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Disney Infinity executive producer John Vignocchi has explained to Videogamer that some future Disney Infinity content will be on disc from the get-go. He also confirmed that Disney Infinity will see a yearly release with new entries including the following 12 months’ worth of content. This means some of this sensitive data could be exposed by hackers.

“That’s something that we’ve made the film-makers aware of,” Vignocchi said. “There’s absolute potential that people are going to see characters prior to their PR campaigns kicking off if someone does that, but we’re hoping that isn’t something that is widespread reported because then people are going to start looking for it, and it’s going to ruin the magic for the consumer.”

This may sound like a serious risk for Disney, but according to Vignocchi, the limiting nature of current-generation consoles has forced it to become reality.

“In the future, as we move on to new versions of consoles we’re going to be able to digitally deliver that content, and the figurines themselves will simply be dongles that allow us to then instantiate a download of that content,” he said. “But given the current generation of consoles, the content needs to be on the disc. But in the future we’ll be able to push all that digitally so we don’t run into that problem.”

Disney Infinity is currently in development at Avalanche Software (Toy Story 3, Cars 2). It is due for release this June for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, Wii, Wii U, and 3DS. Similar to Activision’s Skylanders series, Disney Infinity is a new “toys to life” game that uses physical toys to access digital content.

Activision is unfazed by Disney Infinity, saying it plans to remain the genre’s market leader.

The peer-moderated Game Developers Choice Awards has announced its 2013 shortlist, with nominations for the ten categories decided by other game developers.

Journey, GameSpot’s Game of the Year for 2012, received the most nods with six nominations. Other games hoovering up attention include Dishonored and The Walking Dead, with four and three nominations respectively.

Plenty of indie games stand alongside blockbuster releases, with titles such as Hotline Miami, Mark of the Ninja, FTL, Spelunky and Hero Academy being nominated alongside Mass Effect 3, Assassin’s Creed III and Halo 4.

The nominations for the most coveted of the GDC awards — Game of the Year — are Dishonoured, The Walking Dead, Mass Effect 3, XCOM: Enemy Unknown and Journey.

Any game released in 2012 is eligible for the 13th annual Game Developers Choice Awards, with an open balloting process providing the shortlist that is then judged by an invitation-only panel of game creators.

Winners will be announced on March 27 at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.

The list of nominees in full:

Best Audio
Journey (Thatgamecompany/Sony Computer Entertainment)
Hotline Miami (Dennaton Games/Devolver Digital)
Sound Shapes (Queasy Games/Sony Computer Entertainment)
Assassin’s Creed III (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft)
Halo 4 (343 Industries/Microsoft Studios)

Best Debut
Humble Hearts (Dust: An Elysian Tail)
Polytron Corporation (Fez)
Giant Sparrow (The Unfinished Swan)
Subset Games (FTL: Faster Than Light)
Fireproof Games (The Room)

Best Game Design
Dishonored (Arkane Studios/Bethesda Softworks)
Mark Of The Ninja (Klei Entertainment/Microsoft Studios)
Spelunky (Derek Yu/Andy Hull)
Journey (Thatgamecompany/Sony Computer Entertainment)
XCOM: Enemy Unknown (Firaxis Games/2K Games)

Best Downloadable Game
The Walking Dead (Telltale Games)
Spelunky (Derek Yu/Andy Hull)
Trials: Evolution (RedLynx/Microsoft Studios)
Mark Of The Ninja (Klei Entertainment/Microsoft Studios)
Journey (Thatgamecompany/Sony Computer Entertainment)

Best Technology
Far Cry 3 (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft)
PlanetSide 2 (Sony Online Entertainment)
Halo 4 (343 Industries/Microsoft Studios)
Call of Duty: Black Ops II (Treyarch/Activision)
Assassin’s Creed III (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft)

Best Handheld/Mobile Game
Gravity Rush (SCE Japan Studio/Sony Computer Entertainment)
Hero Academy (Robot Entertainment)
Sound Shapes (Queasy Games/Sony Computer Entertainment)
The Room (Fireproof Games)
Kid Icarus: Uprising (Sora/Nintendo)

