Lots of news in the gaming world last week. Here’s a quick run down.

• BlizzCon Sold Out… Stay tuned for a third round of tickets. Buy tix.
• Lord Of The Rings Online follows D&D Online by becoming free. The game will instead make money through premium content such as expansions, equipment and quests. You can get the Beta now.
• Heroes of Might and Magic Online  Open Beta due to be released on 11 June 2010.
• Alpha Protocol released. Is this a sign of what we can expect from Fallout New Vegas?
  Reviews:
  • Gamespot 6.0/10
  • IGN 6.3/10
  • Amazon 3/5
  • 1UP B+
• Company of Heroes Online announced to be released in Fall 2010. Read more in the Q&A.

Alpha Protocol

…and get this, it’s not a linear FPS either, but a full blown RPG. Can you say awesome much? While initial screenshots so that graphics not looking quite as glamorous as games like Call of Duty or the new Battlefield, the gameplay looks like it more than makes up for it. The ultra realistic hand to hand and ranged combat will definitely be leaving the FPS genre developers shaking in their boots.

Your choices throughout the game consist of (but are not limited to):

• Good spy or bad spy?
• How would you like to defeat your enemies?
  • Get up close and personal
  • Take them out from a distance
  • Use tech gadgets to sneak your way around them all together
• Slow down time and take careful aim at your enemies before taking them out in a blaze
• Fully customize your character through a brand new character creation
• Make spur of the moment decisions in the heat of the situation that could seriously effect later gameplay. Do it now!

[Hi-Ya!]

Who is making it?
This is a joint project between Sega and Obsidian. It’s great to see the old Interplay crew so busy, I just hope they can keep up with the demand of all this new work.

Alpha Protocol Release Date
Here’s what you are looking for: Thursday 27 May 2010. That will be the release date for all three platforms (PC, PS3 and Xbox360).

Pre-order it… Quick!

Amazon have the pre-order button raring to go. Take advantage of their price guarantee: If the price goes down between when you pre-ordered and the release date, you get the difference back!

Alpha Protocol

Keep up to date with the online developers video diary

Regular videos with all the insider news are being posted on the SEGA Europe Youtube Channel or on the Official Website.

Check out the teaser trailer: