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The Battlefield Bad Company 2 review embargo just went live, and the general consensus is “good God yes”. Get the lot after the break.

• Eurogamer – 9
• 1UP – A-
• play.tm – 93%
• Videogamer – 9
• IGN – 8.9
• TeamXbox – 9.5

If you have any more links to add, do so below.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is released today in the US, while it gets a UK release on Friday for PS3, 360 and PC.

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If a forum thread on the Steam forums has found what some think its found, what you’re looking at above is the first image from Portal 2.

RPS uncovered the pic, which shows a room in what looks like the Enrichment Center, showing the Companion Cube and then some.

It’s been public knowledge for over two years that Portal 2 has been in the making. Former Valve member Kim Swift let slip there was a sequel on the way at GDC 2008, although chances are she may have also been referring to Portal: Still Alive for Xbox 360.

All this comes as Valve released a mysterious update for the original yesterday, adding in radio messages coded in morse.

Hopefully we’ll find out sooner than later. Please?

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Sony’s trademarked Arc in Japan. We have no idea why.

The name is thought to be that of the PlayStation Motion Controller that was due at some point this spring, but was delayed until fall.

Sources told VG247 that’s what the wand would be called.

As well as that, a substantial amount of evidence – such as a domain registration and a slip of the tongue from THQ president Brian Farrell – has pointed the way to being just that.

Sony’s due to show off the controller next week at GDC in San Francisco.

Thanks, Siliconera.

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Konami’s released a new batch of screens, art and renders for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow.

They’re after the break.

The reboot, developed by Madrid-based studio Mercury Steam and overseen by Kojima Productions, is due for a release sometime this year for PS3 and 360.

We interviewed producer Dave Cox, recently. Find the full Q&A here.

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Ubisoft’s Max Beland has said Splinter Cell will probably end up coming to PS3 and other platforms after the release of Conviction in April.

Since the start of this generation, only two games in the series has appeared – Double Agent and Conviction – with the former coming to 360 first, before heading to PS3 and Wii at a later date.

But Conviction is a fully-fledged exclusive on Xbox 360 and PC, with no release planned for other consoles.

Despite that, Beland reckons future SC titles will be coming to PS3. Just don’t hedge any bets on Conviction jumping ship.

“I joined Splinter Cell after the exclusivity deal with Microsoft had already been signed, but there’s no reason why Splinter Cell couldn’t be on the PS3,” he told Edge.

“Conviction? No, because of the exclusivity deal. I know people keep talking about maybe, maybe not, [but] at Ubisoft Montreal I haven’t seen anyone working on PS3 for Conviction.

“If Microsoft wants an exclusivity deal, they don’t call me, it’s Yves [Guillemot, Ubisoft CEO] dealing with the business people. But yeah, I guess we could even be a PS3 exclusive if there’s a deal that makes people happy there.”

Splinter Cell: Conviction is due for release on April 13 in the US, and April 16 in the UK for 360 and PC.

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It’s been announced Ignition’s picked up publishing rights to futuristic shooter Blacklight, now known as Blacklight: Tango Down.

The Zombie Studios-developed title was announced last year, but nothing more’s been heard on the game until now.

The FPS will be released as a download on Xbox Live Arcade, PC and PlayStation Network this summer, although no exact date was given.

“We’re excited to be working on a gripping new franchise that will deliver the intense action, thoughtful tactics and in-depth strategies of today’s best multiplayer shooters immersed in an all new universe that gamers will really sink their teeth into,” said Ignition’s head of publishing, Ajay Chadha.

“We could not ask for a better partner than Ignition,” said Zombie’s Mark Long. “Their digital distribution focus is visionary.  It matches the aspirations we have for this franchise which already include a feature film and comic.”

Find the full press release below, along with a new trailer for the game.

IGNITION ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES BLACKLIGHT: TANGO DOWN
Zombie Studios’ New First Person Shooter to Deliver Intense Multiplayer,
AAA Game Quality through Downloadable Channels on Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3 and PC

GLENDALE, CA – March 2nd 2010 – Ignition Entertainment, a UTV Media Communication Company, and Zombie Studios are developing Blacklight: Tango Down, a near-future first person shooter that will offer AAA-quality military shooter action in a downloadable package. Blacklight: Tango Down will be available Summer 2010 through Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®Network for PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and for personal computer.

“We’re excited to be working on a gripping new franchise that will deliver the intense action, thoughtful tactics and in-depth strategies of today’s best multiplayer shooters immersed in an all new universe that gamers will really sink their teeth into,” said Ajay Chadha, Head of Worldwide Publishing, Ignition Entertainment. “Blacklight: Tango Down is set to change the way gamers view the possibilities of downloadable content because it will offer shooter fans the top quality, deep content and exciting experience that they are used to finding in a retail product but in a downloadable package.”

