Tom Petty, Go-Go's, Kelly Clarkson, and P!nk

Next week’s Rock Band 2 and LEGO Rock Band content updates include six tracks by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, taken straight from the band's upcoming 48-song album, The Live Anthology.  The album is comprised completely of live recordings and releases this Tuesday, the same day the DLC.  If you like Heartland rock, give their tunes a whirl.

• Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – “A Thing About You (Live)”
  
• Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – “American Girl (Live)”
  
• Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – “Even the Losers (Live)”
  
• Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – “Here Comes My Girl (Live)”
  
• Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – “Mary Jane’s Last Dance (Live)”
  
• Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – “Refugee (Live)”
  
• The Go-Go’s – “Our Lips Are Sealed”
  
• Kelly Clarkson – “Miss Independent”
  
• P!nk – “Who Knew”

Lead producer for Gears of War and Shadow Complex franchises

A job listing from Microsoft Game Studios has been turning heads lately.  Looks like they're seeking a lead producer to work the highly successful Gears of War and budding Shadow Complex franchises.

The job opening is for an experienced individual who will be working with Epic Games to "drive the success of Gears of War" and "lead the publishing side of games made by Epic," which includes both Gears and Shadow Complex.  The applicant must also have a "deep experience shipping games," specifically "AAA current generation games" throughout the production cycle.

It's just one of 29 new game-related "help wanted" adverts Microsoft has put up in the last two weeks, on top of the existing 25 vacancies thave we've seen since October.  Here's hoping the next Gears of War isn't being reserved to a next-gen console.  As for Shadow Complex, the efforts for recruitment bode well for Epic and Chair Entertainment's highly successful platformer.  We could use more games like that on the market.

These bad guys look remarkably like Geth

Capcom released a new Dark Void video today, and through it we see some of the baddies our hero Will has to contend with.  These creatures are called "The Watchers," and as the video shows, there were a crap-ton of them running around.

One scene in particular suggests that perhaps these robot bodies are not their native forms, and another shows something transforming into a human.  Yeah, that's not creepy at all or anything.  There's no commentary with this video, but plenty of crazy lookin' enemies.  Perhaps it's better this way, after the developers insulted the entire realm of Western gaming in their last developer diary.  Ironically, the robotic bad guys look a lot like the sentient Geth from Mass Effect.

Has your interest been piqued?  Dark Void will be out in North America on January 19 for both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 -- January 22 for Europe.  As for that upcoming film adaption starring Brad Pitt?  We have no idea, and some of us are still hoping the movie news was an elaborate prank cooked up by someone's publicist spending too many hours with the company bong; video game movies make us cry inside.

Scouting prospective recruits through dashboard ads and streaming in-game video banners

Pleased with their efforts back in 2007 to promote awareness of their institution and resposibilities through video games, the UK Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) is looking to return to make a scene through in-game advertising once again.

The British intelligence agency is planning a new, six-week Xbox LIVE campaign where they solicit in-game advertising in some of the holiday season's biggest titles including Assassin's Creed II, Left 4 Dead 2, and Modern Warfare 2.  They'll also be pushing GCHQ themes and gamerpics for download.

The GCHQ believes video games are a natural outlet from which they can appeal to prospective recruits, acknowledging the "quick thinking, problem solving, and teamwork" inherent in gaming make for positive GCHQ material.  Now before you start dreaming about being the next Bond thanks to the agency's involvement with MI5 (Security Service) and MI6 (Secret Intelligence Service), the GCHQ notes that their latest recruitment drive looks to staff around 250 "graduate and professional level" positions in IT and other technical fields.  Nevertheless the agency is looking forward to better promoting their cause to a suitable target group through Xbox Live.

Tis the season...

Need for Speed SHIFT is getting even better next month with the free 'Team Racing pack', which includes a new mode and five new cars.

The mode, of course, is Team Racing. This new way to play pits two teams of six against each other in the online arena -- team tactics will be needed to get the advantage on your opponents.

As for the new cars, these are pretty legendary machines (all but the Supra are pictured):

• 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 427
• 1967 Shelby GT-500
• 1969 Dodge Charger R/T
• 1971 Dodge Challenger R/T
• 1998 Toyota Supra Mark IV

Launch date for the DLC is December 1 on Xbox 360 and December 10 on PlayStation 3 (December 3 for Europe). EA tells us it's set for PC December 3, "the same day as the Xbox 360 release", so, either the third or first, then.

If you've not tried the game yet, a demo is out for consoles and PC. It's not a traditional NFS title by any means, but just as great.

