"Unless You Are Prepared To Queue To Play"

The fact that some Star Wars: The Old Republic players have had to virtually queue for up to two hours in order to play online is no secret, and the situation has become so dire that BioWare has officially warned players to avoid creating new characters on high population servers. BioWare has also publicly identified the main offenders that are reaching their population caps so you can steer clear. We've got the full details below.

It Begins...

Speaking in a recent Call Of Duty Elite video update, Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling confirmed that Modern Warfare 3's first DLC pack will deploy on January 24th. Apparently Infinity Ward will be taking a different approach to downloadble content compared to past entries in the franchise, including new Spec Ops missions and "more than just maps."

"The way we’re doing downloadable content this year is unlike we’ve never done before. Not only in how you can get it – in content drops or choose for the collection – but also the type of content you’re getting. We’re doing more than just maps. We’re going to do Spec Ops missions and a variety of things that players have never seen before."

Okay then. We'll keep an eye out for it next year.

• What: Tale Of Tales Complete Bundle
• Where: GamersGate
• Current Price: £5.48
• RRP: £15.78

GamersGate have undercut Steam's already-nifty price for the entire Tale Of Tales series by a couple of quid, and fans of innovative (or creepy) indie games should make a beeline for it. Within lies The Graveyard, Fatale and The Path, the latter of which is an astoundingly bizarre take on Little Red Riding Hood. I won't spoil things for you, but suffice to say that there's much more to these three titles than meets the eye.

ACONY has released a brand new trailer for Hedone: their outstanding free-to-play FPS that's still in the closed beta stage. It's shaping up to be a superbly polished and infinitely customisable experience that doesn't force you to spend loads of money on microtransactions if you're willing to put in the time.

We're really rather excited about this one, and will be keeping an eye on it (as well as delivering some beta impressions once the NDAs are sorted out). For now, check out the trailer below and our hands-on preview!

4GB RAM Now Supported

Bethesda has recently deployed Skyrim update 1.3.10 on PC in order to address the overwhelming clamour for 4-Gigabyte Tuning (support for 4GB of RAM), as well as patching a few niggling problems with accented text characters. I believe that the modding community issued a workaround for this a while back, but hey, at least the base game now supports it.

So... how about 8GB, Bethesda? And more to the point, fix all those broken quests already!

Capcom have finally put a date on the Devil May Cry HD Collection... and it seems that we've got a fair old while to wait. The compilation, confirmed for both PS3 and Xbox 360, will reach European shores on April 3rd 2012, which is gratifyingly the same date as its Stateside launch. Since it contains all three original PSX/PS2 games remastered into full HD glory, we really can't wait to see how it compares to Ninja Theory's reboot.

• What: Sesame Street: Once Upon A Monster
  
• Where: HMV
• Current Price: £19.99
• Sesame Street Once Upon A Monster Price Comparison

You won't get this in time for Christmas, but if you want to save a bit of money on Double Fine's Sesame Street/Kinect mashup, HMV are set to deliver (slowly). It's definitely a minigame collection - but don't panic, because the responsive controls and fuzzy Henson love elevate it beyond most of the other Kinect games on the market.

We've reached the season when, snuggled up in front of a crackling log fire (screensaver) and sipping a warm mug of Irn Bru, our thoughts turn to the year nearly passed. 2011 has been a fantastic twelve months of gaming, but interestingly, many of the biggest Triple-A titans and new consoles didn't quite capture our imagination as much as they ought to. Factor in a horrible winter release schedule that left the summer months dry as a bone, and you've got a strange recipe that really shouldn't have delighted as much as it did. However, in this pundit's opinion, 2011 has been completely defined by the underdog.

Indie games are - in fact, they've always been - the premier driving force behind gaming innovation... but they've effectively been segregated from the mainstream as an unsung second tier. Many gamers simply ignored them out of hand, or didn't treat them as anything more than a diversion or quirky parallel market; shafting them in favour of the garish triple-A monsters who can afford massive advert campaigns and hype offensives. In effect, hundreds of hardworking developers became second class gaming citizens as their wares were treated differently from all other titles by retailers, publishers and gamers alike. This year, however, has heralded an amazing shift in the dynamic, and one that I fully believe will shape our industry for the better.

The Indies have always been with us. But this year, we've given a damn. They've fully entered the mainstream gaming consciousness. And, in turn, indie development has indisputably proved itself as a force to be reckoned with - once and for all. What second tier?

Trendy Entertainment has announced that Dungeon Defenders, their outstanding RPG/tower defence hybrid that provides arguably the best cooperative experience of the year, is now available on the European PSN Store. We awarded Dungeon Defenders with a near-perfect 9/10 score in our full review, praising it as "one of the most important breakthrough hits of the year." Go and buy it already.

Dungeon Defenders was originally set to launch in October, so to thank PS3 players for their patience, Trendy will be releasing the first DLC pack, The Quest for the Lost Shards Part 1: Mistymire Forest (containing new missions, enemies, and a new boss) for free to all SCEE users in January 2012.

• What: Hole In The Wall | Leedmees
• Where: Xbox Live Marketplace
• Current Price: 400 Microsoft Points
• Saving: 50%

Microsoft PR guru Major Nelson has announced that two downloadable Kinect Games are currently on offer at a 50% saving. Hole In The Wall challenges you to make a fool out of yourself with friends in order to fit through virtual gaps (a bit like Twister, really), while Leedmees is a charming little puzzler that resembles a motion-controlled version of Lemmings.

