Now with blocky LEGO goodness

With the recent release of LEGO Rock Band, Harmonix introduces some new methods of keeping your children's virgin ears pure.  Now while searching for downloadable content for LEGO Rock Band, songs considered "inappropriate" will not appear at all in the Music Store.

A rather small update this time as it is domineered by the debut of The White Stripes in the Rock Band series.  Their songs each come from three different albums: "White Blood Cells", "Elephant", and "Icky Thump".  If you'd like an English flair with your songs, rock group Kasabian adds a headbanger to their catalog while The Damned debut with some punk rock.

Here are the five tunes that will be available for download.  Those colored in red will not be available in LEGO Rock Band:

• The Damned - "Smash It Up (Part II)"
• Kasabian - "Club Foot"
• The White Stripes - "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground"
• The White Stripes - "Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine"
• The White Stripes - "Icky Thump"
  

"The White Stripes Pack 01" lets you bundle their three songs for 440 Microsoft Points, or $5.49 / £2.49 / €3.99 from the PlayStation Store.  All individual downloads go for 160 MS Points, $1.99 / £.99 / €1.49 from the PlayStation Store, or 200 Nintendo Points from the Wii.

Rock Band Unplugged fans continue on from their milestone 55 songs as No Doubt and Dropkick Murphys join the Unplugged catalog:

• Dropkick Murphys - "I'm Shipping Up to Boston"
• No Doubt - "Excuse Me Mr."

Downloads cost $1.99, or £.99 / €1.49 for European players.

Xbox 360 and Wii players get their content November 10 while PlayStation 3 and PSP owners get theirs on November 12.

Raw footage for Larian's upcoming PC and Xbox 360 RPG

Video game trailers, something like demos, can be at times not accurate to how a game plays and feels. That's not the case with this Divinity II: Ego Draconis compilation we've put together though, made up of five gameplay segments recorded by developer Larian Studios.

Divinity II, if you're still in the dark, is a PC and Xbox 360 RPG set for release this winter. The game is a sequel to the highly acclaimed isometric RPG Divine Divinity (just re-released), developed by the same studio, albeit with a different writer (Larian has stated they are quite confident in the result, so don't worry your pretty little heads, Divinity fans).

The new installment takes the series into a third person perspective, a la Elder Scrolls, Gothic, etc., and adds in the ability to read minds (with an experience penalty), as well as transform into a dragon roughly halfway through the plot.

Gamers should note the mind reading system appears to work quite well and be a genuinely innovative feature: you lose experience every time you perform it, however this can be alleviated somewhat by increasing your mind reading skill; replay value can be increased highly based on who you choose to read or not read. We're assuming a player that spends a lot of his time doing so will acquire experience through otherwise unattainable quests, so in the end it should all balance out.

As for the dragon transformation, we were particularly concerned about this -- if you're spending half your time levelling up, it wouldn't be very satisfying to spend the other half flying around as a dragon, would it? As you can see from the footage, though, it turns out your dragon self gets his own armor and abilities; whether or not experience is shared between your human and dragon character is not known, however. Flying and battling as a dragon looks very much like what you'd expect in the beloved Panzer Dragoon series albeit with RPG elements, which is quite a honour to hold, though we're still not convinced this will mesh well with the human gameplay.

In any case, judge for yourself with with video below. Note the resolution is fairly low, so certainly expect higher quality graphics at release.

Divinity II: Ego Draconis is set to launch January 5; look out for our review, and in the meantime, check out the official site for background and neat items like podcasts.

iPhone developer hoping for a change in attitude

The piracy community is typically never short of excuses for pirating software and/or video games ("those people are rich anyway", "I need to see if I really like it", or "I can't afford it" are common), but the word from iPhone developer NaturalMotion really boggles the mind. According to the studio's Torsten Reil, "a lot of people" have pirated their 59p (99¢) football title Backbreaker Football: Tackle Alley -- the lowest possible price on the App Store.

The console version of the game is quite impressive, too (handheld version looks similar, just scaled down), particularly with the sweet Refused track in the trailer:

Reil, understandably, is quite frustrated with the results:

"At 59p it's pretty fair to assume that a lot of those pirates would have been able and would have bought the game, but there's an overall attitude that it's fine to pirate," he says.