Going beyond the tongue-wagging

There’s a nice treat in store for both Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero players this week, as one of the most recognizable rock groups of all time graces both games with their music.  That's right, we're talking about KISS.

The "KISS Track Pack," now available for download via Xbox LIVE, PlayStation Network, and Wii Shop Channel, includes three songs from these music legends.

• I Was Made For Lovin’ You
• Lick It Up
• Modern Day Delilah

But the DLC alone isn't going to cut it for KISS fans, so a trailer and concert invitation has been prepared in anticipation for the "KISS Track Pack" release.  Have a look at the cast of Guitar Hero rock out to the new songs and sample some of the notecharts for your instrument of choice:

DW: Strikeforce for console to support online play, plus February release date

Today is a joyous day for Dynasty Warriors fans.  Koei has revealed that the console versions will include online multiplayer and support up to four players.  I know what you're thinking: "Hallelujah!"

Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 gamers will also get 40 exclusive missions, command up to three other officers in combat, an enemy "Hyperbreak" gauge, special combat tactics, online officer trading, and the larger-than-life Meng Huo.

During Tokyo Game Show 2009 in September, Koei announced console-specific guest characters for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions.  Just as a refresher, Warriors Orochi's Nu Wa will be a guest in the Xbox 360 version, and Ninja Gaiden's Ryu Hayabusa is appearing on PlayStation 3.  You'll need to complete the guest character challenges to win their signature weapons for use in combat.

But who cares about that when we've got online multiplayer!  Time to start counting the days 'til February 16.

Check out all these screenshots and dev video

A sequel to one of the arguably better RTS games of the last 5 years, Supreme Commander 2, has been officially announced to be arriving next Spring. Some new screenshots were released with today's release date announcement, showing off the new engine in action.

Supreme Commander 2 features future-humans and two alien races, for factions in the game. The three races don't like each other all that much. In fact, they are locked in an Infinite War. Which means that there probably be many more sequels for to this game.

Supreme Comander 2 is being made by Gas Powered Games, and published by Square Enix. The lead designer for the game is Vancouver-born industry veteran Chris Taylor. "The partnership with Square Enix has been a highlight of my career," Chris was quoted as saying. "I couldn’t be more proud of what the team has accomplished, as the game has continually exceeded all of my expectations throughout its development."

Like the first game, you can expect to battle on ground, in the air, and in the sea. The sequel will feature enhanced customizable armies and deadlier, bigger, skull-crushing robots with giant laser cannons for arms. In the game, you actually play as the Supreme Commander -- a robot battlesuit from which you command your armies. Lose your commander and it's all over.

In this video, Mr. Taylor does a walk through of the game. With PC games it seems it is pretty rare that a company actually makes its release date -- but for Supreme Commander 2, it is looking like they'll actually be releasing in the Spring, just like they've been saying. Check it out:

Supreme Commander 2 will be available for the PC and the Xbox 360, this time around. Perhaps like the first game, the sequel will be one of the very few games with well implemented, specialized dual monitor support.

Police show up, hilarity ensues

Parents today have their hands full dealing with kids and their fancy mp3 players, smart phones, and video whatcha' call 'ems.  Well, one couple in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, had the right idea -- they took their teenage son's Xbox away from him as punishment.

Said 15-year-old brat wasn't about to take that sitting down either, and he promptly dialed 911 that fateful Sunday around 12:50 PM.  When the operator took his call, he immediately hung up.  Apparently this boy didn't realize that the emergency service is serious business.

Shortly after, officers show up at his house wondering what sort of heinous crime had been taking place inside.  At that point, the boy had no choice but to admit what happened. 

According to Commander Steve Husak, our young gamer even asked the police if his parents had the right to take his Xbox console from him.  The police, being sensible people, told him that his parents do possess the authority and advised him to listen to his mom 'n' pop more.  Crisis averted.

Husak also notes that they don't know why the boy was being punished.

Comes with soundtrack CD, art book, vinyl LP and more

BioShock fans will be happy to hear that details concerning a new Special Edition of the second game have been unveiled today. 

The kit will set you back a hundred clams if you live in the US (or $90 for the PC version), but it appears it will be worth it. Besides the game, you get a soundtrack CD, a 164 page art book showing concept drawings and such, three Rapture propaganda posters, and a vinyl LP featuring BioShock's orchestra music.

Sounds pretty good, though the vinyl LP might not impress everyone, as working record players have grown more rare than white buffaloes. Instead of the vinyl LP, maybe they should have thrown in some EVE hypos instead.

