Upcoming video games: Madden NFL 13, Rock Band Blitz, Guild Wars 2

Madden NFL 13 rolls around in time for a new season of American Football, music gurus Harmonix take Rock Band back to its roots in Rock Band Blitz, and ArenaNet look to reinvigorate the MMO genre with Guild Wars 2.

Madden NFL 13 rolls around in time for a new season of American Football, music gurus Harmonix take Rock Band back to its roots in Rock Band Blitz, and ArenaNet look to reinvigorate the MMO genre with Guild Wars 2.

Madden NFL 13 (360 PS3 Vita Wii)
North America: August 28, E
European regions: August 31, 3+

Updated for a new season, Madden NFL 13's improvements include new passing and defensive AI systems, with 4 players on the same machine, up to 6 online, and an Xbox 360 version that can respond to player audibles via the Kinect Sensor.
Price: $59 / €69 / £39

Rock Band Blitz (360 PS3 via download)
PlayStation 3, North America: August 28
Xbox 360: August 29
PlayStation 3, European regions: expected August 29

Rock Band reinvented: no plastic instrument accessories required, just a standard controller and the option of importing old Rock Band songs or sticking to Blitz's 25 song soundtrack as you surf the note highway in line with classic music games Frequency, Amplitude, and Frets on Fire.
Price: 1200 MS Points / $15 / €14 / £10

Guild Wars 2 (Windows PC)
Worldwide: August 28, midnight PST
Age rating: Teen, 12+

Pick your character from an atypical mix of five races in this retail MMO that waves goodbye to subscription fees in favor of pleasing players with generosity and additional content.
Price: $59 / €49 / £39 / R499

Damage Inc. (360 PC PS3)
Worldwide: August 28

An arcade-style flight sim with singleplayer, co-op, and online multiplayer missions. Developed by peripherals manufacturer MadCatz, which has the new Pacific AV8R FlightStick designed for use with it.

Price: $49 / €49 / £39
With AV8R FlightStick: $99 / €99 / £89

Zen Pinball 2 (PS3 Vita)
North America: September 4
Europe: September 5

Better graphics, better movement, 262 tables and the option to import tables from Marvel Pinball and the original Zen. It's a free download, with players then paying to unlock each table, and high scores shared among friends for that 'just one more try' feeling.
Price: Free download with trial tables

Mark of the Ninja (360)
Worldwide: September 7 via download

Another 2D, sidescrolling slash 'em up from the creators of stabby-stabby Shank and Shank 2, where brawling is swapped for stealthy sneaking action, and there's a focus on observation and manipulation of enemy habits.