Best Narrative
Spec Ops: The Line (Yager Entertainment/2K Games)
Mass Effect 3 (BioWare/Electronic Arts)
Dishonored (Arkane Studios/Bethesda Softworks)
The Walking Dead (Telltale Games)
Virtue’s Last Reward (Chunsoft/Aksys Games)

Best Visual Arts
Borderlands 2 (Gearbox Software/2K Games)
Journey (Thatgamecompany/Sony Computer Entertainment)
Far Cry 3 (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft)
Dishonored (Arkane Studios/Bethesda Softworks)
Halo 4 (343 Industries/Microsoft Studios)

Innovation
Mark of the Ninja (Klei Entertainment/Microsoft Studios)
Journey (Thatgamecompany/Sony Computer Entertainment)
FTL: Faster Than Light (Subset Games)
The Unfinished Swan (Giant Sparrow/Sony Computer Entertainment)
ZombiU (Ubisoft Montpellier/Ubisoft)

Game of the Year
Dishonored (Arkane Studios/Bethesda Softworks)
The Walking Dead (Telltale Games)
Mass Effect 3 (BioWare/Electronic Arts)
XCOM: Enemy Unknown (Firaxis Games/2K Games)
Journey (Thatgamecompany/Sony Computer Entertainment)

Major League Gaming has officially announced the first two of three games for its opening 2013 Winter Season, which will feature Riot Games’ League of Legends and Treyarch’s Call of Duty: Black Ops II. MLG is said to be working closely with Treyarch and Activision to bring Call of Duty eSports to the world.

“The global phenomenon of competitive gaming has reached a tipping point and I believe 2013 is going to be the most pivotal time for eSports,” MLG CEO and cofounder Sundance DiGiovanni said. “The Winter Season includes games built for competitive play, an event format and production level unparalleled in the industry and a passionate global fan base that continues to grow. Combine that with our TV-esque online broadcast, and we have everything needed for MLG and eSports to dominate the entertainment industry and appeal to an even broader audience”

Although the third game has not yet officially been announced, it has been made apparent from tweets by DiGiovanni that it will be StarCraft II. DiGiovanni even told GameSpot that it would feature the new StarCraft II expansion to be released in early March, Heart of the Swarm.

The Winter Season will culminate at the Winter Championships, March 15-17, at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas, Texas. $50,000 will be up for grabs for Call of Duty competitors and $20,000 to the winner, with Online qualifiers being held for North America and Europe through MLG’s GameBattles service. Qualifying and prize pool details for the other games will be released soon.

TwitchTV will act as MLG’s distribution partner for all broadcasts in 2013. Hotel information is currently available for viewing with spectator passes being available in early February.

Valve has released a major update for the PC version of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. After gathering feedback from professional players across the world, Valve decided to change recoil levels for all weapons. In addition, specific adjustments have been made to rifles, pistols, and the P90.

It is not clear if Valve intends to also update the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

Valve has also implemented weapon purchasing changes, including raising the AWP’s kill reward from $50 to $100. Additionally, the Glock is now a Terrorist-only weapon, and the FiveseveN is now a Counter-Terrorist-only weapon. The Terrorists’ Molotov price has dropped to $500, while the Counter-Terrorists’ incendiary grenade will remain at $850.

A new game mode–Deathmatch–is now available for matching and offline play. Players can join a Deathmatch game on either the Classic maps or the Demolition and Arms Race maps. Valve said the new Deathmatch mode is aimed at beginners, because it allows them to discover where they might be exposed and alert them to new angles and approaches.

Also now available for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is a private beta for the Map Workshop. Interested mapmakers can mail Valve at csgo_sdk@list.valvesoftware.com with the subject “Map Workshop Beta” and their Steam ID with a link to maps already shipped or in progress to be considered.

Assassin’s Creed III’s three-part Tyranny of George Washington expansion will begin February 19. That’s when the first episode–The Infamy–launches for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, Ubisoft announced today. The content will be available as a free download for those who hold a $30 Season Pass and will be $10 otherwise.

The content can also be purchased at GameStop and Best Buy, Ubisoft said.