Once these Special Edition versions are sold out, they aren't coming back. So if you want to get one, pre-order it pronto. It will be released on the same day as the regular version of the game, on February 9th.

Bad decisions make for shame, says former employee

Makers of the forthcoming vigilante romp The Saboteur, Pandemic Studios, are shutting down, if you haven't heard. Following the news, an anonymous developer has posted on the NeoGAF forums, an occasional hangout for industry types, giving his thoughts on the decision.

Emotions have run high for many people since the announcement, for gamers, publishers and developers alike. Those familiar with Pandemic's work, for example, have said it's deserved on some level, as mismanagement has been abound at the company for years. The developer in question here, posting under the name Zeenbor, reveals this is indeed the case:

"The reason why the studio closed down has everything to do with the existing Pandemic management. From what we were told, Pandemic management was given free reign to do as they please. Time and time again, they dropped the ball with bad decisions (promoting/keeping people based on loyalty, no production accountability, misallocation of resources, poor milestone objectives, no mentoring, etc.). It's a true shame, as there was a lot of talent and passion at the studio."

One member responds later in the thread with, "Sad news dude. Although if I were you I don't know if I'd go around bad mouthing management no matter how true it is. The industry is pretty small and something like this could get back to you." Zeenbor's thoughts? "F*ck it":

"See, that's the problem with humanity. Everyone is looking out for themselves. I say f*ck it. The truth needs to be told.

Philosophy aside, I'd say the circumstances warrant the truth. A lot of misconceptions are going around and EA management is being ragged for something that isn't necessarily their fault."

He notes Pandemic was an expensive studio to maintain, and the last two games, Mercenaries 2 and The Lord of the Rings: Conquest weren't "up to snuff", as the community has attested to.

We wouldn't feel terribly bad either if it wasn't for The Saboteur, a game featuring a "street-tough Irish racing mechanic" out for revenge in Nazi-occupied Europe that looks to be full of flavour and awfully promising. "Zeenbor" says, continuing, it's definitely a shame:

"EA is totally sending Saboteur out to die. And it's a f*cking shame. It's easily Pandemic's best game yet. Of course, I am a bit biased having worked on the game for so long. If you were disappointed with Mercs 2 and LOTR (who wasn't?) and enjoyed previous Pandemic games, give Saboteur a shot."

New costumes, content, Mercenaries mode, plus release schedule and screenshots

Looks like Capcom might just make up for the whole "Versus" fiasco, as the upcoming DLC should appease all you angry gamers.

Coming in 2010, the new Resident Evil 5 content will include two new downloadable episodes, a bunch of new costumes (if that's your thing), and a "MERCENARIES REUNION" mode, with eight new playable characters and weapon loadouts.

Although Western gamers had voted for a DLC release, those who prefer their content on disc can purchase the Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition, which will include the original game plus all the new goodies mentioned above.  The entire package will go for $49.99 USD on Blu-ray for Playstation 3 or DVD with a DLC token for Xbox 360.

Update: Capcom confirmed several release dates an some details on the new episodic content.  The first new episode will be "Lost in Nightmares," which takes us back to the investigation of Ozwell E. Spencer.  Players will be filling the shoes of Chris Redfield and his partner, Jill Valentine -- before she was implanted with the mind-control device and started running in a weird posture (bodysuit too tight, maybe).  See where it all began, and check Wesker without the cat eyes.

Along with the new chapter, RE5 will be getting new costumes for Chris and Sheva, which you can view in-game or with the cutscene playback feature; we all know how much Capcom loves costume packs.  The revamped Mercenaries Mode, "Mercenaries Reunion," seems to be sticking with the timed challenge theme, though players will have new weapons this time around.

With each new DLC, we'll be getting two more playable characters.  Those who purchase the entire Gold Edition unlock all eight right off the bat.  You'll find release details below, along with Gold Edition pricing; the individual episodes will go for 400 Microsoft Points or $5.00 USD, with costume packs at 160 MS Points or $2.00 each.

Reclaim the honour of Ferelden's fallen king this winter

Keeping to their word on the two-year plan for Dragon Age: Origins, BioWare will be releasing the first batch of post-launch DLC this holiday season for North Americans and Europeans. Titled "Return to Ostagar", it sees you heading to the site of the Grey Wardens' near-extinction by the darkspawn, a place thought lost to bloodshed and time, now covered in snow and infested by the enemy.

