There is someone in the world, as I write these lines, who has been waiting for almost a decade to be able to download Gungrave: Overdose. He unjustifiably loves the game, and believes it would be even better if the game could be downloadable on its Playstation hard drive. Eight years have passed and the long awaited miracle has finally crossed over from hope to reality.

Scott Tyler Clary is one of the names you’ll be hearing a lot about at Rio 2016 after the retirement of Michael Phelps. The Olympic gold medalist made his debut at London 2012, but he’s been winning medals his entire life. Clary won gold in the 200-meter backstroke in Olympic record time. In total, he has won eleven medals in major international competitions: one gold, seven silver, and three bronze spanning the Summer Olympics, FINA World Championships, Pan Pacific Championships and Pan American Games. He talks about his gaming background and his love of World of Warcraft in this exclusive video interview below.

Maria Menounos is used to video games. She went virtual as a Bond girl in Electronic Arts’ remake of From Russia with Love. Most recently, the “Extra” TV reporter got into the wrestling ring and tried life out as a WWE Diva. She talks about THQ’s WWE 13 game and her own gaming background at SummerSlam in the exclusive video interview below.

Upon seeing the launch trailer to this game I was really expecting to play a mindlessly over-the-top, silly and lighthearted samurai action/adventure game in a similar style to the likes of Saints Row, but what you get with Way of the Samurai 4 by developer Acquire is something a lot more reminiscent of a teenage boy who can’t decide whether he wants to grow up or hold onto his immature ways.

SQUARE ENIX HOLDINGS is introducing a new technology service for high definition games in the browser called COREONLINE. Developed by Hapti.co studio, a wholly owned Square Enix Group subsidiary, COREONLINE allows users to easily play popular, console quality games on the web. The new digital distribution service will bypass retail and bring classic games instantly online, including Tomb Raider titles, for free with advertising or paid without ads. Camilla Luddington talks Lara Croft in the exclusive video below.

With an NHL lockout looming, Electronic Arts is opening up the sport of videogame hockey in September. For the first time ever in a professional league simulation sports video game, EA SPORTS NHL 13 has added female athletes as playable characters. Former Team USA superstar Angela Ruggiero will join former Team Canada great Hayley Wickenheiser, both four-time Olympic Ice Hockey medalists, as playable legends in NHL 13. NHL Hall of Famers Doug Gilmour, Jari Kurri, and NHL legend Dominik Hasek will also be added to the roster of legends which includes the likes of Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. The NHL 13 demo is available for download now via Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. Promising the biggest year on year innovation to the franchise on this console generation, NHL 13 will be available on September 11, 2012 in North America.

Nintendo fans found a spectacular way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the iconic Kirby video game character. On Sept. 1 at the PAX Prime conference in Seattle, 536 attendees gathered together and set a new Guinness World Records achievement for the most people blowing a chewing gum bubble simultaneously. Participants had fun blowing bubbles that resembled the round, pink Kirby and helped Nintendo of America celebrate, after a representative from Guinness World Records confirmed the official record-setting count.

World Golf Tour has slowly, but surely, grown its audience of golf enthusiasts over the years. The free-to-play golf game is the most popular online golf game in the world, beating EA Sports and Tiger Woods at their own game. In addition, www.wgt.com, which doubles as a social media destination for golfers, has become the top golf destination online. The gaming site has beaten out PGA.com and Golf.com to win this title. WGT Media CEO YuChiang Cheng talks about how a small start-up has become such a powerhouse in this exclusive video interview below.

Ubisoft is set to release their new Assassin’s Creed this October and to bring us what seems to be the most anticipated game of the year. It is not an easy task  to produce a third title to such a brilliant and successful franchise. The first game was great and almost created a new genre in itself. Developing the second was already a risk. Many tried to release follow up and many have failed. The secret is supposedly straight forward though, take the good, make it better and rub a few flaws away. Easier said than done, but surfing the wave is the way. However, that cannot work for a third iteration. You need to replicate the success to reinvent yourself; you need a fresh gameplay while keeping the atmosphere and the emotion of the license. To find that balance takes a touch of genius and some very, very hard work. And that seems to be what Ubisoft and its army of more than 700 individuals through five studios around the world have spent the last three years working towards.

Signal Studio, the makers of the hit videogame franchise Toy Soldiers, is bringing the hot free-to-play gaming phenomenon to consoles with the upcoming action RPG, Ascend: New Gods. The new game will be available on Xbox LIVE in early 2013.

NAMCO BANDAI Games America used PAX Prime 2012 to announce that World Tekken Federation, the premium online service for TEKKEN TAG TOURNAMENT 2, will be available free of charge when the game is released worldwide the week of September 10, 2012 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. 

Industry newcomer Spectre Media has released a new video game based on Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions' Starship Troopers: Invasion. Executive produced by Casper Van Dien (Johnny Rico from Starship Troopers, Starship Troopers: Marauder) and Ed Neumeier (writer Starship Troopers and Starship Troopers: Marauder); produced by Joseph Chou of Sola Digital; and directed by Shinji Aramaki (Halo Legends), the game delves further into the new CGI reboot. The men behind the new movie talk about the game in the exclusive video interview below.