will enhance and expand the overall Disney Epic Mickey experience."

This sounds like the ultimate edition for Mickey game fans of all ages. Look for it Disney Epic Mickey this holiday season exclusively for Wii. The Disney Epic Mickey Collectors' Edition will retail at $69.99 and the standard edition will retail at $49.99. For more information on Disney Epic Mickey, please visit the game’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/DisneyEpicMickey. 

This is a big opportunity for RTS fans with consoles. The demo for R.U.S.E. was released on the PlayStation 3 through PSN.

This demo should give you a good idea of what the game has to offer. Plus with it on the PS3, it could be the first time you try this style of game on a console. During the PC run of the R.U.S.E. beta, players got a firsthand look at R.U.S.E. and its many mysteries. Now you can enjoy the same level of play on the PS3.

In this demo, like in the PC end of things, you have the control of a single Army in an attempt to overtake a single opponent. To complete this take you mush the game’s tricks know as, you guessed it, a ruse to defeat the enemy.

Look for R.U.S.E. now on PSN but that’s not all. It should be noted that R.U.S.E. will support Move when the time is right as Move it released. The overall intent of R.U.S.E. is provide an RTS like no other RTS before it so Move is perfect way to display this to console users.

 

If EA has their numbers right, Madden NFL 11 was the top-selling game at retail in August, across North America at least. Of better news for EA was that year-to-year sales saw a 5% increase. Along with this news, EA also announced the launch of their Facebook brand of football Madden NFL Superstars.

Twisted Pixel gained themselves a lot of fans with their 2 previous games Splosion Man and The Maw since each featured unique, creative gameplay, and a fantastic offbeat sense of humor, and their latest offering Comic Jumper doesn’t look to be any different. In a joint announcement with Microsoft, Twisted Pixel let fly a whole range of information ranging from Comic Jumper’s price, release date, PAX showing, and more.

So up above is the freshly minted box art for Sega’s Sonic Free Riders, but how much will it cost those of you looking forward to pantomiming hoverboard racing?

Anyone looking to enlist again with the Gallian Military can march over to their local retailer and procure a copy of Valkyria Chronicles II, now available for the PSP. Those not keen on a trip to the retail store can snag the downloadable version available through the PS3 storefront.