With rumours a survivor of the battle has escaped captivity and is seeking the help of the Grey Wardens, it is there you will exact your revenge, reclaim the honor of Ferelden's fallen King Cailan, discover his political secrets, and search for his powerful arms and armor.

"Return to Ostagar" will also provide a second opportunity to add the Mabari hound 'Dog' to your party.

No specific launch date is set for the new content, but we do know it will be selling for $5.00 USD on PSN and 400 points on PC and Xbox 360.

New project surrounding Left 4 Dead 2 rock group

Ever hear of the Midnight Riders?  Think about the "Dark Carnival" campaign in Left 4 Dead 2 -- ring any bells? 

For those who still haven't got a clue, the Midnight Riders are a fictitious rock group in Left 4 Dead 2, and players see posters for their concert all over the fairgrounds.  In fact, if you hang around one of the safe houses long enough, Ellis (or "Ellie," as I call him) and Coach begin chatting about the group, with more references throughout the corresponding mission.  Apparently the band was known for their kickass stage effects, including lasers and fireworks.

Seems Valve is planning to do something with the group too.  A Midnight Riders website was discovered in these past couple days, though there's nothing on the page except artwork of the band members and a "Coming Soon" notice.  Glancing at the page info, we see the site was last edited on November 17; seeing as how it was picked up by most media outlets today, it may have launched just yesterday.

There's nothing solid on the Midnight Riders project, so we've only got the teaser website to go on for now.

Plus, some of the oddest imagery you'll see in a game

February is still a while away, but EA and Visceral Games are busy building us up for Dante's Inferno.  The latest trailer is a massively beautiful cinematic that shows us Beatrice in her final moments.

Our hero Dante stumbles upon her body, and as he mourns, her spirit is taken away by Satan.  Yes, Lucifer is a dirty dirty lech who steals beautiful women's souls.  Aside from that though, we actually get to hear Dante's sweetheart speak, even addressing Virgil. 

And the rest, as they say, is history.  Dante descends into Hell to find his lover's soul, encounting all the nasties that dwell in the nine Circles.  Fans of the epic poem will get to hear familiar names and locations, as well as see them recreated in HD visuals.  Oh, and there is some strange imagery in the video; don't say we didn't warn you.

Fate has a funny way of showing itself

"I don't know who started this conspiracy; but I know who will end it."

Assassin's Creed II hit shelves just yesterday, and today we've got the launch trailer for you all.  With all the competition out there this month, you may be debating which game to spend your hard-earned cash on. 

Well, like any other publisher out to make some money of their own, Ubisoft released a tantalizing launch trailer, hoping that Ezio's rich accented voice and the game's general shininess will catch your attention.  In this video, we again see Ezio's father at the gallows, while the poor (not literally) young man is left brimming with hatred.  While he initially sets out on the assassin's path for revenge, he soon discovers that he is a part of something much bigger.

You'll need to play the game to learn more.

Breaking video game and movie sales records, Activision rolling in (even more) dough

Well, Activision and Infinity Ward certainly have even more reason to celebrate now.  Five days after its release, Modern Warfare 2 has now made $550 million in sales, breaking all previous first-to-five day entertainment industry box office records.

You can bet Bobby Kotick is pleased.  The CEO of Activision Blizzard happily issued this statement:

“In just five days of sell through Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has become the largest entertainment launch in history and a pop culture phenomenon.  The title’s success redefines entertainment as millions of consumers have chosen to play Modern Warfare 2 at unprecedented levels rather engage in other forms of media.”

Activision also released some revenue figures from other entertainment record-breakers (books, movies, video games) for comparison.  The numbers are certainly impressive, but it looks like Modern Warfare 2 does indeed come out on top, showing Batman, Harry Potter, and Niko Bellic who's boss.

• The largest reported five-day opening worldwide box office gross figures, held by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ($394 million)
  
• The largest reported five-day opening domestic box office gross figures, held by The Dark Knight ($203.8 million)
  
• The largest reported five-day worldwide video game sales record, previously held by Grand Theft Auto IV (6 million units, $500 million)
  
• The largest reported opening first-day domestic box office gross figures, held by The Dark Knight ($66.4 million)
  
• The largest reported first-day book sales in dollars, held by Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows ($220 million)
  
• The largest reported first-day worldwide video game sales record, previously held by Grand Theft Auto IV (3.6 million units, $310 million)
  

Microsoft contributed a few fun facts of their own, adding to all this Modern Warfare 2 posturing.  It's not totally unwarranted; the game broke Xbox LIVE user activity records as well.