His feeling is DRM is not the answer though, but changing that very attitude:

"There is in general a feeling that IP and content should be free. That's fine to say, but if you have to pay all the people that actually put their heart and soul into a game – who have to pay a mortgage off and have children – it becomes much more difficult. Yes, you can limit [piracy] with technical tricks, but there needs to be an overall change in the perception of IP and the people who create it."

Ironically, we've witnessed people with mortgages and kids freely pirating. As we've communicated before, it really does seem to come down to a lack of consideration, perhaps perpetuated in part by the fact software and video games are virtual, and as such are not seen as tangible goods of value, explaining the pervasive double standard between them and physical goods.

If you happen to be a pirate, we have a word for you: freeware.

President Reggie Fils-Aime claims early victory over MW2 on one platform

Well, big shots in the industry tend to talk crap to each other indirectly, mostly using the media.  In most situations, we only hear about the slap fighting between Sony and Microsoft, but Nintendo president Reggie Fils-Aime wants in on the action.

Seems Fils-Aime was recently quoted during a video interview saying that New Super Mario Bros.Wii will outsell Modern Warfare 2 on one system by January 2010.  "On a single platform...absolutely," said Fils-Aime. "I say that unequivocally." 

Now fanboys are getting all flustered over the statement, claiming the man's full of himself -- among other things.  But Reggie said one platform, not all; with the way Modern Warfare 2 currently looks for PC, it's entirely possible NSMB Wii might outsell MW2 PC before January.

"It's going to be close," said Fils-Aime, expressing his own anticipation for NSMB. "Of course I'll play it...I play all the content out there."

There's no doubt NSMB Wii will do well.  Famed analyst Michael Pachter has already predicted the sales will "shock" most of the industry and community, while GameStop executive Tony Bartel noted it should be a top-seller this holiday.
 

Guitar Hero 5 and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 help give the company a major boost

In spite of a "challenging overall software market", Activision Blizzard still manages to beat projections to achieve profitability and a slight growth to its U.S. marketshare for its third fiscal quarter ending September 30th.

The company's revenues during the third quarter slid slightly year-on-year to $703 million USD, but beat its own projection of $680 million USD.  Activision Blizzard has also managed to score profit of $15 million USD for the third quarter, a huge improvement from the $108 million USD quarterly loss posted last year.  Spurred by such results, Activision believes it remains on track for revenue of $4.05 billion USD by the end of the 2009 calendar year.

CEO Bobby Kotick attributes this turnaround in profit to the performance of its Guitar Hero, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, and Call of Duty franchises.  Blizzard's World of Warcraft also managed to deliver the goods during the third quarter.

Activision is certainly not unaware of the concerns raised elsewhere regarding the sustainability of its music game business, especially after the lukewarm reception to DJ Hero at launch.  Sales for music peripheral bundles in North America are also stabilizing, as fans who already have the relevant instrument controllers increasingly opt for software-only packages.  CFO Thomas Tippl not only believes things will be just fine, but in fact predicts even better holiday season sales for its lineup of music games than last year.  The company continues to count on an engaged fanbase on the PS3 and Xbox 360 to help carry its music games through.

Forget about the polar caps melting, the South Pole just got covered in a black void

Atlus confirms it will be localizing the latest title in the long-running Shin Megami Tensei RPG series, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey, for North America.  Scheduled for release next March 10th 2010 for the Nintendo DS, Strange Journey once again blends the world of demonic folklore and mythology with one of science.

Like most of the classic titles in the series, SMT: Strange Journey is a dungeon crawling RPG that pits you against demons you can battle or negotiate with to join your cause.  Setting the stage of the story is a mysterious, growing, black void that appears at the Earth's southern pole in the near future.  The player is part of an elite team of explorers dispatched to investigate the heart of this void, dubbed the "Schwarzwelt", and it happens to be a universe filled with demons.

Yes, you do look like an armored space marine with guns, but your handy "Demonica environment suit" works into the gameplay itself.  Strange Journey is designed to take advantage of the DS' dual screens during both exploration and combat.  You'll also make use of suit upgrades to allow you to deal with the different situations you may encounter as you explore the mysterious world of demons.

