Sleeping Dogs Announced by Square Enix

A long time ago, True Crime: Hong Kong was supposed to be released to revive the True Crime franchise. However, Activison canceled the project last year, and all hope seemed lost for a new True Crime game. Now, Square Enix has announced Sleeping Dogs, a Hong Kong-based cop drama designed by United Front Games. Sleeping Dogs is a spiritual successor to True Crime, and since United Front Games was working on True Crime: Hong Kong, it is safe to say we will get a similar style. Sleeping Dogs sounds like it will have an intense combat system, with shootouts, martial arts, and even street races getting a focus. You play as Hong Kong detective Wai Shen investigating the criminal underworld in the city-state.

Sleeping Dogs is planned for release later this year on the PC, PS3, and 360.

Mass Effect 3 DLC Already on Sale - iOS Game Ties into Story

Mass Effect 3 may be a month away from launching, but it seems some downloadable content is already available. GameStop recently sold a piece of DLC for Mass Effect 3 called "From Dust," which could be some day one DLC for the game. The price is listed at $10, so whatever it is could be a big piece of story-based content for Mass Effect 3. However, no other DLC for ME3 has been revealed other than weapons and armor, and it is unlikely EA or BioWare will comment on the early sale.

On another note, BioWare has announced Mass Effect Infiltrator for iOS devices that will tie into Mass Effect 3's story. Infiltrator is a "fully featured" third-person shooter that sees your character, an intergalactic hero, freeing prisoners from Cerberus bases. You are also tasked with gathering intelligence on Cerberus that will help to expose it. Freeing prisoners and gathering intel helps to improve your galactic readiness in Mass Effect 3's single player story, but if you do not own an iOS device or are keen on ME3's multiplayer, you will be able to achieve a high enough galactic readiness to get the "optimal, complete ending." Infiltrator will also unlock weapons to be used in ME3, giving gamers a little bit more of an incentive to try it out.

Mass Effect 3 launches on March 6th for the PC, PS3, and 360. Mass Effect Infiltrator will be playable on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch but an exact release date was not announced at this time.

Ubisoft DRM Server Upgrade Takes Out More Games than Originally Said

Last week came the news that Ubisoft would be taking down a DRM server, which would result in a few games no longer being playable. Those games require an always-on connection, and without the DRM server to give the green light, Tom Clancy's HAWX 2, The Settlers 7, and Might & Magic Heroes VI would be unplayable. Those were supposed to have been the only games affected, but now it looks like Anno 2070, Driver: San Francisco, and Assassin's Creed: Revelations are all unplayable. All three of those games were listed as "safe" during the server move, but that does not appear to be the case. Ubisoft has issued an apology of sorts, and is working on a fix.

Why more games are affected than originally announced is unknown, nor is the reason why the games are unplayable to begin with. If the server move would impact some games, one would hope a backup option is in place to let gamers play the games they bought. In the world of draconian DRM measures, Ubisoft's plan certainly has become even less popular due to this snafu. There is no word on when the server will be back online, either.

Original Killzone for PSN 'Delayed Indefinitely'

Last month, word came that the original Killzone would be landing on the PlayStation Network on January 24th. Well, today is now February 8th and there is still no Killzone on the PSN. Developer Guerilla Games has commented on the matter, and says the original Killzone is "delayed indefinitely" for a release on the PSN. Guerilla did not elaborate any further on why the PSN release was delayed, but hopefully it surfaces down the road. The original Killzone was a stunning example of what the PlayStation 2 hardware could do, but there were still some performance probelms since Killzone was pushing the hardware as far as possible. If the PSN release does come out, hopefully the game can be tweaked just enough to no longer have any issues.

Fallout: New Vegas Ultimate Edition is Here

Fans of Bethesda RPGs have two reasons to rejoice today, as not only has the Creation Kit been released for Skyrim, but Fallout: New Vegas Ultimate Edition has also launched. Fallout: New Vegas Ultimate Edition includes the base game and all the DLC, giving you countless hours of enjoyment in the Mojave Wasteland. Dead Money, Honest Hearts, Old World Blues, Lonesome Road, Courier's Stash, and Gun Runners' Arsenal are all packaged in with the base game of New Vegas, and at just $40 for the PC version, you cannot go wrong with picking up the Ultimate Edition. PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 gamers have to shell out $50 for the Fallout: New Vegas Ultimate Edition, which is a small price to pay. If you head on over to the source link, Bethesda has included the sheet music for "Begin Again" from Dead Money.

