Telltale Games announces the Sam & Max Season Two Collector's DVD will be available next month, overcoming one of the paradoxes of the typical collector's edition by offering it for the cost of shipping and handling to customers who have already purchased the Season Two downloads:

SAN RAFAEL, CA, July 23, 2008 – Interactive entertainment pioneer Telltale, Inc. is announcing that the Collector's DVD for the acclaimed game series Sam & Max Season Two is available for ordering today. Telltale has given the second season of "gaming's first sitcom" the premium boxed-set treatment that has become common for television favorites, with behind-the-scenes extras and loads of special features. Telltale is also introducing new merchandise today to celebrate the release, including a signed commemorative print, a 2-CD Season Two soundtrack, and several special bundle offers.

Sam & Max Season Two has garnered critical acclaim from numerous sources, including two Editor's Choice awards from PC Gamer and positive reviews from mainstream press ranging from the New York Times to Playboy. The series is based on comic book characters created by Eisner award-winning cartoonist Steve Purcell, who has been publishing stories starring the offbeat dog and "rabbity-thing" crime-fighting duo for over twenty years. Purcell contributed an original painting inspired by the games' events to serve as the cover for this unique DVD release.

In addition to all five games from the award-winning episodic series, which play on a PC with a DVD-ROM drive, the Season Two Collector's DVD contains hours of region-free video viewable on a PC or in any standard DVD player. Special features on the disc include game footage reels with audio commentary from the development team, the 20-minute holiday video feature "Sam & Max Nearly Save Christmas," outtakes and promotional trailers, concept art, desktop wallpapers, and an MP3 soundtrack sampler. Samples of the video content can be viewed at http://www.telltalegames.com/samandmax.

Customers who already bought the downloadable Sam & Max Season Two set from Telltale can get the Collector's DVD for just the cost of shipping and handling. For new customers, the Season Two Collector's DVD sells for $34.95 and comes with free downloadable copies of the games. The DVD is expected to start shipping in August. More details are available here: http://www.telltalegames.com/store/samandmax-season2-disc

A post to an enormous thread on the Hellgate: London Forums by publisher NAMCO BANDAI indicates they are currently keeping things alive on the Hellgate: London servers (thanks Strategy Informer). And while they are not making any official announcements about the status of the action/RPG from troubled developer Flagship Studios, it sounds like they are preparing to announce something, so speculate away:

Hello Hellgaters,

I know everyone is looking for an announcement, and we'd love to make one -- but right now, many things are in flux and we don't have all the information yet. As soon as we do, we'll post here on the forums, on the website, and anywhere else we can find you.

In the short term, please do not worry. The game is up, the servers are not going away in the short term and any major changes to status will be communicated in advance.

I'd like to ask for your patience as we try to figure it all out and chart a new course. We value your community, your commitment, and your passion for Hellgate and we will make sure that any solution that we architect will support all of you as best as we are able.

Thanks again. We hope to have a real announcement shortly.
__________________
Zack "Ozuri" Karlsson
Sr. Director, Business Development
NAMCO BANDAI Games America, Inc.

The Age Of Conan: Hyborian Adventures Website has details on a upcoming updates for Funcom's MMORPG (thanks Voodoo Extreme):

We want to give you a short outlook about things to come in both this week's update as well as the plans for the update scheduled for next week. This week’s update will be a smaller maintenance one in order for us to tidy up a couple of the issues while we work on the next larger update which is currently being tested and hopefully will be ready for the live servers next week.

Our tech team is hard at work to investigate about memory leaks (like for example the issue with your map going gray) and they have made inroads on those issues, and we have found and resolved a couple with this weeks update. This is of course a process that does not end now - on the contrary. The team will keep on working hard to find the leaks that are still there so we can expect more of them to be resolved in updates to come. Finding such memory leaks is quite a tricky thing but we are making progress and the tech team is keeping the focus on this issue.

Also fixed should be the issues from last week was the behavior of caster pets as some of them were in fact quite passive after they had been summoned. Our developers have found the source of that issue and the fix for this is getting tested by QA so this week's update should resolve this issue.

Lastly with this week’s update we wanted to give you all the opportunity to revise your feat points given the recent changes to the abilities and feat trees. What we have done is that the counter of how many times a character has reset his feats will be set to zero so the next reset will be viewed as being the first one in terms of money it will cost, as if you had never reset any feats before.

As we mentioned at the top, the update planned for next week should include some additions and changes that our community has been looking forward to (beside the usual fixes and updates).

MCV has a quote from developer Treyarch saying that their Quantum of Solace game should offer a quantum of solace to James Bond fans disappointed in the quality of recent games starring the super-spy. They lay the blame for the shortcomings of recent Bond games on former license holder Electronic Arts, contradictorily referring to the new game as a chance to make a "first impression":

“We’re not trying to fix anything EA did wrong, because that’s just what they did,” explained Quantum of Solace’s executive producer Garrett Young (pictured). “I’m sure the series pissed off a lot of gamers over the last few years as the games started to go downhill, but we have no control over that.”

“The pressure we feel is more about launching this franchise in the right way. We know that you only have one chance to make a really great first impression, and this is it.”

Lighthouse Interactive now offers a new patch for Sword of the Stars: Born of Blood, updating the space strategy sequel to version 1.5.3. The update includes AI optimizations and bug-fixes. Word is: "Update 1.5.3 can be installed over all previous versions of Born of Blood, including the version included in Sword of the Stars: Collector's Edition."