As with previous SMT games, the player will be required to make choices throughout the game intended to reflect on their avatar's moral compass.  The decisions you make could effect the course of your strange, strange journey.

Master of Magnetism trailer and screens

Okay, it's not like no one saw this coming: Magneto has been revealed for Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2.  Granted the list was leaked some time ago, but at least now we've got a trailer and some screenshots of the Master of Magnetism in action.

The character model looks a bit odd in combination with his bucket helmet (a bit purple and red gorilla) but at least we've still got the classic costume.  For the most part, Magneto just floats around in the trailer, lifting things in the air around him with the same flare as Jean Grey.  Could have similar attacks, with the exception of fire.

As mentioned before, the DLC is out today and will cost gamers 800 Microsoft Points or $9.99 on PSN.  Juggernaut is also available, sold separately for 160 MS Points or $1.99 USD.  In addition to the new characters, the DLC introduces new challenge missions and boss encounters, as well as new upgrades for your superhuman team.  Now fork over the money -- Activision is waiting.

PS3 players can get started this month, PC gamers in December

Shooter fans hankering for some hands-on time with DICE's upcoming single and multiplayer game Battefield: Bad Company 2, you'll be able to get in on the action with a multiplayer beta in a couple weeks, provided you have a PS3. PC owners will have to wait until December, while Xbox 360 owners will have to wait for the demo (set for each platform) come early next year.

So, how do you get a key? A limited amount will be sent out to Best Buy and GameStop outlets for North Americans. Pre-ordering will nab you one, if you make it in time -- the PS3 beta begins November 19 (PC doesn't have an exact date at the moment). For Europe and Asia, nothing has been announced yet, but check the Battlefield blog (link below) in the coming weeks for an announcement.

As for what you can expect: 24-player battles on the Arica Harbor map in one of the four multiplayer modes, called Rush. Arica should have a healthy balance of vehicle and infantry combat between the American assault unit and Russian army base, all spread out between a desert town and an industrial area.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will be released March 2 and 5 in NA and Europe, respectively, on all platforms.

Madden NFL 2010 is the best-selling North American-produced title, and makes the global list

Industry sales trackers NPD Group, GfK Chart-Track and Enterbrain collaborate once more to deliver their latest Top Global Markets report covering software sales across three major regions; North America, the United Kingdom, and Japan. According to their findings, all software markets suffered a 6 percent decline in unit sales combined for the three month period from July to September.

Of the three global markets, Japan proved to be the healthiest thanks to a 15 percent year-on-year increase in third quarter software unit sales. Year-to-date sales however dropped around 9 percent compared to the first three quarters of 2008.

North America and the UK suffered year-on-year declines in both quarterly and year-to-date software unit sales. The UK in particular faced the greatest drops, with third quarter sales down 19 percent and year-to-date sales declining 13 percent.

While North America and the UK still enjoyed great software unit sales from high profile releases like Madden NFL 2010 and Halo 3: ODST, it was Japan that produced the single best-selling title across all three regions, Dragon Quest IX. The DS RPG racked up lifetime sales of just under 4 million units since launch at the start of the calendar quarter, further underlining the series' popularity in Japan.

Art book, DVD, in-game goodies, and more...

BioWare and EA have finally released details for the Mass Effect 2 Collectors' Edition perks.  Looks like the pricier version will come with both physical collectibles and in-game gear.

To start, the ME2 CE will be shipped in a special case (assuming tin) and include Art of Mass Effect 2 in hardcover, the first issue of Mass Effect Redemption (comic), and a bonus making-of DVD.  There aren't any specific details announced for the in-game weapons and armor, but we do have an illustration of it -- and it looks badass.  The whole package will cost ten bucks more at $69.99 USD.

Oh, and don't forget your retail pre-order bonuses, announced last month and valid worldwide.  Just in case you'd like a spare suit of armor and all.

Featuring the explosions, helicopters, and Eminem

'Cause sometimes you feel tired, feel weak,
and when you feel weak, you feel like you wanna just give up.
But you gotta search within you, you gotta find that inner strength
and just pull that shit out of you and get that motivation to not give up
and not be a quitter, no matter how bad you wanna just fall flat on your face and collapse.