In the first episode, protagonist Connor is woken from a dream to find that a new king has been crowned: George Washington.

The Infamy will focus on Connor’s early efforts to dethrone the malevolent king. Two additional chapters will follow at a later date.

Notably, the launch of The Tyranny of George Washington comes just one day after Presidents Day in the United States, which is a federal holiday in the US and honors George Washington.

The Tyranny of George Washington–and all other Assassin’s Creed III expansion packs–will be available for the Wii U version. However, Ubisoft did not provide a release schedule.

Deep Silver parent company Koch Media has promised a “bright future” for the Saints Row and Metro franchises, which it acquired yesterday as part of the THQ bankruptcy auction. The company also purchased Saints Row developer Volition, Inc.

“Both the Saints Row and the Metro franchises perfectly fit into our future lineup and strategy,” Deep Silver international commercial director Menno van der Bil said in a statement. “We’re really excited to lead these well-respected licenses into a bright new future.”

Future plans for the Saints Row and Metro franchises will be announced in the coming months, the company said. Saints Row 4 is currently in development at Volition and Metro: Last Light is due for release later this year.

In total, Koch Media spent over $28 million to acquire the Saints Row and Metro franchises and the Champaign, Illinois-based Volition. No other bidding party spent more during yesterday’s auction.

Saints Row and Metro add to Deep Silver’s existing stable of franchises, which include Dead Island, Risen, nail’d, and Sacred.

The next project from The Shawshank Redemption director Frank Darabont was going to be a TV show on TNT called L.A. Noir, but Take-Two reportedly took issue with that. Speaking to i09, Darabont claimed the game company pressed legal action on him over his show’s similarity to 2011’s L.A. Noire, forcing him to change the name to Lost Angels.

“Yes, it was going to be called L.A. Noir, based on the book by John Buntin. But the video game company with the video game called L.A. Noire (with an e!) threatened to sue the shit out of me, TNT, every company that actually ever worked in Hollywood,” Darabont said.

“And they have the billions of dollars to back it up, apparently. So we’re changing the title, and I do believe the title is going to be Lost Angels.”

In addition to featuring a name similar to L.A. Noire, Darabont’s show is set in 1947 Los Angeles, the same time period of the game.

A Take-Two representative declined to comment.

L.A. Noire was developed by Team Bondi for Rockstar Games and released in May 2011. It garnered a positive critical reception and shipped 4 million units. A sequel is a possibility.

A U.S. Bankruptcy Court has granted a motion to approve the sale of THQ’s assets as outlined yesterday at the close of the private auction, the company announced today. THQ expects the approval to be finalized by tomorrow, January 25.

The court approved the sale of three THQ studios (THQ Montreal, Volition Inc., and Relic Entertainment), as well as games including Evolve, Homefront 2, Metro: Last Light, and South Park: The Stick of Truth.

Sales from the auction totaled around $72 million, though the total value is higher. THQ said it expects the total sale process to have generated $100 million, which includes “certain assets and other intellectual properties” excluded from the sale.

One of these assets could be the WWE license, which Grand Theft Auto parent publisher Take-Two Interactive has reportedly obtained for an undisclosed sum.

THQ also today addressed the fate of Darksiders studio Vigil Games, which did not attract a single bidder at the auction yesterday. The company said it will continue to seek a buyer for Vigil Games, and other assets and intellectual properties, as part of the Chapter 11 process.

Staff at Bayonetta and Vanquish developer Platinum Games have expressed interest in the Darksiders franchise, though it is not clear if their interest is merely exploratory.

THQ executive management also commented on the news. CEO Brian Farrell said, “While we had hoped that the restructuring process would allow the company to remain intact, I am heartened that the majority of our studios and games will continue under new ownership. Although we will no longer be able to work together with a unified mission, I am confident that the talent we have assembled will continue to make an impression on the video game industry. For those whose positions are not likely to continue, I sincerely regret this outcome and we will be meeting with you over the next few days to discuss the transition.”

THQ president Jason Rubin–who was hired just eight months ago–also gave a farewell address, saying he wished the result could have been different.

