Take-Two has had its fair share of problems getting games out the door, but it appears as if the Gearbox-developed Borderlands 2 won’t have that problem. Today, 2K Games confirmed Borderlands 2 will arrive within its projected 2012 window, having scheduled the game on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC for September 18 in the United States, and September 21 in the UK.

Guns will, of course, factor heavily into Borderlands 2′s preorder bonuses.

Along with debuting a new sizzle reel for the game (below), 2K Games also outlined Borderlands 2′s preorder bonuses. In-game items are the theme of the preorder pack, with the publisher promising access to the Gearbox gunpack, which includes a handful of starter golden guns, as well as a golden key that can be used to unlock a special chest in the city of Sanctuary.

Lastly, the pack includes the Vault Hunter’s Relic, which impacts gamers’ loot-finding capabilities. Those interested in picking up the aforementioned bonuses with their preorders can do so through the game’s official website or at certain retailers.

For more information, check out GameSpot’s previous coverage of Borderlands 2.

The Etrian Odyssey series is known for its hardcore RPG gameplay tailor-made for the dual screens of the DS. Japanese magazine Famitsu (via Andriasang) recently announced a fourth game in the works by Atlus that will be released for the 3DS on July 5.

A typical scene from Etrian Odyssey III.

The sequel ‘s full title is Etrian Odyssey IV: Densetsu no Kyojin (Myth of the Giant) and introduces seven classes like the sniper, dancer and medic. New to the series is the option to set the game’s difficulty to cater towards newcomers interested in the genre. The difficulty can be adjusted at any point during the game.

There is currently no word on a North American or European release at this point in time. The most recent entry in the franchise is Etrian Odyssey III: The Drowned City, which was released on the DS in 2010. The game was praised for its challenge level and sea voyages that complement the dungeon-crawling segments, but was criticized for its steep learning curve and bare-bones plot.

The last update regarding a Vita version of PS2 darling Persona 4 was back in 2011. Fans of the RPG who wished for a portable version will not have to wait too long, as Japanese magazine Famitsu has now revealed the date for the port: June 14.

Reach out for the truth in pocket form this June.

In addition, Famitsu publisher Enterbrain is teaming up with Atlus to release a Famitsu DX Pack exclusively in Japan via the company’s e-commerce site. The bundle contains 10 post cards, a customized pouch, and six A3-sized posters featuring Persona 4 artwork from Shigenori Soejima, Shuji Sogabe, Mad House, Studio Hibari and Hiroyuki Maeda. This set will cost gamers 10,290 yen.

In related news, Arc System Works is also developing a 2D fighting game called Persona 4: Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena which is coming out for the US market this Summer. The arcade version of the title is hitting Japan this March.

Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima today revealed the search is on to find new development talent for the next title in the popular franchise.

Kojima used Twitter to unveil a GDC job portal site with the title: “Big Boss Wants You; The ‘Next’ MGS”.

Big Boss, reporting for duty.

The site advertises for programming, art, game design, sound, and production roles, highlighting the next Metal Gear Solid is “targeted for high-end consoles and PC” and will use the FOX Engine.

The site advertises for positions in two locations: Japan, and California, US. Kojima Productions producer Ken-ichiro Imaizumi tweeted that the company is planning to open a studio in California, “if we can find the right people”.

Another part of the site links to an image of Big Boss, but reveals no further information.

Kojima has alluded to the next series in the franchise in the past, and rumours pinned Kojima’s next project as powered by the FOX Engine, which was publicly shown for the first time during Konami’s Electronic Entertainment Expo press conference last year.

Valve co-founder and managing director Gabe Newell has told Penny Arcade that the publisher has not ruled out the possibility of making and selling hardware.

Asked whether Valve would ever consider a future in selling hardware, Newell replied:

Newell says Valve could look into selling hardware in the future.

“Well, if we have to sell hardware we will. We have no reason to believe we’re any good at it, it’s more we think that we need to continue to have innovation and if the only way to get these kind of projects started is by us going and developing and selling the hardware directly then that’s what we’ll do.

“It’s definitely not the first thought that crosses our mind; we’d rather hardware people that are good at manufacturing and distributing hardware do that. We think it’s important enough that if that’s what we end up having to do then that’s what we end up having to do.”

In the interview, Newell also addressed Valve’s long development times on games, saying the company recognises that it can be frustrating not to know what’s happening with franchises that so many gamers love.