Who wants more Modern Warfare 2, eh?  Just about everyone, it seems (who doesn't game on PC), and gamers are already planning to ditch work / school / church following November 10. 

As noted earlier today, the launch trailer debuted on Spike TV tonight.  If you don't have cable or TV, or just avoid television as I do, we've got the launch trailer right here.

We're seeing more scenes of the suburbs turned into war zones, and even a sequence in... space?  So anyway, that's Eminem's "Till I Collapse" in the background, and the trailer has drawn some old fans out of the woodworks.  Just browse the song on YouTube, and you'll find a buncha' MW2-related comments.

No doubt this game will be topping the charts for weeks to come following its release -- well, for consoles at least.

President: "American characters tend to be much more shallow..."

We've got the third Dark Void developer diary from Capcom and developer Airtight games.  The third episode discusses Will, the hero of Dark Void, and the importance of character depth in video games.

Of course, the developers gush over Capcom's wide cast of video game leads, like Ryu and Mega Man, while taking numerous jabs at stereotypical Western games.  Airtight president Jim Deal notes, "I think the American characters tend to be much more shallow.  You know, a big guy who runs out and shoots everything."

He and his team then go on to say that they were striving to emulate Japanese games in creating a very capable but "not somebody who just looked like an impossible caricature."

Now Deal, sir, we think Dark Void looks fantastic, and it was a real pleasure to play at E3 this year, but that was totally uncalled for.  I mean, those giant men with guns are as iconic to Western gaming as girly men with giant swords (and underage female leads) are to Japanese games! 

On top of that, senior producer Morgan Gray seems to imply in a very matter-of-fact manner that "blank slate" characters, commonly found in Western story-driven games, are somehow inferior to actual characters, with established personalities and background stories of their own.  Seriously, isn't it possible to promote games without insulting the competition?  We're gamers, not haters...

So anyway, Will is a pilot who gets stuck in the Void, a pocket universe within the Bermuda Triangle.  According to art director Matt Brunner, the guy might come off as a jerk to start, though that's pretty understandable considering his problems: alone and lost in another dimension, surrounded by hostile robots.  Poor Will; maybe if he'd be less douchey if he were a big dude who runs out and shoots everything.  Then again, the protagonists of Silent Hill are pretty normal yet capable people, and they seem to take the whole "trapped in another dimension" problem very well!

First episode "Weapons & Combinations"

Previously, SEGA and Platinum Games kicked off their episodic developer diaries with "Revelations," which went over the idea of fighting the forces of good as a witch.

This week, they start their little gameplay video series, and we've got episode one, "Weapons & Combinations."  With that same sexy British narrator returning to talk us through the video, we check out some of Bayonetta's kick-ass moves.  Well, what else would you expect from a witch who wears guns on her feet?  It seems our classy beauty never leaves home with less than four guns in hand (and feet).

Not that she relies on them.  She's strong enough to send enemies flying with a well-placed kick.  Still, she's got blades and firepower at her disposal, so there's little chance of enemies getting too close for comfort.  Seriously, look at those legs.

Premature apocalypse, Horseman of War, pissed off angels...

We've got a new Darksiders cinematic trailer from THQ and Vigil Games, titled "Mayhem."  In it, we see the lords of Heaven -- most likely angels -- though it's unclear whose side they are on, and what their relation to War will be.

A bit of background info for those of you who haven't been keeping up with this 2010 action title: War is the good guy here.  Someone has triggered the apocalypse early, and the Chaos beings are pretty peeved.  All evidence seems to point to War, who insists he is innocent and convinces his masters to send him to Earth in search of the true culprit. 

Along the way he fights other demons, and with this trailer, we see he encounters angels as well, mostly getting owned in unpleasant ways.  Poor guys, they seem to always be taking it from behind in video games.

Spike TV to air complete film on November 11

Ah, Spike TV, not my favorite channel.  Well, all you manly men who feel more validated by watching the manly man channel can look forward to some video game debuts soon. 

The bigger release is the Assassin's Creed: Lineage short film, which Spike TV will show on November 11 at 12:00 AM midnight.  On that Wednesday, the entire film will globally premiere in HD, so make sure you've got first dibs on the TV for that night.