Starhawk Limited Edition Revealed for GameStop Pre-Orders

Some PlayStation 3 gamers have been enjoying the Starhawk beta, with everybody getting a chance to check it out soon. Starhawk is the spiritual successor to Warhawk, but set in the future with more advanced gear at your disposal. If you have a GameStop nearby, you may be interested in pre-ordering Starhawk to get a free upgrade to the Limited Edition. The Starhawk Limited Edition includes a digital copy of the original Warhawk (the PS1 version), multiplayer maps and skins, an XMB theme, and the game's soundtrack. Pre-orderers will receive the Maw of Despair Outcast Pack, which includes an underground co-op map and Shade Warrior multiplayer skin, and the Echo Scrapyard Rift Pack, which has the Scrapyard Homeworld multiplayer map and the Huxley Ardin multiplayer skin. The theme consists of concept art, while the soundtrack is composed by Christopher Lennertz, who composed the score for Mass Effect 2.

Starhawk will be available exclusively on the PS3 on May 8th.

Sanctum 2 Landing in 2013

Fans of first-person shooters and tower defense games got their wish when Sanctum launched last year. Combining both genres in a clever mix, Sanctum allows you to play with up to three other friends across a variety of levels. The game appeals to both FPS and tower defense lovers, which should basically mean everybody can enjoy Sanctum. A sequel is on the way, as Sanctum 2 has been announced for a 2013 launch. The original is a PC-exclusive, however Sanctum 2 will be available on the consoles too. The PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade would be the likely options for Sanctum 2, in addition to the PC version. Very few other details about Sanctum 2 have been revealed so far, but at least a sequel is on the way.

Creation Kit for Skyrim Launches, Includes High Resolution Texture Pack

The day has finally arrived, as Bethesda has launched the Creation Kit for Skyrim. The Creation Kit is an incredibly in-depth set of mod tools to let anyone create whatever they want for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. You can have your mod sent to the Skyrim Workshop for anyone to search for and download, and the Workshop also allows for you to subscribe to different mods to always keep them updated for your game. With the Creation Kit also comes the High Resolution Texture Pack, which is a free download separate from the main game. It is a 3GB download and Bethesda recommends your computer exceeds the recommend specifications before you install it. It should overhaul all the textures to turn an already good looking game into something great. You can pick up Skyrim for $40 on Steam until this Thursday, 4PM PST.

With the Creation Kit now available, it should only be a matter of time for the impressive number of created mods to swell to extraordinary heights. You can download the Creation Kit from the Tools section of your Steam Library, although you may need to restart Steam for it to show. Below is the first part of a video Bethesda has made introducing us to the Creation Kit. You can view the second part and the third part as well.

AVADirect Launches Clevo P270WM Gaming Laptop

Ohio-based custom-computer manufacturer AVADirect has launched its latest gaming laptop dubbed the Clevo P270WM. The new laptop is touted as the 'fastest desktop replacement in the world,' featuring the Intel X79 chipset coupled with Sandy Bridge-E CPUs, such as the Intel Core i7-3960X. In addition to the Intel CPU, the Clevo P270WM packs up to three 9.5" HDDs or SSDs (optional RAID configuration), up to 32GB of quad channel memory, the latest GPUs such as the NVIDIA GTX 580M 2GB with SLI support, and overclocking support. Other features include an HDMI output, three USB 3.0 ports and a 17.3" Full HD LED display. A backlit keyboard makes typing easy in low-light situations. The AVADirect Clevo P270WM gaming laptop is available for pre-order now, starting from $3000.00. The base model will include the Intel Core i7 3930K processor, NVIDIA GTX 580M 2GB video card, 4GB of DDR3 memory running at 1333MHz, a 750GB hard drive, and will run on Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

Could Bethesda Include HD Textures with Creation Kit Launch Tomorrow?

The Creation Kit for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is scheduled to launch tomorrow, and Bethesda's Pete Hines said it would include a "special surprise." What exactly that surprise is has not been discussed, but one individual has done some digging to potentially give away the surprise. It appears the Creation Kit will include HD textures for Skyrim, at least according to the Steam Content Description Records. Modders have been improving the textures in Skyrim to give PC gamers something higher resolution than the console textures included, but, if this rumor proves true, Bethesda will have taken the initiative to improve the textures itself. Whether these HD textures will actually be included and at what resolution remains to be seen, but luckily the Creation Kit is scheduled to launch tomorrow when all will be revealed.