• More than 5.2 million multiplayer hours were logged playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on the first day alone.
• More than 2.2 million unique gamers played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 in one day on November 10.  A new one-day record for Xbox LIVE.
• More than 11 million Achievements were unlocked on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on the first day.

Despite all this, Activision noted that they are not yet ready to breathe easy given these shifty economic times.  We're not sure why given those mind-numbing figures, but we're business people.

Some free, more next month

Every copy of Forza Motorsport 3 comes with a code to download some classic content from the previous games but now it's high time for some new stuff to come in, and Turn 10 had delivered. In today are several new car packs, some of which you can download for free.

Available today for Xbox Live Gold Members is the Hyundai Genesis Coupe Car Pack, which offers the 300-horsepower auto in three different paint jobs including a Rhys Millen Racing Red Bull racecar pattern, an HKS Genesis Coupe decked out in a ruby-red color, and a one-of-a-kind design solely made for Forza Motorsport 3. You can check these out in the images below.

Another series of cars will be bundled in the Hot Holidays Car Pack on December 8 for 400 Microsoft Points. The Forza Motorsport 3 website will be revealing the ten cars featured in that pack in the coming days but in the meantime confirmed is the Ferrari 458 Italia.  If you'd like to sample the sort of vehicles that will be offered in the Hot Holidays Car Pack, a 2010 model Audi S4 will also be downloadable for free the same day the pack becomes available.

To tide everyone over til the release of the December 8 downloads, Turn 10 invites everyone to visit the official website to partake in daily photo trivia contests.  If you can identify the model, make, and year of each car, you have a chance to win some real prizes and in-game goodies.  It's a good way to pass the time and maybe earn a little something on the side to boot.

Pre-order at GameStop, unlock Wesker

If you thought we were joking in the headline, then you'd be wrong.  Capcom has announced today that pre-ordering Lost Planet 2 at participating GameStop retailers will get you a special someone from Resident Evil.  That's right, we're referring to Wesker.

Albert Wesker is back from the dead and unlockable as a playable character in Lost Planet 2.  He'll be sporting his massive revolver (that's not overcompensating), which Capcom describes as a "nimble yet extremely powerful firearm" fulyl capable of one-shot kills.  Hey, if you can't take someone down in one hit with that thing, it's probably your aim, not the gun.

The game will be out for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this winter, so your window of pre-order opportunity is short.

EA job listing reveals much

A new job posting from Electronic Arts reveals the upcoming sequel to survival horror title Dead Space will have online multiplayer, or at least that is the plan at this stage.

The ad is for the position of Senior Online Level Designer and describes "extremely fun, satisfying and polished" online multiplayer levels. Co-op isn't mentioned, so we can assume that's out of the picture (thankfully).

With that in mind, the first thought that comes to you is probably human vs. human TPS gameplay a la Lost Planet, but we can't really imagine that for the likes of Dead Space, so here's hoping for a more Left 4 Dead / Killing Floor-style setup, with a few (or many) Necromorphs going up against one human player.

Single-player fans should rest easy: the ad reassures the game will still have the story-driven mode intact. For both modes, "gameplay comes first."

Featuring songs from the 'Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band' album

Harmonix and MTV released a new gameplay video today, featuring the second downloadable album for The Beatles: Rock Band, titled Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.  It's not the full album, of course, as the game already has a few songs.  The DLC basically includes the remaining tracks, which you can buy individually or in a bundle for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 (individual purchase for Wii).

As we previously noted, the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band DLC will be out tomorrow, November 17, for the 360 and Wii, then November 19 for PS3.  The "Complete the Album Pack" will include the following tracks:

• “Fixing A Hole”
  
• “She’s Leaving Home”
  
• “Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite!”
• “Within You Without You”
  
• “When I’m Sixty-Four”
  
• “Lovely Rita”
  
• “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)”
  
• “A Day In The Life.”

New online system, gameplay videos and screens inside

Coming sometime in Spring 2010, Street Fighter IV is going to get more Super. The new release of the game will have a bunch of new features and additions, in order to live up to that "Super" moniker.

Let's go over some of the changes brought with the new edition. First off, the press materials ambiguously promises "about eight new characters." We are not sure how to take that "about" word. We do know for sure that Street Fighters T-Hawk and DeeJay will be coming to the tournament for sure, and a new Tae Kwon Do fighter named Juri. Perhaps some of the other 'about eight' characters will be palette swap secret characters.