Lineage covers the events preior to Assassin's Creed II, letting fans check out Ezio's past in greater depth.  It revolves around Ezio's daddy, Giovanni Auditore de Firenze (a real mouthful), setting up the man's execution and Ezio's ensuing lust for vengeance.

“As Ubisoft begins to expand into other media beyond games, we are excited to be working so closely with our valued partners at Viacom to debut this new story in the Assassin’s Creed universe exclusively on Spike TV,” said Tony Key, seniorVP of sales and marketing for Ubi.

“Spike has long been a leader in supporting our industry with excellent editorial programming, so it was a natural choice to team up with them for the U.S. public unveiling of this revolutionary new short film.”

Since November 11 isn't here just yet, Spike TV is hoping to get your attention anyway, with the premiere of the Modern Warfare 2 full-length launch trailer.  The official trailer will air tonight around 10:00 PM EST, during the new South Park on Comedy Central and The Ultimate Fighter on Spike.  So if you can bear to set down that controller for two seconds, give it a look-see.
 

Gamer sends developer money in open protest against Call of Duty

Infinity Ward pissed gamers off in October when they announced their decision (or Activision's) to pull client-side dedicated servers for Modern Warfare 2, cutting mod support in the process -- all in favor of running things more tightly with their own matchmaking services.  Why?  Well, according to IW creative strategist Robert Bowling, it's all for the gamers, as this makes Modern Warfare 2 more accessible to a wider audience.

Following that, DICE producer Gordon Van Dyke responded in a more positive light and noted their upcoming Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will still continue supporting dedicated servers, basically reasoning that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.  And you know, so their customers (the gamers) don't get pissed.

Looks like DICE succeeded at winning over a few PC gamers.  One such person named "Eddie J." has spoken for many others with his recent action; it borders on hilarious performance art, really.

Eddie sent a letter and check for $60.00 USD to DICE headquarters in Stockholm, writing to the developers that he is just one of many irked at Infinity Ward's decisions.  As such, he sends the money he would have spent on Modern Warfare 2 to DICE instead, since cake wouldn't do very well in transit between the United States and Sweden.  Van Dyke responded to the gesture with much gratitude:

The entire team of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 wants to thank Eddie J. for his letter and generous gift.  It's moments like this that make all the late nights and weekends of crunching to make the best game possible all worth it. Again, thank you so much Eddie!  :-)

DICE also posted the letter, check, and envelop on their official blog.  Private and lawsuit-worthy details have been blacked out in the scan, but we can all guess what's being said here...
 

Unusual cover fading issue will be addressed soon

Don't you just hate paying extra to get something awesome, only to realize later it was some cheaply made import from [insert unspecified nation known for cheap labor] riddled with defects?  Yeah, you and everyone else on the planet.

Honestly, we have no idea what the story behind Atlus' Demon's Souls Official Strategy Guide issue, and neither does the developer; still, Atlus has announced an upcoming replacement program for customers who received defective strategy guides.

The weird thing is that not every copy is defective, but enough customers have complained for Atlus to take note.  In the announcement, they noted customers will need to mail in their covers and the first page of their guide as proof of purchase, suggesting gamers keep the rest of the book until their replacement claim is processed.  More details will be posted on the official forums, and those registered with Atlus will receive an email version of new details.

Atlus couldn't resist adding in the usual "lulz" to this announcement, of course...

"Thank you for supporting us and making Demon's Souls such a big hit.  We apologize for any inconvenience this issue has caused, but fear not: we've got you covered (pun intended)."

Oh Atlus, no one could possibly stay upset at you.

“[We] don’t think any developer should not have control of how their game is presented or marketed or communicated"

At the beginning of the week we'd touched on Remedy Entertainment's relationship with the publisher for its game Alan Wake: Microsoft. According to the developer, there's quite a bit of leniency for them in deciding exactly how their game is presented to the media, which was surprising and pleasing to hear.

Developer Infinity Ward (Modern Warfare) is apparently in on this approach, too; designer Robert Bowling says it's "essential" creators take matters into their own hands:

“I don’t think any developer should not have control of how their game is presented or marketed or communicated,” he said, “and they should take control of that a lot, lot more. It is why I started my Twitter account in the first place. I have direct line to our audience and the press."

