The last couple of weeks have been pretty tortuous for a select few of us here at Asda House as we’ve been keeping a secret…

CALL OF DUTY IS BACK!

As always promising to be bigger and better than ever the latest instalment in the Call of Duty franchise, Black Ops II, has been announced today. In order to get the product live on our website and in store for Asda customers to pre-order we’ve had to be planning this for a couple of weeks though, and keeping it quiet has been a struggle, particularly for a huge fan of the game like myself! Not bragging to mates about the title or about what we’ve seen in the trailers is never easy as we’re all so excited about what is in store this time around.

But now with the shroud of secrecy lifted we can start to get excited about the return of the gaming juggernaut! In an entirely new setting – a 21st Century Cold War – this promises to be a whole new experience for COD fans. Available to pre-order at Asda Direct our pre-order price guarantee means that if you order with us you are guaranteed to get Asda’s best price for the game or if you prefer you can order in store.

There do remain some big secrets about what this years COD has to offer, and these will be released later in the year as the hype ramps up, but what you can guarantee is the game is going to be all action, amazing multiplayer, and once again set to smash all records in terms of being the biggest entertainment franchise on the planet. As always Asda will be focused on delivering a great customer experience both online and in store, and we’re keen to ensure we keep our customers informed of what we’re planning so keep checking back here for updates.

This Friday sees the return of FIFA Street to our consoles for the first time since 2008, for all football and FIFA fans this game is a must buy!

I first got a glimpse of the new and improved FIFA Street at EA’s showcase event on the 20th October 2011, and as a massive football and FIFA fan I have been eagerly awaiting this release since then!

As well as Lionel Messi making his FIFA pack-shot debut, FIFA Street has been completely revolutionised for this latest release. Inspired by street footballers around the world, the game moves away from the strategic, authentic tactical approach of other football games, focusing instead on flair, skill and street dribbling, truly making this what we all love about the beautiful game.

Using the critically acclaimed FIFA 12 game-play engine, including the impact engine, precision dribbling, and personality+, FIFA Street is shaping up to be a refreshing addition to the 2012 release slate, and based on the pre-orders that we are currently seeing this is shaping up to be another hit for the FIFA franchise.

If like me you are a fan of football and football games, take the challenge to own the street and pre-order FIFA Street for £37.47 from ASDA.Direct. Available on PS3 and X-Box 360.

Today sees the release of Mass Effect 3, which should be the biggest gaming release of the quarter, maybe even the first half of 2012.

It’s been a game I’ve been waiting for since early last year and I’m certainly not the only one judging by the amount of pre-orders we’ve taken. Also the review scores pretty much across the board say that this game is more than worth the wait, it’s got 10/10 in a lot of the gaming press. It seems EA have another hit on their hands.

The Mass Effect franchise seems to have really grown yet again into this latest release and it’s certainly a title that warrants it’s triple A rating. The addition of the Kinect functionality should be a great one, and for Microsoft it’s a great thing to help Kinect really cross over to the hardcore gamers rather than just be seen as something for party gaming. I just hope my colleagues on the battlefield manage to interpret my Yorkshire accent without too much difficulty!

Mass Effect 3 has certainly caused a lot of hype in the gaming world as the retailer Game is not stocking it, and whilst that’s not something I would care to comment on I do know that we are pushing it all guns blazing both online and in store. It should be huge success based on the pre-orders we’ve seen so hopefully it’s a game our customers love just as much as they have with 1 and 2!

I think it’s fair to say that the dads among us are the real un-sung heroes of the family (dubiously good start so far…). With this in mind, I would like to propose a couple of games that will fit neatly in to his busy days, by providing instant satisfaction even if he has only a few moments to spare.

First – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. This game is quite a big deal, causing millions of gamers around the globe to queue up at midnight, armed only with a flask of Bovril and an umbrella, to get their hands on one of the best first person shooters ever made.

This game is the final piece of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series and takes you through the streets of London, Paris and New York, with fantastic visuals and edge-of-the-seat action.

The beauty of this game for the ‘Modern’ Dad (see what I did there), is the opportunity to reward those small moments of ‘Dad-time’ with a quick burst of frantic online multiplayer, for which Modern Warfare is most famous for. Re-designed killstreaks, better perks and brand new game modes all contribute to a deeply satisfying experience.

Secondly, no father should be without a sports game therefore my second suggestion is FIFA 12. EA rarely fail to deliver a brilliantly crafted sports game and FIFA 12 has everything you could want.

Further jiggery-pokery to the control systems and gameplay (or the ‘Player impact engine’ as the boffins say), has delivered a whole new aesthetic to the franchise. Dribbling is more accurately controlled, defensive play is more tactical and your team mates are more intuitive.

There are tons of features and game modes to get involved with but the real appeal, for me anyway, is that you can have a quick ‘do’ whilst the wife is getting ready without her realising you’re not doing your jobs. Back of the net!

Pester power is on us and as parents it is time to show our knowledge and buy our children the perfect gifts. We need to remember that the expensive electronic diary or plastic lightsaber that we buy them will be used, broken and discarded within the day but a good computer game can occupy for hours!

I have four recommendations that will do the job in hand.

Skylanders (Multi Format)

This is a great concept, a game that is enhanced by collectable figures. Your loved ones will use their portal of power to bring their vast array of creatures to life on the screen and use them to battle through the numerous levels.

You can even save your stats to your figures and take them round to your friend’s house and show off!

Moshi Monsters (DS)

The must-have licence of 2011. All parents will have heard of Moshi Monsters, the collectable cards, the subscription, the numerous toys… and now the DS game.

Your children will be searching for Moshlings and adding them to their Moshling zoo. This sounds weird but over 50 million people worldwide cannot be wrong. Your children will want this game!

Mario Kart 7 (3DS)

All the classic courses and 16 new ones – customise your Karts, glide through the air and dive under water, there is so much to love about this game.

You can battle with your friends locally or online, and believe me as a parent even I want to play this!

Disneyland Adventures (360 Kinect)

“Can we go to Disneyland?”
“No.”
“Can we go to Disneyland?”
“No.”
“Can we go to Disneyland?”
“No… hold on. Yes, you can!”

Using the fantastic Kinect attachment for your 360 you can explore the Disneyland Park. The joy on your children’s faces as they engage in quests and interact with the attractions is one to capture on your Christmas snaps.

Oh and another thing – this is cheaper than Paris or America!