In other great news on the character front, it seems that all of the Street Fighters from the non-Super version of the game will be unlocked from the get-go. Which is nice, because it wasn't exactly easy to get Akuma and some of the others. 

Bonus rounds will be back for this version of the game. In a throwback to the most popular head-to-head fighter ever, Street Fighter II, in Super Street Fighter IV you'll be able to beat-up cars, and try to survive the barrel challenge (as shown in the screenshots below).

You'll also be able to play the game in "Team Battles" mode. This will enable you to include up to eight different players in a 2 vs. 2, 3 vs. 3, or 4 vs. 4 battles. A new Tournament Mode will also be coming later after launch, as a DLC option.

In addition to all of these changes and more, the game balance has been tweaked, using what Capcom has seen so far in online play. The Ultra Combo system is also getting enhanced, but beyond the addition of new combos, details on these changes have not been outlined yet.

Super Street Fighter IV will be coming to the PS3 and Xbox 360 this Spring. For now, no PC version has been announced.

More gun-slinging shots from Rockstar's western shooter

The sequel to Rockstar's 2004 western-themed shooter is due for release sometime next year, and the developers have conjured up four new screenshots from the game.

Not much new information is available from the images, but those who were fans of Red Dead Revolver will recognise the distinct settings that have carried over. Though Revolver was primarily a linear third-person shooter, Rockstar announced earlier this year that Red Dead Redemption would in fact be a sandbox adventure, a genre the acclaimed developers seem to nail every time around.

For that target you can't bear to miss

The holidays are coming up once again and that means peeling your face from the screen long enough to spend some quality time with friends and family.  You'll go out shopping for gifts, book a trip to meet up with the folks, chow down on some big dinners, and eventually drag everyone back with you to play some Wii Sports Resort and Rock Band while chugging down some scrumptious eggnog.  

But there's always going to be that couple of people who are just out of reach to spread some holiday cheer with; the least that can be done is to send them a card so they won't feel left out.  If you're going to go down that road, consider avoiding the usual junk offered at your local pharmacy as Valve has got you covered with their own set of Team Fortress 2 and Left 4 Dead-themed holiday cards.

The cards feature the cast of the Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 Special Infected and the rivaling classes of Team Fortress 2 enjoying the holidays in their own special manner.  Whether it be a Hunter enjoying his holiday hoodie, a live Bill being served by a Boomer cook, the Spy romancing with Scout's mother under some mistletoe, or an adorable baby Pyro receiving the gift of coal, these humorous cards are sure to evoke a warm fuzzy feeling at your friends confusion from not knowing what the hell they just received. The fabulous art was made by Alexandria Neonakis, who was once again commissioned by Valve after having created a set of Valentine's Day cards themed after the same two games.

Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 each have their own set of ten cards while Team Fortress 2 goes double-duty with two different bundles. Every set purchased comes with ten small envelopes and one large envelope for multiple recipients; it'll cost you $15.95 plus shipping to get your hands on one, and they won't ship out until the week of November 30.  Until then, you can think about how much (or how little) you'll want to write to your bretheren.

Long-in-production thriller may be set to arrive

According to a mysterious unnamed "source close to the game," Remedy's Entertainment's Alan Wake will be arriving in May. Could it be that this game, in development for more than five years, might actually be nearing completion?

The month of May seems reasonable enough -- Microsoft has said that the game is due next Spring, after all. This game must be getting a very thick layer of polish, however, as Remedy claimed the game was finished around last August.

Remedy Entertainment's biggest hit so far has been the Max Payne franchise. They sold the rights to that IP back in 2002 though, and the profits no doubt went towards the development of Alan Wake.  Many eyes are on this game to see how it'll do.  Certainly, with this much time spent in production, Remedy has a great deal riding on the game.

Alan Wake puts you in the shoes of a writer dude who is trying to figure out why he can't come up with any original plots, then wakes up in the morning with curious pools of blood all over the place, his wife missing -- something like that anyways. You'll be Alan Wake as he goes around a small sleepy town, in the vein of "pschological horror."  An interesting element includes the game's "combat," in which light sources like a lit flare can be used to combat the supernatural.

Publisher Microsoft Game Studios unceremoniously dropped the PC version of this game for reasons never fully explained.  Now the title is just an Xbox 360 exclusive, probably set to arrive in May, if this reasonable rumor pans out. 

Update: Further 'inside sources' point towards a May 12th release date, and a late 2010 arrival of the PC version that was put aside to finish the console version first.