It's been a long time since we've done a Weekly Recap but I've finally emerged from my winter-long hibernation (only to find that it's now snowing). 2013 might have only just begun but we're already running at full-steam with no intention to let up. Last week I was shipped away to Paris for the first ever look at Lightning Returns (expect coverage to hit the blog later in the week) and this week we'll be putting our pwning skills to the ultimate test when we try out the recently announced Tomb Raider multiplayer. A few days into the New Year and it's already looking to be a fun-packed twelve months for Square Enix fans.

Community

• Gamer Chat: CES 2013 - 4K TVs, tactile responsive touch screens, Steam Boxes; there's plenty of new technology to get excited about. What's caught your eye at this year's CES?
• Tomb Raider Tours #14: Max Murray - Max Murray is one of the lucky Tomb Raider fans to have been chosen for an exclusive first look at the Tomb Raider multiplayer. Learn more about Max's passion for all things Lara Croft in this edition of the Tomb Raider Tours.
• Weekend Creation Challenge - Gameglobe fanatics have been given another great challenge, this time to build a mini-game. If you'd rather sit back and play - leaving the creation to the experts - then check out the results of last week's Weekend Creation Challenge for some fun games to play.
• Leaderboard Challenge - This seemingly simple Gameglobe level tasks you with climbing to the top of a temple in under one minute. Easy, but getting a high score will take real skill. Play Temple of Id today in your browser for free (no registration required).
• Tomb Raider Multiplayer session at CES - Meagan Marie draws back the curtains for a sneaky peak behind the CES Tomb Raider Multiplayer session.
• Favourite Absolution Moments #4 - Game Director Tore Blystad talks us through one of the most complicated and technically advanced areas of Hitman: Absolution, the train station.

Development

• Tomb Raider Xbox 360 Controller unveiled at CES - This limited edition Xbox 360 controller will leave your friends green with envy - it also comes with a code for an exclusive multiplayer character!
• The Final Hours of Tomb Raider: Multiplayer - BOOM! Multiplayer by Eidos Montreal revealed by everyone's favourite nerd, Zach Levi.
• Extended Final Fantasy XIV CGI trailer released - It may have been the End of an Era, but a new beginning awaits us all in this extended version of the Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn CGI trailer.
• Tomb Raider Multiplayer Screens - Exactly what it says on the tin! Fantastic new multiplayer screenshots to drool over.
• Branding in Hitman: Absolution - Roberto Marchesi describes the lengths that are taken to make believable worlds.
• End of Year Slam-Dunks - Sleeping Dogs celebrates some of its 2012 highlights.
• FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn Beta Test - Now Recruiting Testers! - Registration for the FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn is open! What are you waiting for? Sign-up now!
• What is this First Blood everyone is talking about? - Heroes and Generals divulges new details of First Blood, the introduction level for new players before they're dispatched into the harsh realities of war. 
• Reto-Moto is looking for more supporters! - Want to work in the games industry? Reto-Moto (creators of Heroes and Generals) is recruiting! 

In the news

• Xbox 360 TOMB RAIDER Limited Edition Wireless Controller + how to win one (Major Nelson)
• Try Tomb Raider's Multiplayer For Yourself (IGN UK)
• Tomb Raider Multiplayer: Team Deathmatch Developer Commentary (IGN)
• Square Enix Announces Limited Edition for Hitman HD: Trilogy (ToneZone)
• How Luminous Studio is preparing Square Enix for the next-gen (Shack News)

If you're a proper Tomb Raider fan – and I mean proper – then getting all the game's achievements and trophies to show off to your friends is all well and good… but what if there was a BETTER WAY?

This might be it.

Releasing around the time of the game's launch is a unique, Limited Edition wireless Xbox 360 controller, complete with special colours and developed in collaboration with artists at Crystal Dynamics.

It's even got a customisable D-Pad that switches from a 'plus' to a 'disc' for better control, with a wireless range of 30 feet… just in case you like to walk around a lot while you play. And if you actually have a room that's 30 feet long. And I guess you'd probably need a pretty big TV to see what you're doing if you're standing 30 feet away. Maybe CES can help there as well, with one of the 4K TVs??

Anyway.

We think it's pretty awesome. It'll set you back $59.99 / €49.99 / £39.99 - and another little bonus is the inclusion of a code to download an exclusive playable character: The Scavenger Archer.

So if you want to get hold of one, keep your eyes open around the beginning of March.

The Consumer  Electronics Show (or CES for short) is one of world’s largest trade shows. It celebrates the latest and greatest technology advancements in electronics industry. It’s an opportunity for companies all around the world - including the usual big names - to showcase their new products, talk about their visions for the future, and to generally toot their own horns.

Unsurprisingly it’s not unusual to see some of the major players in the games industry take centre stage - companies like NVIDIA, Sony, Microsoft to name a few. This year isn’t any different, and while there's still no news on any next generation console, this hasn’t stopped other companies attempting to steal some limelight and reveal what they believe to be the next big thing in gaming.

Much of this year’s emphasis has been on cheap, small, open-source devices. NVIDIA revealed Shield, a portable Android gaming platform that also allows you to stream high-definition games from your PC. Meanwhile, Piston - an ultra-small gaming PC - was touted as being the first example of a 'Steam Box', Valve’s long-anticipated living room gaming PC. 

But it doesn’t end there; TV, mobile and audio manufacturers are all offering the future, today! 4K TVs are leading the charge claiming to be the next generation standard in visual quality, replacing our puny 1080p screens. With this much and more the questions we ask are these:

• Are you excited by what manufacturers have on offer at this year’s CES? 
• Does gaming need more Android devices and mini-consoles? 
• What impact do you think 4K TVs will have on your gaming habits?

As always, share your opinions with us in the comments. Feel free to discuss the topic and engage with each other’s ideas - but please be nice; there are no wrong answers. 

For those of you who've had your ear close to the ground over the winter holidays you'll have heard the exciting news that the forthcoming Tomb Raider game will feature competitive multiplayer! Hinted at in the last episode of The Final Hours and revealed in the January edition of OXM, we're now ready to take you behind the scenes of this brand new franchise addition.

As always, your host (and self-proclaimed nerd) Zac Levi takes us on a guided tour of the development process. This time we travel to Eidos Montreal for an in-depth talk with some of the talented minds who hold the overwhelming challenging of creating the multiplayer mdoes, which are of course a first for the series.

Tomb Raider is almost within our reach - only two months left unil release - so don't forget to pre-order!

Remember the awesome CGI trailer we released late last year that heralded the closure of the Final Fantasy XIV servers? The one that revealed the secret of the 'meteor'? You know the one!

Well, you'll be delighted to know that we've now released a new version that features a full second part to the action – a glimpse beyond the destruction of the original, and a first look at the Realm Reborn.

I'm not going to throw out spoilers here; just check out the full version below.

2013 is going to be a very exciting year for Final Fantasy fans, and we can't wait to bring you more over the coming months! If you'd like to register your interest in the Beta Test head over to http://entry.ffxiv.com/beta/eu/