Here in the UK the sun has finally come out and a summer to remember is just around the corner.  June promises to be a good one this year; a four day weekend for the Queen's Jubilee, a European Cup to look forward to, the Olympic Games on home turf and Babel Rising finally comes out on PSN and XBLA.

For denizens of co-op boardgames, Scotland Yard is a name that should have crossed their path.  It is a classic game in which up to 5 co-op partners play police officers as they hunt for the mysterious Mr X around London.  The boardgame is a co-op experience for most of the players, except for Mr X who must run on his own.  The new Scotland Yard iOS for iPad and iPhone aims to remedy this and can be played pure co-op if 5 players chose to go up against the Mr X AI.

It is always sad when a potentially good co-op game arrives and turns out to be less so. This was the case with South Park: Tenorman's Revenge.  The 4 player co-op title could have been a great platformer, but poor controls and awkward level design made it a low 2 out of 5.  Rather than rest on their laurels, developers Other Ocean Interactive have come back with a major update that may just save the game.

If the internet were a bucket, it would be a incredibly leaky one.  The latest leak comes via Sony Hong Kong who mistakenly revealed details on the upcoming Mass Effect 3 DLC before promptly removing it.  However, this being 2012 someone was able to grab the information first.  Kotuku inform us that the DLC will involve an expansion in the multiplayer universe and not the single player.  Check out Read More for the lowdown.

Hello Co-Optimus my old friend, I've come to talk to you again.  I come bearing bad news that came in a vision, whilst I was sleeping (that or from a Destructoid posting).  PS Vita owners expecting Silent Hill: Book of Memories in May will have to have a rethink - it ain't happening.  The first clue was when Amazon changed the game's release date from the already slipped date in May to October 31st.  Now Konami have confirmed that  gamers will have to wait several more months to get their greasy mitts on the 4 player online co-op title.

At Co-Optimus we like to cater for all tastes, so for every ten headshot heavy, gun blasting violence-athons, we throw in a family friendly title.  Brave: The Video Game is one such family affair; due alongside the Pixar film on July 24th across PS3, 360, PC and Wii (27th in the UK).  The new trailer features gameplay, of the solo variety, but also some bear action.  That is bear, as in furry mammal and not bare as in nude.  If you want that sort of thing please read an article on one of the more adult games - try Catherine.

With Ghost Recon Future Soldier only weeks away (22nd May date fans), Ubisoft are doing their utmost to make you prepared for the game.  Only the other day a new trailer arrived that followed a prisoner's point of view after being captured by the Ghosts.  An even newer trailer flips this idea on its head and concentrates on the life of a soldier.  In a documentary style, the unnamed combatant informs us exactly what it’s like to fight battles in the near future.  Want to know more?  Check out the trailer.

There have been some single player only heavy hitters this generation, but if rumors are to be believed, they are falling like skittles in the world’s easiest game of bowling.  Assassins Creed 3 has apparently succumbed to the charms of co-op, so what game is next?  Dead Space 3!  An IGN source has come out with some freakin' sweet rumors, the latest outing for the action horror game will have drop in/drop out co-op!

The Ghost Recon Future Soldier hype express has been gunning full throttle for some weeks now, as you would expect from a game out on May 22nd in the US and May 25th in the UK.  Most of the trailers have been on the technical side, showing off aspects such as the guns, combat or multiplayer.  This new trailer forgoes all this and sets the mood of the game as a badly beaten man tells his tale of the Ghosts.

The latest Arcade Next event on XBLA has had some good co-op action in the form of Fable Heroes, but arguably the best has been saved until last.  With co-op spanning 4 player local and 8 player online, Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition looks like the most fun you can have with 8 people when no whipped cream is involved.  Out Wednesday 9th for the princely sum of 1600 Microsoft Points, Minecraft 360 may be on the expensive side, but looks packed with entertainment.  Watch the new trailer if you don't believe me.

Wednesday has come and gone - did you pick up either of the co-op friendly titles released on XBLA?  It might be worth downloading the trail versions of Awesomenauts and Fable Heroes whilst you yearn for the definitive co-op review from Co-Optimus.  Whilst we wait no one said we have to be bored, check out Read More for the launch trailers for both games.

The weekly sales on PSN and XBLA are amongst the highlights of my gaming week.  What will appear this time; a selection of co-op friendly titles for next to nothing, or some overpriced DLC reduced to slightly less overpriced?  Admittedly some of the weekly sales are less emphatic than others, but do you know what is a bargain?  A game that is permanently reduced. This has just happened to Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, now yours for 800 Microsoft Points, or as I like to call it - the price that all download games should be in the first place.

I do like a good collection of games; more pleasure for the same price.  Metal Gear Solid HD Collection is a prime example of this, not only did you get updated versions of some of the earlier single player outings of the franchise, but also a brand spanking new update of the 4 player co-op Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker HD.  The collection has just been announced for Vita, surely the PSP native Peace Walker would fit seamlessly onto Sony's new handheld?  Apparently not, as a certain game is missing...

Gamers under 25 don't know how lucky they are.  When I was a lad all of this was fields and the arcade was full of games with near impossible difficulty.  A prime example of this was Don Bluth's Dragon's Lair, a spectacular looking game that was harder than Jason Statham holding a diamond tipped hammer.  Now you can relive this glorious gaming torture on XBLA from 18th April.   This time bring a pal in local 2 player co-op, but is it co-op?

Zut alors!  It appears that no matter which nation Amazon exists in, they always manage to leak information about forthcoming games.  The latest Amazonian culprit is Amazon France.  They have revealed that Sony plan to produce a pack containing all three Resistance games on May 16th.  Resistance: Fall of Man, Resistance 2 and Resistance 3 all contained co-op modes.