More news is storming the internet today as E3 2012 progresses. We've got details from EA's press conference regarding a premium service for Battlefield 3. Previous rumors have been confirmed: Battlefield 3 Premium is a DLC bundle, similar to Gears of War 3's Season Pass. In essence, by paying up front for all five pieces of DLC, Premium members will save $25 and have access to content two weeks before anyone else. Other perks include exclusive items like an ACB-90 knife and unique dogtags. Sounds like a great deal for fans of EA's flagship shooter.

We were all very impressed by what we saw of Halo 4 at the Microsoft press conference, and for those of you who didn't manage to catch the livestream, we now have footage of the stage demo for you. The footage shows Master Chief and Cortana track down the UNSC Infinity after it crashes on the same world that our favorite Spartan ended up on at the end of Halo 3.

Electronic Arts just held their press conference this afternoon and there wasn't a ton of specific co-op titles to come out of the Orpheum Theatre. One game that was shown that we are clamouring for more information about is the new Sim City from Maxis. The game looks stunning and the new aethestic seems more designed than any of the previous titles, giving players a more tacticle feel than the usual dry user interface. No details were given on how players would interact with each other, but it looks as though there is some form of co-op in the upcoming city simulator.

It's been rumored for a while, and now we have confirmation that Dead Space 3 will have two player drop-in/drop-out co-op. While we were limited to watching co-op footage at the EA press conference, the folks over at Polygon were able to get some pre-E3 hands-on with the game and filled in most of the gaps for us.

It's press conference day here at E3 2012, and we've returned from the Microsoft Press Briefing. It's defninitely a transition year, as fewer games were on display than we liked, but there were some tasty co-op previews to be had. Let's break it down.

We've got two great examples of Co-Op Classics for you once again, in glorious video form. Both of today's games are shoot em ups, so there are plenty of bullets to dodge and fire buttons to mash. The first is one of the most beautifully rendered games, with an unusual setting, that I've ever seen. The second is very different from other genre classics, including a heavy amount of customization. Progear and Rohgah Armor Force are headed your way.

Welcome to another installment of Beyond Co-Op, where we look "beyond co-op" and bring you some of the gaming news that doesn't necessarily revolve around cooperative play. This week, we have an assortment of topics and quotes that revolve around the event of E3 (not necessarily this one) and of the gaming industry’s predicted future.

The bags are packed, the plane tickets are booked, and the maid is fluffing our hotel pillows.  Co-Optimus is on their way to E3 in Los Angeles California, bringing you the latest and greatest co-op gaming coverage over the next week at the show.  But what exactly does it take to cover an event like this?  Some folks might think E3 is a 4 day party of playing games, but the reality of it is quite a bit different.

Sniper Elite V2 boasted one of the most interesting and fun preorder DLC bonuses in recent memory - the 'Assassinate the Fuhrer' mission. The game takes place during the closing days of World War II, a time when der Führer's number was just about up. As such, the mission provides the ultimate WWII sniping fantasy. Gamers who waited for our co-op review before buying and missed out on the bonus can fret no longer, as it goes on sale to all next week.

Nick, Mike, Locke, Andrew and Paul will be heading to Los Angeles, CA this weekend not to soak up the sun, but to hide inside a giant building and be tanned by the LCD TVs displaying the latest in upcoming videogames.  That's right, it's E3 time and the Co-Opticrew will be there!  While the rest of the staff man the homefront, they'll be mixing it up with some glorious gaming.

Last week we brought you news of a grisly new cooperative fantasy game for the PlayStation Vita. Soul Sacrifice is a game based on players sacrificing themselves in order to acquire great power. This doesn't sound too bad, until you see characters ripping out their eyes, setting themselves on fire, or forcibly removing their own spine. These ghastly self-mutilations enable the players to use powerful destructive spells. We were concerned that the game wouldn't see a US release, due to its sheer lunacy. We are happy to report that Soul Sacrifice will be available in both North America and Europe.

We all know that Aliens: Colonial Marines has been delayed until next year, which makes this sweet Collector's Edition all the more painful to behold.  The highlight of the CE is the bad-ass resin Powerlaoder-squishing-a-xenomorph statue. I still don't understand how there's not a Powerloader in every garage in America, you know, for gardening and stuff. You can see all the included items in the collector's edition after the break.