Mortal Kombat Banned in Australia

In a surprising announcement, Mortal Kombat publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Australia revealed that the game has been banned from being sold in Australia by the Australian Board. Main issues of concern were the numerous fatalities which were deemed unacceptable for being too violent.

Warner Bros. is very disappointed with the decision and currently has no plans to cut any content. What happens next is yet to be decided. Gamers need not despair however, the game can of course be pre-ordered at Play-Asia without waiting for this problem to be resolved.

Operation Flashpoint: Red River - New Trailer & Release Date

Known for its emphasis on realism, the Operation Flashpoint series of games play very differently to the mainstream war shooters such as Call of Duty and Medal of Honor. Codemasters plans yet again to deliver an authentic military experience with their latest iteration in the franchise, Red River. You'll play as one member of the U.S. Marine Corps fire team. Together with three other members, you'll engage in firefights throughout Tajikistan.

Built for co-op play, players will be able to join games and jump into the action at any time to replace fellow AI players. Red River will be released on the 21st of April in Europe and on the 26th in the US for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. See the new trailer below:

Bizarre Creations Gets Shut Down

After Activision recommended Bizarre Creation be shut down one month ago, it has now come into fruition. The studio will be closed at the end of this week after being in financial trouble for a long period, mainly to do with the commercial flop of racing game Blur. Activision sought to sell the studio, but no buyers were forthcoming.

Having created the Project Gotham Series and Formula 1 back on the original PlayStation, it's quite sad to see the studio go. It seems unlikely that any of the franchises will be picked up by another publisher.

Activision Pulls the Plug on Guitar Hero Franchise & True Crime

In a surprise move, Activision have given the Guitar Hero Franchise and the upcoming True Crime: Hong Kong title the thumbs down and brought them to an early grave. That's right, Guitar Hero is no more.

Activision said that sales of Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock was a major reason for ending the franchise. The last iteration of Guitar Hero not only received poor critical response, but also failed to move units. Apparently gamers have grown tired of the whole Guitar music games genre in general, with Rock Band creators Harmonix having been recently sold off to Viacom.

"Due to continued declines in the music genre, the company will disband Activision Publishing's Guitar Hero business unit and discontinue development on its Guitar Hero game for 2011. The company also will stop development on True Crime: Hong Kong. These decisions are based on the desire to focus on the greatest opportunities that the company currently has to create the world's best interactive entertainment experiences."

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Trailer Released

Namco Bandai are bringing a new Ace Combat to the PS3 and Xbox 360 this year. Ace Combat: Assault Horizon is being dubbed the rebirth of the series and the publisher hopes to reignite sales in the latest edition of the franchise. Check out the video below: