Arcen Games has a solid track record for co-op gamers.  With all three of their major releases now supporting co-op play (AI War, Tidalis, and A Valley Without Wind) -  it should come as no surprise their next game will also support co-op play.  Called Shattered Haven, Arcen's next game continues the trend that each title they tackle is vastly different from the previous.  This time the game is being touted as an action adventure with some rogue-like qualities.  

The world and its dog may be playing Borderlands 2 this  week, but please note that there are other co-op games still out there.  You can take your fancy graphics and 4 player co-op and I raise you old school graphics and 6 player co-op with X Men Arcade on XBLA; reduced to 400 Microsoft Points for one week only as of Wednesday 26th September.

More video footage of the alpha phase of upcoming MMO/FPS zombie-thriller, War Z, has surfaced, showcasing some good use of defensive tactics to survive in an apocalyptic world. War Z is the first MMO, sandbox style zombie game to feature an open world, with no emphasis on a set storyline or even character classes.

Starhawk, the "build and battle" third-person shooter, is about to become much more accessible. The space western will be available for digital download on the PSN tomorrow. There will even be three ways to buy the game: The full title can be purchased for $39.99, the multiplayer portion of the game is priced at $19.99, and PlayStation Plus Members will be able to download the single player campaign for free.

This week is a light one for co-op gaming, which is fine by me. Like many of you, I'm still plowing through the terrific games that launched last week. If you are in the market for something new, checkout Colour Blind. It's a thinking man's puzzler.

Realms of Ancient War launched quietly on XBLA during a week dominated by Borderlands 2 and Torchlight 2. Is it worth tearing yourself away from those other Action RPGs? Find out in our co-op review.

Kinect Nat Geo TV is one of those games that flew under our radar for a while, its cooperative multiplayer somewhat undertouted until the eleventh hour. But the game has just launched, and it definitely supports 2 player local co-op, so here we are. Just look at the picture above and tell me you're not eager to let out your inner animal. We've got more screens and impressions after the break.

The first patch for the Xbox 360 version of SCHAR: Blue Shield Alliance is now available.  The update brings a host of improvements including difficulty balancing, AI enhancements, control tweaks, and general bug fixes.  It's taken quite some time for this patch to finally be available, and your patience is appreciated.  All of these enhancements have been available on the PC version now since release.

Warren Spector is one of my personal heroes in the game industry, and when I heard we were given an opportunity to sit in a roundtable session with him to talk about Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, I jumped at the chance. We were treated to an hour-long discussion and hands-off demo of Epic Mickey 2 and learned just how much of a Disney nut Mr. Spector is.

In 2008, one of the greatest beat-em-ups of all time was released on Xbox Live Arcade. It went on to become a smash hit, one of the best selling games on the service. In 2010, that same game was released on the Playstation Network, allowing PS3 owners to enjoy it. Now, more than four years after its initial release, non-console gamers can get their hands on Castle Crashers. 

Welcome to Beyond Co-Op, the weekly column that takes a look at the non-cooperative happenings in the videogame industry. With Borderlands 2 and Torchlight 2 dominating the news this week, other gaming news was slim pickings. But we've still found a few choice morsels for hungry readers to savor.

Is there such a thing as too much loot?  With sequels to two of the best Action/RPGs in years coming out within days of each other, the staff seems to be buried in item comparison dialog boxes.