“We could not ask for a better partner than Ignition,” said Mark Long, of Zombie. “Their digital distribution focus is visionary. It matches the aspirations we have for this franchise which already include a feature film and comic.”

Blacklight: Tango Down is a fast-paced first person shooter based in a new fictional universe called Blacklight. Utilizing the cutting-edge graphical power of Unreal Engine 3, Blacklight: Tango Down’s near-future setting is brought to life with disturbingly detailed and old-world architecture dripping with modern sci-fi lighting and brightly lit advertisements, an effect that causes each environment to appear both futuristically alien as well as hauntingly familiar.

Blacklight: Tango Down will deliver some of the most exciting multiplayer gameplay available in the shooter category and features numerous gameplay styles and functionality. These modes include traditional formats like Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch & Control Point, with other modes being .announced in the build up to launch.

Blacklight: Tango Down will set itself apart from other games by virtue of its incredibly deep customization features. Players will be able to alter and upgrade not only their character through experience gained on the battlefield, but also their weapons. Weapon customizations will unlock as the player gains skill and experience points and will include more basic add-ons like sniper scopes as well as more complex enhancements, such as improved accuracy.

Blacklight: Tango Down is expected to be available in Summer 2010 through Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation® Network for PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and PC via various digital outlets. www.playtangodown.com

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Rare’s just confirmed it’s got new offices in Birmingham, coming after rumour suggested the developer was to move its entire operation away from Twycross.

The new facility will be a “complement” to Rare’s fabled Twycross HQ.

The new site’s “main area of focus will be as a production, test and usability site to accommodate Rare’s evolving methodology in game creation”.

Chatter dictates the Birmingham facility is to be used as a test-bed for Rare’s Natal projects, one of which is rumoured to be a fitness game.

PR below.

NEW STUDIO FACILITY FOR RARE

Rare is to open a new second studio facility in Fazeley Studios, Digbeth Birmingham in April which will complement Rare’s longstanding headquarters in Twycross. The new studio represents a move on Rare’s part to change the current model of games development working practices. It will enable them to attract contract staff from a large pool of talent. Fazeley’s main area of focus will be as a production, test and usability site to accommodate Rare’s evolving methodology in game creation. In time it is hoped that Fazeley will house a world class usability lab.

The location of Fazeley offers a central urban setting which is very accessible and in the digital media hub of Birmingham.

Rare believes that the current model of massive teams has lead to a boom and bust cycle in staffing terms and sees a film production model as a far better and more efficient way of creating triple A games going forward . The Fazeley studio will be home to some 90 staff working on new Rare games although number will fluctuate with the development cycle.

Digbeth is close to several universities and colleges and so is ideally placed for recruiting new staff.

In announcing the new Rare facility Studio Head Mark Betteridge said “ The old way of making games just doesn’t work anymore , we need to be much more flexible in how we staff a team and setting up new facility in Digbeth will help us to do this . Its central location and the nature of other businesses in the area make it a very appealing environment in which to work. While we are committed to keeping our headquarters in Twycross, we feel a second studio in a more urban location will be appealing to some staff.”

Rare worked closely with a number of regional development bodies including Advantage West Midlands to find the perfect premises and feels that Fazeley will be a great adjunct to the company’s main operation.

Jane Holmes, International Investment Manager at Advantage West Midlands, said: “Rare’s move is fantastic news for the West Midlands, not least because it will bring 90 high technology jobs to the region, along with a major, globally successful company.

“The West Midlands has a long-established video games industry, accounting for one quarter of the UK games workforce. Rare’s arrival will further strengthen the region’s reputation around the world for excellence in computer games.”

Lucan Gray, who created Fazeley Studios, added: “I am delighted that Rare has chosen Fazeley Studios for its second base. The fact that a Microsoft Games Studio is coming to Digbeth shows how things have moved on in the area in the last couple of years, in spite of the challenging economic background. Our aim is for Digbeth to be the geographic heart of Birmingham’s digital economy. You can’t get much better than Microsoft arriving as a vote of confidence in our ability to deliver that aim”.

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Bungie has said it’s going to drop a massive multiplayer “bomb” on Halo: Reach at some point today.

Creative Director Marcus Lehto made the tease in the latest post on the title’s developer’s blog.

He said: “On another note, I hope you all like the MP bomb we’re about to drop on the world in about a day. Enjoy!”

Could this be the reveal of the “super-secret” multiplayer mode for the shooter that was hinted back in January?

It was announced last month that the shooter’s multiplayer beta would begin on May 3.

The game itself releases sometime in fall for 360.

Thanks, IGN.

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