NetherRealm Studios head Ed Boon is asking Injustice: Gods Among Us fans which DC character they'd like to see appear in the new fighter. In an unofficial poll, fans can choose their favorite Injustice DLC candidate.

The (again, entirely unofficial) roster includes Blue Beetle, Doctor Fate, Powergirl, Red Hood (Jason Todd version), Static Shock, Swamp Thing and Zatanna. Our vote goes to Swamp Thing, because everyone knows it's important to be green these days.

Through another partnership with Maxim, Gears of War: Judgment will offer a free OverRun-compatible map to all players next week, May 15, called Dreadnought. This new map is set on a derelict ship, used by the COG at the outset of the war to transport captured Berserkers.

This is the second free piece of DLC sponsored by Maxim. The first free map, Haven, arrived on April 2, when Execution mode was introduced to Gears of War: Judgment.

Now that the MMO-slash-TV show Defiance has been launched, says executive producer Nathan Richardsson, things are about to really get good, in the form of five DLC releases later this year. He admits that fan response to the game has it pegged as "about as deep as a bag of chips but great fun," but adds that he'd "like to get to the two-bag of chip depth category or at least, add some salsas for various textures."

Most of those spices will come in the form of DLC, and Richardsson has outlined what the game's first addon, tentatively titled "Enter the Castithan," will look like. There will be three elements to it: Those who buy the downloadable content for $10 will get access to the Castithan playable race, along with a new outfit and vehicle, and a new story mission line and game mode. There will also be free content, including new weapons, a new PvP map called Military Academy, and some other game improvements. And then there will be new items in the store, including weapon mods, more vehicle versions, and the ability to change your character's customizations.

Richardsson says all future add-ons will have these paid, free, and store components, and the team's goal is to keep the updates and content flowing and focused on what players want. The first DLC release is expected to hit the game after a patch later on this month.

Ubisoft Montreal is soliciting feedback on hacking as it is depicted in Watch Dogs, a contemporary action game in which the protagonist exploits interconnected computer networks through his smartphone. Senior Producer Dominic Guay told Joystiq about the developer's work with Kaspersky Lab, the internet security firm that recently claimed to have identified a targeted malware attack on the Android platform.

"We're working with Kaspersky Lab, a big security firm," Guay said during a San Francisco press event. "They have really hardcore experts there on hacking. We send them some of our designs and we ask them feedback on it, and it's interesting to see what gets back. Sometimes they say, 'Yeah, that's possible, but change that word,' or, 'That's not the way it works.'"

Watch Dogs isn't focused on hacking at a granular level, despite being fictionally fertile ground for the clichéd hacking minigame. Instead, it treats hacking as a shortcut to manipulating doors, cameras, cars, laptops and ATMs in a futuristic "smart city" based on Chicago. The centrally computer-controlled urban environment is a sprawling basis for the game's traversal, shooting, stealth and driving systems.

"It's not about the challenges of climbing a wall," Guay says, recalling the simplification of movement in Ubisoft Montreal's flagship series, Assassin's Creed. "It's finding the path I want to follow.

"It's not about the minigame that will let me open the door, it's the fact that I'm making a plan. I'm making a plan of how I'm going to chain hacking, shooting, traveling the city and driving to achieve an objective."

The input from Kaspersky Lab, and that from Ubisoft's own engineers, is intended to reduce instances of Hollywood hacking: the sexed-up, hyperspeed code wrangling meant to convey skilled computer use and software creation in an exciting/embarrassing way. Watch Dogs is certainly bombastic, but attempts to be more sensible than the likes of "Swordfish."

After the break: that scene where Hugh Jackman shows John Travolta where he hid the worm.

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The multiplayer component of Watch Dogs will have an element of player invasion, though its overall extent and direction has yet to be described by Ubisoft. Dominic Guay, Senior Producer at Ubisoft Montreal, insisted that the game can be played "completely offline if you want." (Expect to hear that protection phrase often in the wake of SimCity.)

In multiplayer, Watch Dogs will use the near-future version of Chicago just as it is in single-player. "We are not making any compromises in terms of dynamism or interactivity," Guay said at a San Francisco press event earlier this week. Connecting with other players will be seamless in the developer's attempt "to start breaching the wall in action-adventure between single- and multiplayer."

As an example of how players will commandeer elements of the city in play, Guay pointed to the E3 2012 demonstration of Watch Dogs: it concluded with another character hacking the protagonist's phone to plant a virus. In February, the game made an appearance at the PlayStation 4 unveiling event, and there the player was watched by someone who had hacked the local security cameras. Is there an apt term for someone who engages in voyeurism ... vicariously?

