Tue, Sep 27, 2011 | 08:52 BST

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AU News Wrap, September 27 – What happened today

I’m about to disappear from your sight – but console yourselves with an outline of what I did today.

I feel like I spent all day playing catch-up – emails up to the eyeballs, admin work to do, preparation, chasing leads – rather than writing for you. And when I look at my list, I see this is absolutely true.

Today’s header image is from Nier, Cavia’s final JRPG before dissolution. The soundtrack was playing as I was getting this ready, but I think it will be the start of a new Wrap theme for me – my favourite games. I love Nier, like, near romantically: I’m extremely keen on the kind of subtle narrative it offers.

It’s not that the plot pull a massive swifty on you (although you can predict it if you pay close attention); it’s the canon surrounding the game and buried in secondary materials and alternate endings, being gradually unknotted by fans. The game has cross-title ties with Cavia’s other games, which is pretty post-modern, and features some amazing flights of fancy – a text adventure, for example, and an in-game decision which deletes your save files. For real. I’m not saying you’ll necessarily like it – but I do.

Stay tuned for the Bulletcast, and bone up on yesterday with Johnny’s European wrap up.

We kicked off this morning with a number of posts from Debabrata, which was the best breakfast an over-tired newsbot could have.

• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim perk tree and racial abilities detailed
  Much respect to the fans who sat there compiling this list, resisting the urge to jump in and play. Hardcore devotion.
• Black Wii Fit Plus bundle announced for UK
  See, because, a black balance board keeps you cool while you work out. HA HA HA.
• New nVidia drivers said to up Battlefield 3 performance by 38 percent
  Does it make everything else explode? That’s my normal brand-new-driver experience.
• X-Men: Destiny gets launch trailer
  But can you snog Wolverine? CAN YOU?
• New Rayman: Origins trailer takes you around the world
  I’m still suffering mid-nineties platformer hangover.
• Activision: Services like CoD: Elite soon to be mandatory for mainstream games
  Fair call.
• Riot launches League of Legends: Dominion Mode
  It’s here! Hurrah!
• Rumour – Dead Space 3 script details leaked
  There aren’t enough extreme weather survival games – not that I feel Dead Space should or will play up that angle.
• A Valley Without Wind offers first public beta client – go get ‘em!
  Yeeeeee I am so excited about this! Lunch time can’t come quick enough.
• Renegade Ops Steam version features nod to Half-Life 2
  Is Valve ramping up for Half-life 3???!!!!!!??!?!?!??!?!! (Note: Mad punctuation always means “no”.)
• AU House of the Dead: Overkill Extended Edition RC decision overturned
  Sega said in late August that the game isn’t any worse than other products available now – and was probably right.
• Ace Combat: Assault Horizon stars in double feature
  Brenna stars today in “too much admin, I really need to write more news please.”
• The Darkness II trailer delves into franchise origins
  I used to be a massive Top Cow fan in my callow youf, but I just can’t read mainstream comics since I developed politics.
• More details on Fallout: New Vegas Gun Runner’s Arsenal DLC
  Rather extraordinary how many variations on the theme of “boomstick” Obsidian has produced.
• Quick shots – Dark Souls screens are rich in spoilers
  I wish I could unsee this.
• Team Ico HD collection fronts beautiful launch trailer
  If these two get the sales recognition they deserve, we may be able to overlook the disaster Trico appears to be becoming.
• GAME UK details FIFA 12 midnight launch plans
  I hate queueing, but happily, I also hate paying retail prices, so it never occurs.
• BioWare “looking for” a way to bring back Jade Empire
  I’d be interested in reading some criticism of Jade Empire’s portrayal of Eastern cultures – is it cheesecake? Faithful? Exploitive? A positive step?
• Modern Warfare 3′s dedicated servers a lesson from MW2′s failures
  Failures like “royally frustrating an entire platform’s fan base”, for example.
• Tuesday shorts – Please Make it Stop Edition
  *weepity*

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