BioWare will Correct Errors in Latest Mass Effect Novel

Tie-ins to video games are nothing new, with books, comics, and even movies seeking to expand the created universe or provide a new glimpse at it. The Mass Effect franchise is an incredibly popular game series, but it also has some books and comics telling other tales within the universe. Recently, Mass Effect: Deception launched as the latest novel, however, it had a new author instead of Drew Karpyshyn, the man who helped build Mass Effect's history. Fans were eager to check out Deception regardless, but were horrified to see the book filled with canonical errors, such as volus not being in full coverage enviro-suits. The fans lashed out over these grevious mistakes, and now BioWare has apologized for the book and will correct the errors in Mass Effect: Deception. The studio is "taking the matter very seriously," and will get a corrected edition released. When that new edition releases was not revealed, but hopefully the book can finally fit into the Mass Effect universe properly.

Microsoft Flight Taking Off February 29

It was near the end of last year when word came that Microsoft was accepting people into the beta for the upcoming Microsoft Flight, a revival of the franchise. Microsoft Flight is set entirely on the Big Island of Hawaii and is a free-to-play game, a first for the series. The game will ship with a plane to get you started, while additional planes, regions, and "customization options" will be available for a fee. Today, Microsoft has announced Microsoft Flight will be available on February 29th, letting anyone with a computer download and start playing the game. Unlike Flight Simulator X, Microsoft Flight will be playable on a wide variety of hardware to allow as many gamers as possible to experience the joys of flight. The company also announced the game's first expansion, the Hawaiian Adventure Pack, will be available on launch day for $20. You get the RV-6A aircraft, new challenges, and 20 new missions for the price, plus you can buy the Maule M-7-260C and P-51 Mustang for $15 and $8 at launch, respectively.

PlayStation Network Accounts Get a Name Change

Over the weekend, PlayStation gamers should have received an email from Sony talking about new Terms of Service. The email also mentioned a new name for PlayStation Network accounts, which will now be called Sony Entertainment Network accounts. When you sign in on or after February 8th (7th in the email), you will be asked to accept the new Terms of Service and User Agreement in order to continue using the SEN account. The change will affect only PlayStation 3 and Vita users (PSP users keep the PSN name), and provides some updates to parental control features, explanation of location-based services for the Vita, and some new pre-ordering conditions. For those who pre-order content from the PlayStation Store, you cannot cancel a pre-order once it has been placed; so be sure you want the item before putting money down on it. All in all, the Sony Entertainment Network account functions much like the PlayStation Network account, and you can use your PS3 or Vita like normal after the change.

Hawken Going Free-to-Play, Beta Signups Start

Fans of mech games can rejoice, as news on Hawken, the first-person multiplayer mech game, has surfaced. Adhesive Games will make Hawken, its debut game, free-to-play when it launches, in a move likely to compete against similar F2P game MechWarrior Online. This means there will be two different F2P mech games for you to sink your teeth into, and should provide gamers everywhere a chance to battle it out without having to drop a ton of cash. What's more, is that Adhesive is opening the beta signups for Hawken, giving you an early shot to try out the game before it launches in full. Hawken is expected to launch on December 12th, 2012, so the beta should be running for quite some time before the full game is ready.

70-Year-Old Nerd Grandma is a WoW Guild Master

Who says only youngsters can be hardcore PC gamers? Not Marthazon, a 70-year-old grandmother who spends dozens of hours playing World of Warcraft as a level 85 Gnome Mage and as the guild master of her raiding guild Spartans. A constant WoW player since her daughter introduced it to her in 2005, Martha is also an avid Lord of the Rings fan, and she's a tech nerd, too. "I've always been fascinated by technology. My last job before retiring was computer tracking a large fleet of commercial trucks and their deliveries. I helped design the in-house program to track the data we needed to maintain, and I acted as the office IT."

But Marthazon isn't the oldest player in her guild, as her 72-year-old husband provides support in repair gold as their AH "king". With a fixed monthly income, WoW has proven to be a cost-effective way for the elderly couple to be active and keep up with the times. "WoW is an excellent and inexpensive recreational outlet for us old codgers. A lot less expensive than golf," adds Martha. Further proof that 50 years from now, most of us will still be happily gaming away the hours playing PC games - and if we're lucky enough, perhaps even our wrinkled spouses, too. 

