In the inaugural STRATOS, we take a look at upcoming greatness from Studio Mudprints

I'm not convinced that the internet infrastructure in North America is strong or wide enough to support the online requirements of Xbox One (by association, I'm hoping Sony isn't dependent on that, either). I'm convinced, however, just by the presentation of yesterday that Microsoft is no longer interested in marketing to me. As much as some/most of us had the idea of an "all-in-one" box, this appeared to be their plan all along and so much is riding on this; if it sinks, they're fucked in the console business. Microsoft isn't under any obligation to sell something that's accessible or affordable but it isn't a smart business decision and the sense of hubris on their part is still noticeable.

Ser Flash lands on PixlBit fresh off the plane from his foiled return to 1up.

Click through for the biggest gaming news stories for the week of October 22:

Now that Star Wars: The Old Republic and Mass Effect 3 are out the door, it’s time for BioWare to start looking towards the future. That future doesn’t include last year’s Dragon Age II, however; BioWare recently announced that all work on Dragon Age II, including a rumored expansion, has been halted.

The World of Warcraft has been that 800 (make that 8,000) pound gorilla in the MMORPG room for seven years now. It has become a worldwide phenomenon, slipping into the mainstream as easily as Pac-Man, Grand Theft Auto, and Call of Duty. The game has a rabid fanbase, was featured in a wildly-popular episode of South Park, and became the inspiration for Felicia Day’s popular web series “The Guild”. WoW boasted over 12 million subscribers for the past few years, but it looks as if the massively successful MMO has finally peaked. This year has seen a noticeable decline in paid subscribers, to the tune of almost 2 million.

Last year, relatively unknown director Kevin Tancharoen released a video online called Mortal Kombat: Rebirth. It was unclear at first just what it was supposed to be; a trailer for the upcoming game series reboot, or a trailer for a new film. As it turns out, it was neither one, but instead a project Tancharoen did to show what he would like to do if he was given the chance to work on a new Mortal Kombat movie.