The curse that is E3 is finally lifted, allowing Now Playing to return to the status-quo, meaning that your weekly dose of trailers continues, undisturbed from its restless slumber. Sadly, the file mirror is still reeling with agony from last week's E3 trailers, and game developers and publishers around the world remain been relatively quiet as they nurse their hangovers and whatever traces of Swine Flu they've contracted in Los Angeles. In any case, Now Playing continues.

This week, we've got an important message from the Minionstry of information regarding Overlord II. After being evil, we take a look at C.O.P. The Recruit, a new open world action game for the Nintendo DS. Next, we check out some online super heroes in DC Universe Online, who promptly get their backsides destroyed by the many characters of Dissidia: Final Fantasy. Finally, we get to engage in some Pyschokinetic Wars.

While all eyes may now be on the future of the Need for Speed, many people seem to forget that the previous instalment Need For Speed: Undercover (which while not being the Patron Saint of arcade Racing games, was still fun, when the game itself wasn't crashing) is still tearing about Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles around the world.

So much so, in fact, that Electronic Arts have released new pieces of downloadable content for the title, and in a move that is likely to give many gamers a bout of cardiac arrest, one entire half of the downloadable content will be available for free.

Need for Speed: SHIFT, the first in a series of new directions for the franchise, will gun its engines and proceed to retail outlets later this year. Set for a launch in September this year, the exact date of release will vary depending on where you are in the world. Americans can expect the title on the 22nd of September, while Europeans are expected to receive the title on the 17th of September. Australians will be able to pick up the game on the 24th of September.

Promising the largest line-up of vehicles ever seen in a Need For Speed title, SHIFT will feature "iconic racing tracks" from the real world, including Brand's Hatch, the UK race-track. Vehicles that will be included in the game include the Pagani Zonda, Porsche 911GT2, and the Lotus Elite.

While the most recent instalment in the Need for Speed franchise, Undercover, wasn't all that well received it hasn't stopped Electronic Arts from attempting to resurrect the franchise with a trio of new games, as we've reported earlier.

While little information has been released regarding any of the games (with the exception of titles, a handful of screenshots, and brief descriptions) - the last few days has seen some new information about Need For Speed: SHIFT and Need For Speed World Online.

A Patch for the PC, PlayStation and Xbox 360 versions of EA's latest instalment in the Need For Speed series, Undercover. Has been released. You should be prompted to download the patch the next time you start the game on your console of choice, or if you own the PC version, can download it from our file mirror.

There are three versions of the patch - with one for the English, French & Mexican version of the game (which was distributed in the US), one for the European version of the game (which was distributed in Europe and other PAL territories), and a final version for French, German & Italian audiences.

Ever wondered just what the Australian gaming public are buying? We've got the latest charts for you that will give you all the details you need to know, for all the major platforms.

So - if you needed to know that as a nation, we're still very interested in just what the Wii can do, to the point that a tech demo is the best selling 'game' for another week. There's a handful of PC gamers that struggled to keep the world at war and on top of a chart full of simulated people, while the Xbox 360 is dominated by sequels and the return of Dom and Marcus. The PS3 suffers under a second Chimera attack, but the PS2 and PSP are still racing around undercover. Finally, the DS would like to get away from it all, and escape - perhaps to Africa?

Here are the new charts, same as the old charts. Technically, this is the last chart for 2008, but it doesn't really hold m/any surprises. The DS charts in particular are swamped by games that you can only imagine are Christmas presents for the kids, and the Wii is topped by a cheaper title that people are picking up as something to go with the console. The top 10 is a fair representation of what we like - console games dominate (Wii taking out six spots!), and there is a more casual tone to proceedings, with only two 'serious' games in the list.

Put simply - we are a nation of Wii gamers fixated on a game that is essentially a glorified tech demo! PC gamers were otherwise occupied, trekking through a world at war. The Xbox 360 fans were still hanging out with Marcus, Dom and the Locusts, and the PS3 was overrun by Chimera once again. Their PS2 brothers were rockin' out to the third generation of heroic guitarists, the DS was still being used as a tool for cranial exercise, and the PSP was once more speeding, undercover.

Time for this week's charts - and it looks like people are pretty set in their ways, buying the same things for Christmas this week as they did last week. There's been a few slight changes, but overall, it's the same titles that we saw last time around.

To explain further - gamers are preparing themselves for the holiday season by getting in early with some motion-sensitive fitness equipment, while the PC fans are paying attention to duty's call, in a new world. The 360 is still revving their chainsaws (3 million-strong, we hear last week), and the PS3 still enjoys a second dose of resistance. The PS2 has been thrown to the ground and wrestled yet again, while the DS has headed to the Olympics with some familiar friends and the PSP remains speeding, undercover.