BioWare Says Gamers May Want to Keep Mass Effect 3 Saves

BioWare has stated that when you finish Mass Effect 3, Commander Shepard's tale will come to an end. The Mass Effect trilogy has been all about Shepard, and any future games in the universe will focus on new characters. However, BioWare has suggested it may be a good idea to keep the Mass Effect 3 saves around once you finish the game, but did not elaborate further. What this means could be anyone's guess, but it is likely future Mass Effect games could pull some elements from the end of Mass Effect 3. BioWare still has not said there will be future Mass Effect games, but has not ruled out the possibility either. With the studio saying "it wouldn't be a bad idea" to keep the Mass Effect 3 saves, one can speculate BioWare is thinking of new ideas set in the universe.

Mass Effect 3 launches on March 6th for the PC, PS3, and 360. BioWare wants gamers to be satisified with the ending of it, and all the choices we have made in the first two games will have an impact in the third.

Distraction Dodger: The Game

Distracted driving is a big issue as it causes a very large number of accidents, and fatalities, every year. The problem is especially evident in teenage drivers who have been exposed to cellphones for a large portion of their life, compared to older divers.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have created a game to educate teenage drivers to the dangers of distracted driving. The belief is some people simply do not understand how important it is to maintain focus while driving, which then makes using a cellphone, changing the radio station, eating, putting on makeup, reading, and any other activity seem less of an issue.

The game, named Distraction Dodger, has the player drive a pizza delivery truck. At first there are almost no distractions or congestion, but as the player advances, the difficulty increases as well. While driving to the next customer you have to watch out for other cars, road construction, jay-walkers, stop signs, etc. Every time you make a mistake, it is recorded and displayed to you in a graph at the end of the level. The graphics and plot may not be even close to Skyrim, but it may still be worth seeing how well you do.

Creation Kit for Skyrim Hits Next Tuesday, Includes a Surprise

Good news everyone, as Bethesda's Pete Hines announced the Creation Kit for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim "is on track" to release next Tuesday! Bethesda recently posted a preview video of the Creation Kit and showed just a little of what you can do with the in-depth modding tools, but did not reveal exactly when we would be getting it. Now, thanks to Pete Hines, VP of PR and Marketing at Bethesda, we know just a few short days await us. Hines also mentioned a "special surprise" with it, but did not elaborate any further. This surprise could be the Skyrim Workshop, but it could also be something else, like details on upcoming DLC (although the first two are 360 exclusive for a month) or even some included mods. Whatever the case may be, we only have until Tuesday to see what everyone can do with the Creation Kit for Skyrim.

THQ Delays Metro: Last Light, Looks for Help for Warhammer 40,000 MMO

The news just keeps pouring in about THQ, and none of it looks good. Just days after announcing 240 employees are being laid off, THQ announced Metro: Last Light is being delayed to 2013, and the Warhammer 40,000 MMO, Dark Millennium Online, is still on the way. However, THQ is looking for some help with Dark Millennium Online in the form of a business partner, most likely to help ensure the MMO gets released. Other games, like South Park: The Game, Crytek's Homefront sequel, and Guillermo del Toro's inSane, are still on schedule, but it is Metro: Last Light seeing the delay. Many fans have been looking forward to what Last Light can bring after the successful Metro 2033, but we all have to wait at least one more year before getting a chance with it. THQ just needs some help, so anyone with a spare $10 million should give them a call to support the Warhammer 40k MMO.

A Few Ubisoft Games with Always-On DRM will Not Work After a Server Upgrade

No matter what your opinion is of DRM, this bit of news is just one example why always-online DRM is not the best solution. Next week, Ubisoft will be moving some of its gaming servers, which will result in the downtime of some always-on DRM games. Ubisoft did not say when the servers will be restored, but starting on February 7th, Tom Clancy's HAWX 2, The Settlers 7, and Might & Magic Heroes VI will not be playable. Other titles, like Assassin's Creed: Revelations and Driver: San Francisco will not be affected, nor will other games that can be played offline (provided you already activated those). This is a pretty big strike against why always-on DRM is more of a hinderance, as three different games cannot be played once the servers go down. Hopefully the upgrade to the new servers does not take very long, but still, games you paid for should not have an issue like that.

NPD Numbers for January Could be Bad, According to Analysts

The start of the year typically does not have much in the way of major game releases, though there are always some that launch in January. However, analysts from RW Baird predict January 2012 numbers will pale in comparison to January 2011 numbers when NPD results come in, due to no "significant new title releases." The top selling titles will most likely include Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Zumba Fitness, and Just Dance 3, but overall, the numbers are expected to be 20% lower than January 2011. The analysts also say that because of the extra hardware units available and the lack of major sales, numbers for last month will suffer on a whole. Things are expected to turn around in February and March, with the likes of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, Mass Effect 3, the PlayStation Vita, and all the titles launching for the Vita.