Guay also discussed the "mobile extension" of Watch Dogs, a companion app that's been in development for more than a year alongside the primary game. You'll be able to play some form of Watch Dogs on your smartphone, and interact with console players running around their respective cities. Doing so from the real Chicago, wearing your finest trench coat, will likely generate a cosplay singularity.

Monaco: What's Yours is Mine has finally scarpered onto the Xbox Live Marketplace. After failing to launch last month thanks to a bug that caused disconnects during online play, the top-down indie sneaker is nab-able right now at a cool 1200 MSP.

Going by our review, at that price it's a steal (HA). Jess, a self-confessed crappy crook, gave Monaco four and a half stars, deeming it a "classic heist game for a modern audience."

Namco Bandai released its financial results for the end of its fiscal year today, noting increased earnings in multiple sectors despite missing sales targets for Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and Tales of Xillia 2.

The company's worldwide net sales grew by 7.3 percent, ending this fiscal year at ¥487 billion (approximately $4.9B), compared to last year's earnings of ¥434 billion. Namco Bandai's net income for the year ending March 31, 2013 was ¥32.4 billion ($327M), a 67.8 percent increase over last year's reported ¥19.3 billion.

Regional sales saw significant boosts. Net sales of Namco Bandai products in Japan increased 7.3 percent year-over-year to ¥406 billion ($4.1B), while sales for the Americas rose 38.3 percent, finishing at ¥33.6 billion ($339M).

The report additionally reveals that Namco Bandai failed to meet shipping targets for some of its key titles. Siliconera notes that Namco Bandai expected to ship 1.7 million units of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 worldwide, but came up short at 1.5 million. The Japan-exclusive RPG Tales of Xillia 2 shipped 500,000, missing its initial target of 650,000 units.

Other big titles for the company include SoulCalibur V, which shipped 1.05 million units worldwide in the fiscal year ending in March, and two entries in its Naruto Shippuden series, which shipped a combined 1.76 million units across all regions.

It was implied a couple days ago by Xbox Europe, but let's be clear: Xbox (likely in a new, fancier form) will be at Gamescom. Xbox community guru Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb reiterated this afternoon that Xbox will return to Gamescom following last year's absence.

Nintendo, which also skipped out on Gamescom last year, will be in attendance for the 2013 show as well.

As for what Microsoft has in store, be sure to check Joystiq on May 21 to find out. But, you know... it's cool if you want to hang out here before then. We've become accustomed to your presence. Want to share a juice box?

Konami has released details of its financial performance in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2013, reporting sizable year-on-year losses in its digital entertainment and pachinko divisions but growth in its social gaming sector.

Company product sales and service revenue for the year amounted to ¥226 billion ($2.4B), down 15 percent from its earnings of ¥266 billion last year. Net income sank to ¥13.2 billion ($140M), a decrease of 42.8% compared to last year's reported income of ¥23 billion.

Konami saw its largest losses in the pachinko sector, in which revenue fell more than 70 percent compared to last year. The company's Digital Entertainment division reported a loss of 17.1 percent in year-on-year revenue, though solid worldwide performances for titles like Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance boosted earnings.

Konami's finances are buoyed by the success of Metal Gear Solid Social Ops and another popular online game, Dragon Collection, which it operates in partnership with Japanese social networking service GREE. Konami's social games currently boast more than 35 million registered users worldwide.

Update: The live show is over. Watch the replay above!

This week on the Super Joystiq Podcast, the team tackles the hard subjects to the ground and interrogates them. Dave discusses going hands-on with Spies vs. Mercs multiplayer in Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Xav dives into the war-torn world of Metro: Last Light and Jess tries to survive in Don't Starve.

Be here for the live broadcast at 4:00 p.m. ET!

NetherRealm Studios has given us our first in-game look at Injusice: Gods Among Us' next DLC character, Batgirl. As we had suspected, this Batgirl is Barbara Gordon, rather than Cassandra Cain or Stephanie Brown, the other two primary Batgirls of traditional DC continuity.

Thankfully, Batgirl doesn't appear to be a straight-up Batman or Nightwing clone, though there are some unavoidable similarities due to the nature of the characters' shared training. Regardless, Batgirl's grapple teleport and stun abilities should prove interesting against heavily ranged characters like Deathstroke.

The Joker's tropical vacation garb is a reference to an outfit worn by the character in 1988's Batman: The Killing Joke, which is covered briefly in this trailer. We assume Killing Joke Joker will be part of a costume pack released alongside Batgirl, as was the case with Lobo.