“We try to go as fast as we can and we try to pick the things that we think are going to be most valuable to our customers and if there’s some magic way we can get more work done in a day then we’d love to hear about it,” Newell said. “But we’ve always somehow, you know, part of the reason that we backed off talking so much about what was happening in the future is that when we’ve done that in the past, you know, with Half Life 1 it was a year after we originally said it would be, Half Life 2 basically if you go and read the forum posts apparently took us 50 or 60 years to get done so we’re trying to be careful not to get people too excited and then have to go and disappoint them.”

In the interview, Newell also talked about the direction for Steam, combating piracy, Valve’s relationship with its users, and the next generation of home consoles.

The full interview can be found here.

American fans of the Persona Japanese role-playing game series can start working on their reflexes, as Atlus today announced it is bringing the fighting game spin-off Persona 4 Arena to US stores this summer.

The creators of Guilty Gear and BlazBlue provide their own spin on Persona.

Set for release on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, Persona 4 Arena is a 2D fighting game developed by Arc System Works, the studio behind the Guilty Gear and BlazBlue series. The developer’s latest effort continues the story the began in Persona 4 and includes characters in that game as well as Persona 3.

This is not the first time Arc System Works has turned someone else’s franchise into a fighting game. The studio also made fighters based on a pair of popular manga/anime series, Fist of the North Star and Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan. However, neither of those efforts saw release in the West.

One of the biggest titles of the new year will be downloadable on the PS3 day-and-date with its retail launch.

According to Sony, Mass Effect 3 will be available digitally at launch to anyone who pre-orders the title via the PSN. Gamers will be able to do so from today on the PlayStation Store.

Mass Effect 3 to be available digitally on the PS3.

Sony also revealed anyone who pre-orders the digital version of the game will receive the M55 Argus rifle, a close-range weapon that uses bursts of fire to ensure ammunition conservation, as well as a special Mass Effect 3 PS3 theme, which will only be available for digital pre-orders.

Sony’s offer will not be available after the launch of the game.

Developed by BioWare, Mass Effect 3 is the final entry in the Mass Effect 3 trilogy, but not necessarily the last title set in the game’s universe.

The game will be out on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC on March 6.
For more on Mass Effect 3, check out GameSpot’s latest hands-on preview.

NCsoft’s massively multiplayer online game Aion adopted a free-to-play business model in Europe just this month, and soon, North American gamers will have access to a free version of the title.

Aion flips the switch to F2P this spring.

NCsoft today sent word that Aion–rebranded as Aion: Ascension–will be free-to-play in North America beginning this spring. The change will occur as part of the game’s 3.0 content update, which brings a new level cap (60), as well as fresh zones, mounts, houses, and instances to the game.

Aion Ascension will give gamers access to the entire game, which includes two expansions, over 3,000 quests, more than 30 instances, and auction houses.

Also rolling out with the Aion 3.0 content update will be new real money trading (RMT) measures, which NCsoft says will help bolster safety and security for transactions within the game.

For more on Aion’s free-to-play business model switch, check out GameSpot’s interview with the developer concerning the decision. For more on Aion, check out GameSpot’s review.

Warner Bros. is digging into its DC Comics license again, this time granting Little Orbit publishing rights for a game based on the Young Justice cartoon series for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, and DS.

Young Justice: Legacy morphs from TV show to game next year.

Due out in 2013, Young Justice: Legacy will be an action role-playing game that is set between the events of seasons 1 and 2 of the animated television series Young Justice. The game is being written with the help of show scribes Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti.

The game’s announcement did not note which character(s) from the television show players will be controlling or what villains players will face. Some DC Comics characters from Young Justice are Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Superboy, Miss Martian, and Artemis.

A website for the title is presently live, and it indicates gamers will be able to control 12 different playable characters and take on 12 villains. The game also sports online and local multiplayer modes, though no mention was made as to how these game types will operate.

The last couple of months have seen a considerable amount of noise coming from BattleTech’s MechWarrior franchise, and that din grew even louder today. Today, Roadhouse Interactive and A.C.R.O.N.Y.M. announced MechWarrior Tactics, a free-to-play turn-based strategy title coming to the PC in 2012.

Nothing says intense mech-on-mech combat like turn-based strategy.

MechWarrior Tactics is set in the year 3025, with five factions vying for control of the known universe. The tumultuous backdrop provides gamers with a conquest-oriented battlefield and increases their standing on global leaderboards.

Being a free-to-play, microtransaction-based title based on BattleTech’s notable role-playing IP, MechWarrior Tactics emphasizes extensive customization of mech units. Players will be able to gain new mechs, abilities, and customization options by progressing in the game or through in-game transactions.

Though both games will be free-to-play when they launch, MechWarrior Tactics and Piranha Games’ MechWarrior Online should not be confused. The latter title, which is slated to arrive this summer, has an action-oriented play style and will use Crytek’s CryEngine 3.