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Gameplay Trailer Launches

While Ghost Recon: Future Soldier may be a few more months away from a release, Ubisoft today is showing off a new gameplay trailer to get people excited for it. Sure, the opening may remind you of a couple other modern militay FPS games, but then you get to see what makes it a true Ghost Recon game. For one, there are some scenes with your character in optical camo, that is, you are invisible until you attack an enemy. Another scene shows what appears to be a remote controled quadrocopter letting you scout the lay of the land, while near the end you get to a see a four-legged robot walking near some soldiers. Ubisoft definitely looks to be using all aspects of military hardware, both current and upcoming, and it should help make Ghost Recon: Future Soldier worth the many delays.

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier will launch on May 22nd for the PC, PS3, and 360. The trailer is not safe for work due to language and violence.

NSFW

Valve Previews What is in Store for Team Fortress 2 in 2012

Valve has released a blog post giving details on what is on the horizon for Team Fortress 2 this year. There is a secret TF2 related project that will be released this year, and the only clues are that it isn't a hat, map, or combination of the two. Thousands of items continue to be submitted to the Steam Workshop, and the team is continuing to evaluate the good ideas. The Meet the Pyro video will finally be released as well, and the team has promised that it features far more blood that the movie There Will Be Blood. The Saxxy Awards will be making their return, allowing intrepid gamers to submit their gameplay videos for prizes.

Alan Wake Lands February 16 for the PC

It was not all that long ago when Remedy Entertainment announced Alan Wake would be arriving on PCs in February. Well, February is finally here and that means Alan Wake is right around the corner, with a release date of February 16th. The game will be available on Steam for $29.99, giving a bit of a discount for PC gamers who have waited so long to try it out. Alan Wake for the PC also includes a couple of DLC packs, so there should be plenty there to keep you occupied. Remedy also released the minimum system specifications for Alan Wake, which you can check out below:

• OS: Windows Vista or Windows 7 (see below for Windows XP)
• PROCESSOR: AMD: Athlon X2 2.8GHz | Intel: Core 2 Duo 2GHz
• MEMORY: 2 GB
• HARD DRIVE: 8 GB
• VIDEO CARD: DirectX 10 compatible or later with 512MB RAM
  
  • AMD: ATI Radeon 3650, 4450, 5550, 6450 or higher (per series)
  • NVIDIA: GeForce 8600GT, 9500GT, GT120, GT430, GT520 (per series)
• SOUND CARD: DirectX 9.0c compatible
• INPUT: Mouse and keyboard, Xbox 360 controller also supported

All in all, there is nothing too fancy there. However, Alan Wake will be able to take advantage of quad-core CPUs, can support AMD HD3D and NVIDIA 3D Vision (including multiple screens for both), and support for high resolutions and graphics. All in all, it looks like Alan Wake for the PC has been worth the wait, however the proof will be in the pudding. A boxed retail copy of Alan Wake will launch at a later date, but for now it is digital only.

Sources: IGN, Gamespy, and Neoseeker

Star Wars: The Old Republic has 1.7 Million Active Subscibers

It looks like BioWare's foray into MMORPGs is off to a good start, as publisher EA has released some numbers from Star Wars: The Old Republic. The big news is that Star Wars: The Old Republic has 1.7 million active subscribers, with over two million copies of the game sold so far. That many active subscribers may be a small amount of the active World of Warcraft accounts, but BioWare looks to be settling in for the long haul. The studio announced The Old Republic Guild Summit for March 4th through the 6th in Austin, Texas, where BioWare will invite guild leaders (or an appointed high-ranking officer) to attend and discuss the game. There will be a Q&A session with the developers, roundtable discussions, and even previews of new game features, which should make any invited guild leader very excited about attending. The goal is to have an open discussion between the designers and the guild leaders, and face-to-face is certainly one way to build a better relationship.

More Layoffs Hit THQ, CEO Takes 50% Pay Cut

THQ has definitely hit some rough times, what with a refocused strategy and the removal of so many kid games from its lineup. Word has it that some more layoffs have hit THQ, with 240 employees losing their jobs worldwide as a result of the restructuring plan. This follows some layoffs at THQ's California and Australia offices, with the 240 cuts expected to be completed by September 30th, 2012. The CEO and President of THQ, Brian Farrell, will receive a 50% pay cut for one year, though next year his salary will be reviewed and odds are it will jump back up. THQ also needs to get its share price higher than $1 a share in order to remain listed on NASDAQ. Currently it is at 70 cents a share, and THQ has until July 23rd to bring it over $1 for 10 consecutive days.