Bowling doesn't stop there though, going so far as to say one of the benefits of this directness is being able to "call bullshit on the really lame shit", giving an example with IW's publisher Activision:

“Recently we launched our new Infinity Ward website, and we were going to send a mass newsletter out to everybody. And it was suggested that we should send in the newsletter a note to pre-order the strategy guide for Modern Warfare 2. And I said no.

Yeah it would probably sell a few more strategy guides, but we don’t use our newsletter to market to our gamers. We will only e-mail our gamers if it is worth their while. So if a new trailer comes out, they might want to know and we’ll send them that. If they want the strategy guide, it is an awesome guide, and they’ll buy it because they want it. Not because we’re advertising it to them. So we draw lines.”

In another part to the interview, Bowling notes IW rejected Activision's proposal for what he calls a ridiculously high budget for the upcoming shooter, saying they "didn't need that" and "we would only put stuff in the game that is right for the game, and not because we can.”

Though drawing much ire from PC gamers for dropping dedicated server support on Modern Warfare 2, the developer has definitely retained some respect with us following these comments.

Rip time a new one!

If you're into surrealist adventures, lovely violin and have a PS3, you'll be pleased to learn Number None's creation Braid will be coming to the NA PlayStation Network next Thursday, November 12 at the low price of $15. Now being on all current platforms (Wii excepted, that is), we expect creator Jonathan Blow's next move will be to open up a Braid Burger franchise. Kidding -- you have our congratulations, fella.

Local talent Hothead Games, who brought the game to Mac as well are in charge of this one. They're happy to say trophy support is included and it runs at a buttery smooth 60 frames per second.

Europe and Asia can expect Braid on the PSN very soon; below are some screenshots from the new version.

Open to PC users and Xbox Live Gold members

Were you miffed at those silly people who went out and pre-ordered Left 4 Dead 2 just to brag about getting early access?  Think "patience is a virtue" is just for squares?  For the patient or lazy, your day has come, as the Left 4 Dead 2 demo has finally been released to all Steam users and Xbox LIVE Gold subscribers.  Xbox LIVE Silver members can download the demo next week, on November 10.

The L4D2 demo features two parts from "The Parish" campaign, set in the urban New Orleans French Quarter. Here you can play with three other friends over the internet or have a co-op buddy next to you if you're using an Xbox 360 to mow down the Infected hordes, including the three new Special Infected and the Uncommon Common Infected.

To aid you on your way, you can try out new melee weapons such as chainsaws, frying pans, axes, baseball bats, and others.  A new set of guns and items will also be available to deal with the Infected hordes and help support teammates to increase their chances of survival.

Those who have yet to experience Left 4 Dead will also be able to witness the AI Director at work, which will dynamically control the game with your performance.  Weapons, enemies, objects, and pathways will change depending on how you're playing.  Each game session will never be played the same way.

The Left 4 Dead 2 demo clocks in at over 2GB for Xbox 360 players and just over 3.6GB for Steam players so be prepared to set aside a few hours towards your bandwidth.

Unnamed three-year research project in the works

Well, Lionhead Studios is definitely up to something.  The gaming community has recently uncovered a recruiting ad posted on the University of Bath's website, calling for doctoral students in "real-time humanoid A.I." study.

The Fable developer is apparently looking to a bright-eyed researcher and programmer who would be willing to work at Lionhead for three years as a part of earning a four-year doctoral degree. 

There is a more detailed description of the offer, though nothing points to any specific game.  Everyone's banking on some Natal progression, since it would be odd for Lionhead to branch off before their pet project with Microsoft gets a chance to take off.

Here's a segment of the recruitment letter:

The target of the research is to use upcoming game technology to create a humanoid character that will enhance the human computer interaction experience. The research should make use of multiple concurrent sensory inputs including 3-dimensional optical and audio, as well as user pose. These inputs may be used as part of communication exchanges, emotional empathy, and possibly physical interactions of some kind such that under a restricted set of circumstances it would appear that the Turing test had been passed between the character on the computer and the human subject.  Systems AI engineering will be emphasised,  as we aim to develop not only impressive demonstrations, but reusable components for human-like AI systems.