It's unclear whether these price cuts are part of the '12 Days Of Christmas' promotion. We'll bring you more as we hear it.

Just a quick heads-up for Xbox 360 Gold Members who are patiently waiting for their promised TV content. As of today, Microsoft have added 4OD (Channel 4's On Demand service) and Demand Five to the console, which finally gives us some decent free telly to watch. Excuse me while I toddle off to watch Dark Mirror again... followed by ninety hours of Come Dine With Me and whatever terrible content Channel Five has these days.

BBC iPlayer will follow next year. Hurry up.

Boasts Over 100 Hours Of Gameplay

Cagey ol' Hideo Kojima has been teasing us mercilessly about his latest Fox Engine-powered project, entitled Project Ogre, but seems to have let a couple of details slip in a recent interview. The master of stealth and see-thru underwear has reportedly stated that Project Ogre will be "very free," and that it will resemble an open world game rather than subscribing to the linear cinematic framework of the Metal Gear series. Full story after the break.

Batman: Arkham City is a sensational game, but we weren't the only people to be thoroughly bamboozled by the insane amount of pre-order and launch DLC. Luckily for us (and our wallets), Warner Bros. have handily decided to launch two DLC bundles that lump the content together into easy-to-handle packs.

The Arkham Bundle contains the Nightwing Bundle Pack, Robin Bundle Pack and the Arkham City Skins Pack. It's available for £9.99 on PC (GFWL), 1200 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live and will soon launch on the PSN for roughly the same price.

The Challenge Map Pack includes The Joker’s Carnival Challenge Map, the Iceberg Lounge Challenge Map and The Batcave (an Invisible Predator challenge map). It will set you back £1.99 on PC (GFWL) or 240 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live. The PSN version will cost around that much when it launches.

Frankly, Arkham City is big enough already... but these are great ways of getting your hands on the content without the hassle of downloading each one individually - and carries a slight BatSaving to boot.

Update: reader stevenjameshyde also points out that you can grab the Batman Inc. Batsuit skin for free on Xbox Live. Nice one!

As usual, the current Humble Indie Bundle (which is the best one yet, since it contains legends like Super Meat Boy and brilliant upstarts like Gratuitous Space Battles) has been bolstered by some new games if you're willing to pay above the average price. VVVVVV, Crayon Physics Deluxe, Cogs, And Yet It Moves and Hammerfight have all been added to the bundle along with their soundtracks, so if you don't already own these games, go and own them right now.

Remember that you can choose to donate the entirety of your money to the developers, two worthwhile charities or any mix of the worthy recipients. The Humble Bundles have been responsible for raising a huge amount of money for charity, and we plan to honour them in this year's Angels And Demons roundup of notable industry heroes.

If you've already paid over the average asking price, you'll receive the games retroactively. Check your inbox!

EA has announced that the Physical Warfare Pack DLC for Battlefield 3, previously a PS3-exclusive preorder item, is now available on PC and Xbox Live for free. The pack includes the DAO-12 shotgun, shotgun flechette ammo, SKS flash suppressor and the Type 88 Light Machine Gun - and you can find it within the in-game store or freely downloadable in Battlelog.

• What: SPAZ: Space Pirates And Zombies
• Where: Impulse Driven
• Current Price: £3.18
• RRP: £10.99

Even though it has a name that makes it sound like a Saturday morning cartoon, SPAZ is genuinely excellent. It starts out as a simple space shooter, but you'll soon be able to control entire fleets, engage in advanced naval tactics and scour the galaxy for experience and items. Impulse Driven have a great little price for this great big game, and one that you ought to take advantage of.

Today's time-dependent clutch of Steam holiday deals include some great shooters, a not-so-great shooter, two excellent Double Fine games and an astounding 21st century Roguelike. Because time is of the essence, I'll leap straight into the links and prices of the latest highlights.

• Duke Nukem Forever | £3.74
• Double Fine Pack | £3.99
• Half Life Complete | £6.94
• LEGO Batman | £2.49
• Dungeons Of Dredmor | £0.86
• Theatre Of War 3: Korea | £3.74

DMC - Ninja Theory's Devil May Cry reboot - has caused a fair bit of controversy surrounding its youthful version of Dante... but its gameplay is looking fairly solid as evidenced by this new trailer. The three minutes of gameplay footage are set within a secret level that you'll be able to find by exploring the stages and locating hidden portals, which should lengthen replayability and playtime somewhat.

Let us know what you make of it.

• What: Penumbra Collection
• Where: Greenman Gaming
• Current Price: £3.74 (50p Trade-In Value)
• Penumbra Collection Price Comparison

Halloween may be behind us, but that hasn't stopped Greenman Gaming from maintaining their horrifically-slashed price for the Penumbra Collection. This nifty little bundle of first person horror adventure contains Overture, Requiem and Black Plague - and will save you a packet compared to most other retailers. While slightly tatty around the edges, these games are incredibly creepy and well worth checking out by scare junkies.

Update 7.1 Will Deliver French tech Tree

Wargaming.net has released update 7.0 for World of Tanks, their fantastically popular MMO tank simulation. The latest update deploys numerous camouflage patterns, two new maps (Fjords and Swamp) and updated graphical effects such as salvos and explosions. Update 7.1, which will be arriving soon, plans to roll out the French tech tree that boasts 18 new vehicles to thunder around in.

We've got more details and a new trailer after the break.