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Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate is officially heading to Xbox 360 and PS3 this fall as a retail and digital game. This version of Dead or Alive 5 is so Ultimate because it includes modes from the Vita's Dead or Alive 5 Plus, new stages, new fighters and cameos from Ninja Gaiden – including levels such as Sky City Tokyo and the character Momiji, as was rumored earlier this week.

"The largest lineup in DOA history includes the first ever appearance of Ninja Gaiden's Momiji, who utilizes the Hayabusa-style Aikijutsu taught to her by the master himself, Ryu Hayabusa," the Ultimate press release reads. Said lineup also appears to include the return of Leon, a fighter who debuted in Dead or Alive 2.

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There's something about Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon's ridiculous setting that is really resonating with people. Prominent YouTuber Mike Diva (real name: Mike Dahlquist) has constructed his own take on the universe, producing the above trailer whose highlight may be a chase sequence featuring cloud surfing. Or maybe it's Rex atop a flying shark with lasers on its head. We're having a tough time deciding.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon launched at the end of April through Xbox Live, PSN and PC digital distribution channels, a game our review said "broadens the appeal of its source, thanks to a hilarious, accessible dollop of nostalgia, coated in the mechanics that made Far Cry 3 great." Michael Biehn, who plays protagonist Rex Power Colt, has said that Ubisoft is currently considering a sequel based on sales exceeding expectations.

Evolution Championship Series co-founder Joey "Mr. Wizard" Cuellar announced that NetherRealm Studios' DC superhero brawler Injustice: Gods Among Us is now a featured game in EVO 2013's official tournament lineup, joining big-name favorites like Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition.

More good news arrived for Injustice fans today, in the form of a release window for the Wii U version's downloadable content. Responding to fan questions, the game's official Twitter account revealed that Wii U users will see its first round of DLC for the superhero and villain brawler this summer.

Wii U players were previously left out in the cold as Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 owners tussled with newcomer Lobo earlier this week. NetherRealm did not detail if the Wii U plans include additional costumes currently exclusive to Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Injustice.

Batgirl is next up in NetherRealm's DLC release schedule. Two more as-of-yet unannounced characters will join Injustice's roster at a later date.

By the end of the second quarter of its fiscal year, Disney Interactive was once again the media conglomerate's only unprofitable sector, reporting a $54 million operating income (read: pre-tax) loss for the three month period ending March 31, 2013. This is, however, a 22 percent year-over-year improvement when compared to Q2 2012's reported operating income loss of $70 million.

Disney contributes the loss to "growth at our Japan mobile business from a licensing agreement that started in February 2012 and lower acquisition accounting expense at our social games business." No mention is made of Junction Point Studios, which Disney closed in January after lackluster sales of Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, or of the company's forthcoming game/toy platform Disney Infinity.

Electronic Arts CFO Blake Jorgensen stated during the company's year-end financial call yesterday that Dead Space 3 and Crysis 3 didn't meet sales expectations, but avoided providing any sales numbers. We do know EA planned on a strong showing at launch of Dead Space 3, since Dead Space 2's launch beat the original game two-to-one, according to the company. Data provided by NPD reveals DS3 didn't even perform as well as DS2 at retail.

A straight comparison of Dead Space 3 versus Dead Space 2 'at the same life stage' would be difficult, since DS2 launched late in January of '11 and DS3 came out in early February this year.

"Dead Space 3 units sales were only two percent lower than Dead Space 2," NPD told us, comparing the per day average.

Although the latest sequel's retail performance didn't meet the publisher's forecast, EA emphatically denied in early March that production of Dead Space 4 had been cancelled.

The first quarter of Activision Blizzard's fiscal 2013 has come to a close, with the massive developer/publisher reporting $1.324 billion in net revenue for the three months ending March 31, 2013. This figure is $164 million beyond Activision Blizzard's prediction for the quarter ($1.16 billion), and 12.96 percent more than the $1.172 billion earned during the same period last year.

"The shift in release dates of competing products, the disappointing launch of the Wii U, uncertainties regarding next-generation hardware, and subscriber declines in our World of Warcraft business all raise concerns, as do continued challenges in the global economy," CEO Bobby Kotick said in the report. "For these reasons, we remain cautious."

Despite this, Activision Blizzard is raising its net revenue outlook for calendar year 2013 by 3.3 percent, from $4.085 billion to $4.22 billion. Kotick attributed the company's successful quarter to Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm and World of Warcraft, as well as continued consumer interest in Call of Duty and Skylanders.