Really now, this is just going to make Milo jealous.  Before long, he'll run away in an act of rebellion against Molyneux and bump frames with some poor girl's Home avatar.

Seeing as how they're still looking for candidates, it's unlikely this has much to do with next year's Natal-compatible Fable.  Keep a sharp eye out!

Trial software downloads for digitally distributed Wii titles are on the way, at least in Japan

In an effort to entice the Wii faithful to open their wallets in the Wii Shopping Channel, Nintendo will be offering demos for WiiWare titles.  During the company's investor briefing following its recent earnings report, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata confirmed a test run for WiiWare demos would launch possibly later this month in Japan.

Nintendo hopes to build enthusiasm for WiiWare and DSiWare titles through offering trial software.  Iwata conceded the market for digitally distributed titles on Nintendo platforms is currently dogged by mild reception from their respective userbases.  Wii Shopping Channel and DSi Shop perusers are typically folks who already know what they are looking for, and may not necessarily be interested in exposing themselves to other potential purchases.

Iwata suggests that there will be other measures Nintendo will need to implement to further increase awareness of WiiWare and DSiWare titles, and actually get customers through the front door in the first place.

This is what you see, and this is what Australia sees...

Last we heard, it seemed Left 4 Dead 2 would be seeing a censored release in Australia, the land apparently free of gore, sex, and other such pleasantries. Based on some comparison footage one earnest gamer put together from the region's PC demo, that is certainly the case.

Fans of the first game will notice this version has been edited to all hell and is even less violent than its predecessor. To our friends in the Australian government: a zombie(ish) game without gore just isn't a zombie(ish) game.

Thankfully, if you do live in Australia, you do have options: gamers have already figured out how to hack it, although you'll be restricted to playing online with your fellow countrymen only and to those who have applied the fix -- note it may not be permanent or work at all on the final release, and your achievements may not be tracked. The other option is to further depreciate the Australian economy and order the uncensored version from the nearby UK, as the tradition goes.

Difficulty tweaks, bug fixes, and European language support noted

Frozenbyte's fantasy TRINE sees a new patch for the PC version released, bringing with it various tweaks, fixes, more language support, and more.

The PlayStation Network version has recently launched in North America -- check out our review if you haven't yet. For gamers on this platform, you'll have to wait for the new patch as Frozenbyte's developer Joel tells us:

"As far as I know the patch hasn't been applied to the NA version. The patch has been done for a while and we're trying to make the release happen... We're hoping that it'd be released asap because it adjust the last level difficulty and adds e.g. the Trophy icons, so it'd make a lot of people happy... But as of now we don't have any real information."

Anyhow, below are your release notes; grab the patch via the source.

•  tweaks the last level, now much easier on Easy/Medium/Hard
•  adds save support for selected controller type
•  adds log support for PhysX errors
•  adds several small technical optimizations
•  fixes audio that was not stopped when skipping the end cinematic
•  fixes thin horizontal bar visible during videos on some resolutions
•  fixes break effect for objects in the last level
•  fixes two broken checkpoints in levels (4th in Shadowthorn Thicket and 10th in Iron Forge)
•  fixes some wall collisions in Iron Forge
•  fixes camera bug when restarting level during a cutscene
•  fixes bug regarding levers
•  fixes bug where enemy item drops are considered secrets
•  fixes Credits section names

Spend more, get more MS Points each month for the next six months

Microsoft makes good on its bid to further leverage the lucrative prospects of the Xbox Live community, officially pushing its Xbox Live Rewards pilot program.  For the next six months, Xbox Live Gold and Silver level members who stay active and are willing to part with some Microsoft Points can earn some of those Points back as a bonus for their patronange.

The more MS Points you spend on Xbox Live as a Gold level member, the more you can get back, up to a maximum of 5 percent of your total monthly Marketplace purchase bill during the final month of the program.  Gold level members can also score 10-30 MS Points for renewing to a one- or three-month subscription, all the way up to 200 MS Points for renewing to a 12-month subscription.  Another 200 points are up for Gold level grabs by subscribing to the Netflix digital video rental service on the Xbox Live Video Marketplace.

Both Gold and Silver level members can earn another 100 points for participating in program surveys and making their first XBL Marketplace purchase.