We're halfway through June! That means it's almost 2013, which is officially the future. Just say it aloud "Twenty thirteen." Chills. Where's my damn jetpack?

Right before the madness that was E3 fell upon us, Larian Studios, a developer best known for the Divinity series of RPG games, made an announcement about the next entry in the series: Divinity: Original Sin. Set once more in the mythical world of Rivellon, Original Sin is Larian Studios' attempt to "get back to their roots" after the hack-n-slash, actiony Divinity II: Ego Draconis. The return to their roots also includes a return to cooperative gameplay, a very wise decision in our view point. Game Informer was able to get a preview of the game before it was demoed at E3 and based on the brief 4-minute they shot, I'm getting excited to see where this title will go. Elements of Diablo, Magicka, and Star Wars The Old Republic's dialogue system all show up, along with a turn-based battle system that reminds me of the more classic RPGs like Final Fantasy VI. If that doesn't pique your RPG-loving curiosity, then maybe you should get that looked at...

ike every Civ game before it, Civilization V has gotten an expansion pack that tightens and balances gameplay, adds new units and features, and makes the game even more addictive. With several new core systems added, new scenarios, new leaders, and new units there's plenty of content here for an expansion in the age of DLC. Let's see what Civilization V: Gods and Kings has to offer.

Nick, Mike, Andrew, and Locke took some time on the last day of E3 to check out the latest and maybe the first sports rhythm hybrid game, NBA Baller Beats. Each of the Co-Opticrew had their chance with the rock to show off their musical basketball skills as they dribble their way to well...just watch and see. 

One of the biggest issues with console gaming is that when you are out of the house you are no longer gaming!  Who wants to spend quality time with friends and family when virtual defences need upholding and make believe buildings need construction?  Starhawk fans can now live the experience of the game 24/7 with the new Uplink Mobile app for iOS and Android that will have them plugged into the community at all times.

Moo Mesa is one of the better games in its genre, and compares favorably to many others of its time, the heyday of the side scrolling fighter. While it's very true to its era, with garish colors, a goofy concept, and the semi-knockoff pedigree, the game stands up even today. Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa is undeniably a Co-Op Classic.

We've got some exciting news today for SCHAR: Blue Shield Alliance, the upcoming indie co-op twin stick shooter for Xbox Live Indie Games and PC.  Along with a new trailer we have some info about the game's upcoming release, including a possible date.  Brain Shape Games have just submitted builds to both DreamBuildPlay and the PAX 10 contests with hopes of gaining exposure for their flagship title.

Ah, the weekend... A perfect time to catch up on sleep, video games, and gaming news. As the visions and impressions of E3's co-op goodness continued to dance through our heads this past week, there were some interesting news pieces floating around this week that didn't necessarily have a co-op element to them. Fortunately, that's where our Beyond Co-Op feature comes into the picture.

We recently gave you guys our E3 impressions of upcoming MTG game, Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013. One of the new features we mentioned, which is quite highly anticipated, was the fan-requested manual tapping system. A recent dev diary can show the curious exactly how it will work. It's the little things, right?

We've told you before that Overkill Software, creators of PAYDAY: The Heist, had a surprise which included some sort of collaboration with Valve set in the Left 4 Dead universe.  It's now been leaked as to exactly what that is.  It's called PAYDAY: No Mercy and looks to be a map or a set of maps for PAYDAY: The Heist set in the familiar Left 4 Dead level No Mercy.  But that's not the interesting part for the four player co-op game.

We're (mostly) recovered from all the E3 goodness and now it's back to playing games.  A little known fact about E3, when you go to the show to work - you don't actually play that many games.  So it's time to catch up.  It seems the staff has been bitten by the strategy bug, with DOTA 2, Civ 5 and Sins of a Solar Empire all popping up on our play lists.  Don't worry - we're still playing Diablo 3 too.

There are plenty of "love it or hate it" games, and Resident Evil: Operation City is a good example of such. Okay, it's more of an "accept it or forget it" game, but that's neither here nor there. The point is, it's getting a patch that should greatly improve several gameplay elements.