AU News Wrap, August 12 - What Happened Today

Enjoy your last weekend of peace. The universe is about to start pouring so much gaming down that you'll probably drown - happily.

Feel that delightful Friday afternoon glow? Oh boy, I'm enjoying. Next week Pat and Johnny take off for gamescom, the first time they've both jumped ship at once since I started here. I'm nervous - especially as Pat muttered something about doing the Bulletcast while he's away. Like, with video and everything. I'd better remember to change out of my pyjamas every day.

It was quite a good day today, although the NPD cast a bit of a pall over things. I'm pretty excited for Deus Ex: Human Revolution - as evidenced by two headlines - and about picking up the last part for the über gaming PC I'm building for it this weekend.

Now, I have to go watch The Green Lantern. I'm more of a Batman girl myself but my partner apparently thinks "magic" is a decent explanation for anything.

Check out the wraps from the US and European desks for insight into the last 24 hours, or wait for Pat to read it to you in soothing breakfast tones.

• RAGE to reward brand-new purchases with extra content
  Apparently, many players might not even notice the extras unless they look. That sounds kind of cool.
• Human Revolution designer talks influence of Invisible War
  This is really interesting. Also, I think I did a really good job on that header.
• Report - US boxed game sales dropping sharply
  It's been an up and down few years, but note - boxed sales have actually remained remarkably static. Think. Think.
• Games live on Google+
  My interest in social networks plummeted as soon as I got into Twitter. TWITTAH FOREVER
• Ace Combat: Assault Horizon gamescom 2011 trailer unleashed
  Namco Bandai is sensibly staggering and pre-releasing its trailers before it all gets too much next week.
• Japanese Charts - 3DS takes dramatic dive, sports rule the charts
  Steph normally does this. I didn't realise how much work she puts into it; it's quite demanding.
• Zumba Fitness tops 3 million, first screens of Zumba 2
  Normally Johnny writes all the Zumba stories, as he's our resident dance game expert. Yeahhhh.
• NIS America release schedule updated
  Move things around menus! Look at numbers! Walk down very similar corridors! Why do I love JRPGs so much?
• Xenoblade Chronicles Let's Play Episode 2 out now
  So beautiful. The Americans are cursing Nintendo's region locking. It's even coming out in Australia, for goodness sake.
• Red Orchestra 2 passes Classification uncut in Australia
  Hooray!
• Valve: DOTA community not "toxic", almost entirely "hardcore"
  Still frightened.
• Might & Magic Heroes VI delayed into October
  Post-beta delays are almost always a good thing.
• Frank West talks celebrity years in Dead Rising 2: Off The Record trailer
  I missed Dead Rising the first time around, but one of my bros got me into it, and I'm now a 100 percent bandwgaon Frank West fan.
• Deus Ex: Human Revolution insists on tactical play
  Two Deus Ex stories in one day, amazing. I cancelled my PS3 copy and pre-ordered on PC today.
• Minecon tickets on sale now
  Someone pick me up a creeper plushie ... so I can set it on fire while screaming in utter terror.
• Rumour – Valve to release new Counter-strike game
  Woah, bombshell. Looks pretty legit, too.