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EA2D has currently done two browser game tie-ins to major releases, and both have been absolutely fantastic. The first was the Mirror's Edge tie-in, while the second was the Dragon Age: Origins tie-in. Now it's time for the third game, and it's naturally an extension of Dragon Age 2. Titled Dragon Age Legends, it is apparently on Facebook now rather than simply existing as a Flash game. Unfortunately, this trailer doesn't give us any further information than the name and location. It's is simply a bunch of smooth, beautiful animation that has no relevant information on the game.

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With Dragon Age 2 now about a month or so away from its release date, publisher Electronic Arts has now announced that a Facebook-based companion game, Dragon Age Legends, has started its closed beta test. People can sign up for the beta at the game's official web site.

The game will allow players to "take on challenging quests, earn loot, share rewards and build your kingdom." Facebook friends can be recruited to help you in your quests and to fight off Dragon Age's demons and darkspawn creatures. As we have previously reported, players of Dragon Age Legends will be able to unlock up to five unique in-game items that can be used in Dragon Age 2 when it is released this March.

It's been a long, long time since we have heard anything about the status of the Facebook strategy game Civilization Network, a game that was first announced back in October 2009. Today the game's designer and "game god" Sid Meier broke his long silence with a new post on the game's Facebook page. The note announced a title change for the game to Civilization World (or Civ World if you prefer). Meier states that the name change "reflects the main theme of the game"

More importantly Meier states that the closed alpha testing for the game will begin on January 12. Folks can go ahead and sign up to be a part of the alpha test right now. The catch is that for this phase the development team at Firaxis Games want teams of players of between five to 50 people to sign up rather than as individuals (single players can still play the game when it officially launches). Meier states, " ... to win in Civ World, you'll need to collaborate with your friends in order to do well in the game and become ruler of the world, so in our early Alpha testing, we're grouping people together to simulate how the game will work when it's available to the world at large." People who are picked to be in the alpha test will get "a special item that you can proudly display in your throne room."

As 2010 draws to a close, we look back and marvel at how far PC gaming has come over the past decade. The start of the new millennium brought technology and trends that will resonate for years to come. So we take this opportunity to examine some of those technology trends and see how they might grow over or fizzle out over the next ten years. Here are our predictions of what PC gaming might look like in 2020.

Evil Genius was a fun 2004 strategy-sim game from the now defunct Elixir Studios that put you in the role of a super-spy themed villain trying to take over the world. The game got good reviews but didn't register in the sales department. UK-based Rebellion bought the rights to the game and re-released it as a digital download game.

Now Rebellion has launched a new Evil Genius game, this time for Facebook (in fact the Facebook game launched a month ago but it was only today that Rebellion set out a press release announcing its presence). Evil Genius: WMD is Rebellion's first game for the social networking genre and lets players become their inner Goldfinger by expanding their crime network and bringing in friends to help.

In order to celebrate the official announcement of Evil Genius: WMD, the original Evil Genius PC game is available to purchase via Steam for just $2.50, a 75 percent savings.

Last month we reported that a Facebook-based game based on the Monty Python comedy team was in the works. Now the game has an official title, The Ministry of Silly Games (remember the Ministry of Silly Walks sketch?) and an official web site where you can sign up for the game's beta test.

UK-based web sites like Rock Paper Shogun got a chance to check a version of the game out in a recent press event. The game itself has the player completing mini-games based on the Monty Python's Flying Circus TV shows along with at least one of the Monty Python movies. Playing the mini-games gains the player experience points which are used to buy in-game money. The money is used to put more parts in the Engine in the Ministry of Silly Games. It sounds like you can play the game without using real world money but you can use cash to purchase more aesthetic items like clothing for your avatar. The final game should launch sometime in 2011.

It's perhaps one of the most long awaited Facebook-based games ever announced and, well, it looks like it will still be waiting for a while longer. During today's BMO Capital Markets 18th Annual Digital Entertainment Conference Take Two Interactive's executive chairman Strauss Zelnick stated that developer Firaxis Games' Civilization Network will launch sometime in 2011, adding that the public will get to see the game "relatively soon."

The game, which has direct design input from Civilization's creator Sid Meier, was first announced over a year ago and at the time Meier said a closed beta would begin "soon". Since the announcement there's been little info on the game's status and the game's Facebook page has not had an official update since May.

[Via Joystiq]

Dragon Age 2 is due for release on March 8, 2011 but the BioWare-developed fantasy RPG will be getting a companion game via Facebook at about the same time. Dragon Age Legends was just announced this morning by publisher Electronic Arts and the Facebook game will be out by February 2011.

The game will be set in the same location as Dragon Age 2 and will feature "challenging quests within an engaging storyline, earning loot, sharing rewards and growing their kingdom." The game will also allow gamers to gain special unlockable content for Dragon Age 2. People interested in beta testing the game can sign up at the official Dragon Age Legends web site.

In 2004, Paradox Interactive developed and published Crusader Kings, a strategy title set during Europe in the Middle Ages. The game retains a cult following even as Paradox has grown and expanded as a company. Now the publisher is doing something a little different to find out how much interest there would be in a sequel to the game.

The publisher has launched a Facebook page and has declared,"Once this page has 25,000 fans - we will announce Crusader Kings 2!" The page was launched on Friday and since then it has registered just over 1,000 fans. At this current rate it will be over two months before such a game can be announced.

[Via Blue's News]

However you might feel about it, Facebook is still the number one social networking service. If you have an account you most likely have a friends list. But when you go to play a game on Steam it has its own friends list, one which you have to build up separately.

Stardock's upcoming Impulse::Reactor game development tool and service eliminates the need to create an all new friends list when you play games that use those tools. According to GamePro the service connects to your Facebook account and lets players simply import their already established friends list into the game. It also won't require a user to have an Impulse account to play a game with Impulse:: Reactor. The first game that will use the tools will be Stardock's own title Elemental which is currently scheduled for a August release.