Bethesda Posts Preview Video of Creation Kit and Skyrim Workshop

One of the long awaited items for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is nearly here, as Bethesda has released more information on the Creation Kit and Skyrim Workshop. The Bethesda games have all been about modding, and even The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind has an active mod community a decade after launch. With Skyrim, a new game engine means a new set of modding tools, but Bethesdad has kept the Creation Kit as close to the Construction Set as possible. Anything you want to do to Skyrim can be possible with the Creation Kit, and should open up a whole new selection of mods. With the Creation Kit comes the Skyrim Workshop, an easy way to browse and download mods. You can subscribe to different mods, search for the newest or most popular, leave feedback, and upload your own mods. Any subscribed mods will automatically download when you start the Skyrim launcher, removing any hassles someone may have with modding.

One of the new changes Bethesda has made is the ability to upload custom INI files for easier modding. This way you will no longer need to back up any INI files as the proper ones will be included with the mods. Bethesda intends the Skyrim Workshop to work with places like Skyrim Nexus, so the ability to package custom INI files can be used by all.

The Creation Kit and Skyrim Workshop will be launching soon, and you can check out the video below to get some more information on it.

Mass Effect 3 Voice Cast Video Reveals an Impressive Number of Actors

As January pulls to a close, gamers everywhere know five weeks is all that stands between them and Mass Effect 3. BioWare has been working diligently on the thrilling conclusion to Commander Shepard's tale, and has been revealing more and more information about Mass Effect 3 as we approach launch day. Today, BioWare has seen fit to release a new video that shows off some of the voice cast for Mass Effect 3, with many familiar faces returning. Now, the video does not show off the entire cast, but it does highlight some of the major names and glimpses of a few others. Martin Sheen once again will voice the Illusive Man, Seth Green returns as Joker, Tricia Helfer as EDI, Keith David as Admiral Anderson, Ali Hillis as Liara T'soni, and Jennifer Hale as the female voice of Commander Shepard.

All of those names, either real or in-game, should all be familiar to you, but the video also features two new actors to the Mass Effect universe: Freddie Prinze, Jr, and Jessica Chobot. Each actor or actress talks about their character's role in Mass Effect 3, and offers a few insights into the game itself. The gameplay shown looks impressive, and I for one cannot wait to get my hands on the full game.

Mass Effect 3 launches on March 6th for the PC, PS3, and 360.

28,000 Fans to Play Half-Life 2 on Saturday to Show Valve Gamers Still Want Episode 3

When you think about it, Half-Life 2 released in 2004 yet is still one of the most talked about games on Steam. Everyone has played it, and if you have not, why are you reading this instead of loading the game up? In any case, gamers have been waiting patiently for Half-Life 2: Episode 3, the last of the planned additional content. Episode 1 and Episode 2 were both released before 2007 ended, yet Episode 3 is no where in sight. I am sure Valve has been inundated with emails asking where in the world Episode 3 is, but this coming Saturday, a group of gamers has something else in store. The 28,000 members of Steam group Message To Valve are planning to load up Half-Life 2 this Saturday, February 4th, to show Valve gamers still care about HL2 and Episode 3. The plan is to push HL2 up the most-played list to give an idea of the support for the game, and hopefully deliver a more respectful message about wanting Episode 3.

The group plans to start playing at 7PM GMT / 11AM PST, so feel free to get your copy of Half-Life 2 loaded up for the demonstration.

Pre-Order Bonus for Risen 2: Dark Waters Detailed

Risen 2: Dark Waters looks to continue on the story from the first game, but this time with a decidedly more pirate flair. The first game had glimpses of the pirates in it, but Risen 2 expands on that even further. If you are a fan of the first game and have been looking forward to the sequel, you may be interested what pre-ordering the game can net you. The pre-order bonus for Risen 2: Dark Waters has been detailed, and it ties into a questline from the first game. In the first Risen, there was the Treasure of Captain Steelbeard quest you could go on, but it did not have a solid ending. In Risen 2, pre-orderers will get a chance to finally finish that quest with the assistance of Captain Steelbeard's daughter. Your character and Patty, the daughter, will travel to an unknown island with "puzzles to solve, treasures to loot and mysteries to unravel," plus you will find a "legendary item" that will permantently increase your stats.

Risen 2: Dark Waters will launch on April 24th for the PC.