The Australian Weekly Video Game Charts have recovered pretty swiftly from last week's 70's singalong attack, with an playful motion-sensing favourite popping right back up into top spot. The PS2 is still languishing a few decades behind, but at least the rest of the charts are back to 'normal'.

Looking around, there's been a changing of the guard in the PC side of things, now hearing a Call of Duty (and no original best-selling MMO to be seen!). The Xbox 360 is still revving their chainsaws, and PS3 experiences yet another resistance. The DS gamers are still working on getting smarter by playing games, and the PSP feels the need - the need to go undercover. Ha.

It would appear that in-game advertising is a serious business. Following the news yesterday regarding titles published by Activision Blizzard, Games On Net have discovered that the Victorian Transport Accident Commission, (known as the TAC) intend to target PlayStation 3 owners with messages warning of the dangers of drink driving, speed, and motorcycles. The advertisements are set to commence in January 2009.

The initiative is part of a partnership with the Sensis-owned digital media outlet, MediaSmart, and is a part campaigns targeted towards young drivers. The advertisements will be placed in multiple EA games, including NFL, NBA, Tiger Woods PGA Tour, and within the Need for Speed franchise.

The ABC's gaming show Good Game is shown on Monday nights @ 9pm on ABC2 with a repeat on ABC1 on Friday nights after triple j TV. As if that wasn't enough, there's always the downloadable vodcast on the website, too!

With only 27 minutes we've tried to tackle the avalanche of games as best we can... and that's as well as our interview with Michael Atkinson, talking about an R18+ rating for Australia.

Electronic Arts, in partnership with automotive manufacturer, Nissan have unveiled the Nissan 370Z, which will feature in Need for Speed Undercover. This is the first time that a new car has been revealed through the medium of video games. The new Nissan Z will be available as a drive able vehicle exclusively in Need for Speed Undercover, which will be available in Australian stores ont he 20th of November.

The latest instalment in the Need For Speed franchise places gamers Undercover, working to bring down a crime syndicate by racing through the city. Promising to take gamers "back to the franchise's roots", Need for Speed Undercover will feature "break-neck cop chases and spectacular highway battles".

While this week has been an interesting and yet sad one with a certain Sackboy missing his flight, we still managed to get a couple of the best looking trailers I have seen, possible all year! I was in complete surprise at what some of the companies have achieved after looking at a couple of this weeks ones.

This week we look at a Legendary trailer and check back in to see what you can make in Far Africa. We join up to the midnight club and get a need for speed. We look at the fight between a game and a comic and have a look at one red hot funny alert from a presidential campaign.

Electronic Arts has just uncovered the multiplayer modes that will feature in their latest Need for Speed game, Need for Speed: Undercover. The introduction of a new multiplayer mode, entitled "Cops and Robbers" will see team based racing enter the fray, with players divided between upholding the law and committing devious acts.

The "Cops and Robbers" mode will see four thieves tasked with picking up a package, and delivering it to a drop-off point, whilst four players acting as cops attempt to stop them. It will consist of two rounds, giving the teams an opportunity to play on both sides of the law.

UPDATE:EA have also released a bunch of new wallpapers for the title.

Whilst the road can be a dangerous place, and one not often very accurately depicted in the Need for Speed Series, games in the franchise have generally been on the better side of fun, with the exception of a few recent titles.

A new trailer for Need for Speed Undercover has been detected at travelling at a very high velocity throughout the Internet. We've managed to apprehend the suspect, and have detained it on within a sort of prison cell for files, namely our file mirror.

The Holiday flood begins this Thursday with the release of an ungodly amount of games, including Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway, Crysis Warhead and Wipeout HD, and doesn’t stop until the week before Christmas. To save you all a bit of time, I like to run through the release list at the start of a given quarter, and make sweeping generalisations as to the quality of upcoming games.

Last week’s Warp Pipe covered the games of October, so this week we’re looking at November’s big hitters, including Gears of War 2, Left 4 Dead and Mirror’s Edge.

This has been a huge week for announcements. Lists, expansions and of course a heap of new trailers. As the Q4 releases get close and closer, each week we have been sent a heap of new trailers made just tease us that little more on the fact they aren't out yet.

This week we look at a classic 3D game. We continue to form our band and look at becoming a saint. We check out where our board can go, even if it is undercover. Lastly we finish off by finding something unleashed.

Not too long ago, we tracked down some information pertaining to the latest game in the Need for Speed series. Entitled Need For Speed: Undercover, the new title promises to be a return to the roots of the series, featuring exotic race cars, 'break-neck cop chases' and 'spectacular highway battles'.

Today, we've got a bunch of news regarding Need For Speed: Undercover. The first of these is in the form of some new screenshots. After that, we've got a new trailer, and some news regarding a Hollywood star that will feature in the game's live action sequences between races. If that isn't enough, we've also got a release date!