“I was brought in eight months ago to help turn this ship around, and while I’m disappointed that we could not effect a sale for the entire operating business, I am pleased that the new buyers will be providing jobs to many of our very talented personnel,” Rubin said. “When we first announced the sale process, I said I would be happy if the company’s games and people had a bright future, even if it meant I did not have a job at the end of it. And I still feel that way.”

THQ is no more. The company will be broken apart and its games sold to at least five different companies, according to a letter sent to employees today from CEO Brian Farrell and president Jason Rubin. Kotaku obtained the letter, which further states THQ is currently presenting its case to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

The proposed sale, including sales figures and backup bidders for each, is below.

Relic Entertainment and Company of Heroes franchise
Winning bid: $26.6 million – Sega Corporation
Backup bidder: $26.3 million – Zenimax Media

THQ Montreal, including 1666 and Underdog
Winning bid: $2.5 million – Ubisoft
Backup bidder: None

Evolve aka Metamorphosis
Winning bid: $10.894 million – Take-Two Interactive
Backup bidder: $250,000 – Turtle Rock Studios, Inc.

Volition and Saints Row franchise
Winning bid: $22.3 million – Koch Media
Backup bidder: $5.4 million – Ubisoft

Homefront franchise
Winning bid: $544,218 – Crytek
Backup bidder: None

Metro franchise
Winning bid: $5,877,551 – Koch Media
Backup bidder: $5.175 million – Ubisoft

South Park: The Stick of Truth
Winning bid: $3,265,306 – Ubisoft
Backup bidder: None

The fate of the Darksiders franchise and its developer Vigil Games is unknown. Farrell and Rubin said, “We will make every effort to find appropriate buyers, if possible.”

The formal THQ auction document reveals an unannounced game from THQ Montreal called “Underdog.” This is in addition to the company’s still-unannounced “1666” and could be a working title.

The document also suggests High Voltage Software (The Conduit) is working with Volition Inc. on development on Saints Row 4, though it is not clear in what capacity.

Farrell and Rubin said most employees included in the sale will be offered jobs by their new owners. However, this is not a certainty, and “there will likely be some positions that will not need to be needed under the new ownership,” they said.

All employees of a company not included in the sale will be out of a job. A “small number” of staff at THQ headquarters in Agoura Hills, California will remain employed beyond January 25 to assist in the transition.

“While the company will cease to exist, we are heartened that the majority of our studios and games will continue under new ownership,” Farrell and Rubin said. “We were hoping that the entire company would remain intact, but we expect to hear good news from each of the separate entities that will be operating as part of new organizations.

“For those THQ employees who are part of entities that are not included in the sale, we are confident that the talent you have displayed as part of THQ will be recognized as you take the next steps in your career,” they said.

Separately, THQ bankruptcy representatives told GameSpot today that an official announcement will be made once it has approval from the court and from the company’s lawyers. No specific timetable was provided.

Dragon’s Dogma expansion Dark Arisen will be released on April 23 in North America and April 26 in Europe, Capcom has announced.

The budget-priced Dark Arisen will retail for “29.99/£19.99/$39.99 and include the main game and additional content. It will be offered in both physical and digital versions, but the latter will only be available on the PlayStation 3 at launch. An Xbox 360 Games on Demand version of Dark Arisen will be made available in the summer, reports Capcom.

Dark Arisen is the promised ‘major expansion’ for Dragon’s Dogma which Capcom announced last year, offering a new environment with over 25 additional enemies, 100 bits of equipment including high-level weapons and armour, augments and increased customisation options. Players will also be able to select the original Japanese audio.

Dark Arisen will also include improvements to the general gameplay experience, such as easier travel and a refined menu, and will allow players to bring across their pre-existing Dragon’s Dogma save.

Anyone who already owns Dragon’s Dogma will receive 100,000 Rift Crystals, unlimited Ferrystones, and the Gransys Armour Pack which features six new costumes.

Capcom has already said it is “favourably considering” a full-blown sequel to Dragon’s Dogma.

For more information on last year’s Dragon’s Dogma, check out GameSpot’s 8.0 review.