• E3 2008 – Our Final Thoughts on the Show’s Best Games on GameZone.
• The E3 No Shows: Why They Weren't There? Thanks Ant.
• Iwata So Very Very Sorry For Nintendo's E3 Presser.
• Bungie boss laughed when MS pulled Halo from E3 briefing.

• Christian Allen's Corner - I call BS. On interactive storytelling (doesn't make a very good case).

Fable 2 Q&A on Videogamer.Com talks with Peter Molyneux about how Lionhead's RPG sequel is shaping up. A portion is highlighted in this article where Molyneux says "I feel sorry for Denis Dyack," sympathizing with the Too Human developer for the criticism targeted at him for hyping his game.

• Left 4 Dead on AtomicGamer.
• Saint's Row 2 on AtomicGamer.

• Left4Dead on Maximum PC.

• Microsoft's Heutchy Details Social Interaction With Xbox Live Party. Thanks Mike Martinez.
• BioShock PS3 visuals no different than 360 version?
• Motionplus Third-Party Devs Kept In Dark Over Wii MotionPlus.
• Peter Dille Talks FFXIII Exclusivity, Seems Confused.
• Capcom to sell intentionally awful Mega Man 9 shirts.
• Nyko FrontMan guitar compatibility chart.

• Phone Giants Fight to Keep Subscribers. Thanks Neutronbeam.

• Clive Barker's Jericho on The Crypt.
• Indie Game Reviews [July Edition] on Game Tunnel. Thanks Ant.

• Aeneon 2x2GB XTune DDR3-1600 RAM on Overclockers Online.
• Antec Three Hundred Case on Hardware Secrets.
• Asus VW223B 22" LCD Monitor on TrustedReviews.
• EagleTech N-Series Pro External HDD Enclosure on Virtual-Hideout.
• Enhance Technology T4H CR Desktop RAID Storage System on Futurelooks.
• iStar T5F-SS SATA Hard Drive Rack on OCIA.net.
• Kingwin EL-35EU-SBL Elite USB 2.0 and eSATA Drive Enclosure on Big Bruin.
• LG GH22LP20 22x Super-Multi DVD±RW-RAM on CDRLabs.com.
• Lian Li Tyr PC-X2000 Case on bit-tech.net.
• MSI P45 Platinum Motherboard on Motherboards.org and Neoseeker.
• Nexus Real Silent PWM Fans on Tech-Reviews.co.uk.
• Noctua NH-C12P CPU Cooler on Hardware Canucks.
• NZXT TEMPEST Black Midsize Tower Case on Pro-Clockers.
• OCZ Vendetta 2 CPU Cooler on MADSHRIMPS.
• Palit GeForce 9600 GSO Sonic Graphics Card on MikhailTech.
• Razer Mako 2.1 THX Certified Multimedia System on ThinkComputers.org.
• Thermalright Ultra120 Extreme CPU Cooler on Pro-Clockers.
• Xigmatek Achilles S1284 Exposed Heatpipe Base Heatsink on FrostyTech.
• ZOTAC 9600 GSO 384MB Graphics Card on TweakTown.

• Army Wants “First-Person Thinker” Video Game…
• GameTap To Add THQ PC Titles. Thanks Mike Martinez…

My sleep last night was disturbed by a foot cramp. This is no big deal and easy enough to deal with on one occasion, but it is certainly more than enough to repeatedly wake one up. I don't know what the deal is with that Restless Legs Syndrome, and I know people love making fun of the ads for drugs fort that one, but I can see how an ongoing issue of this sort could be a big problem for folks.

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Savage 2: A Tortured Soul Website announces that the promised free-to-play week for the action/strategy sequel is now underway, saying simply: "Don't forget that all this week demo accounts can play Savage 2 with no demo restrictions and unlimited playtime. If you enjoy it, please support us."

GamePolitics reports New York State Governor David Paterson has signed into law a bill to "ensure the State will explore the negative effects of violent video games." Of course it would seem that whatever exploration is involved has been done already, as they don't seem to grant the possibility that they would find positive effects. The law apparently has no real effect, so the ESA may not choose to challenge this in court. TV Debate on New York Video Game Law offers further discussion of all this.

Frontlines Website has the release of a new patch for Frontlines: Fuel of War, updating Kaos Studios' military shooter to version 1.1.1. A number of fixes are included in the patch, which is accompanied by a corresponding new dedicated server.

The Fistful of Frags Website has a new beta version 1.51 dedicated server for this western-themed Half-Life 2 modification. Word is: "This is a server update only, highly recommended if you host a FoF dedicated server. We detected a few technical and gameplay issues in the previous version, so here are the proposed fixes. Read the changelog please:"

• Bethesda defends E3, says it needs to change.
• E3: great show for games, not for glitz. Our four fixes n Ars Technica. Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Digital Trends - What if Gaming Went to a Hosted, Subscription Model?

• City of Abandoned Ships on RPG Vault.
• Dark Void on GameSpy.
• Dragon Age: Origins on GameShark.
• Empire: Total War on GameShark.
• Mirror's Edge on GameSpy and Eurogamer.

• DC Universe Online on FileFront.
• Silkroad Online on RPG Vault.
• Wanted on GameInfoWire.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• A Wii Bit Short On Supplies. What are these things made with, unicorn horns?
• New Xbox 360 Dashboard: You don't have to use it.
• User-developed games to be sold on Xbox Live for between $2.50 to $10.
• Gears of War 2 and Fable 2 Collector's Edition Details Revealed.
• Battlefield: Bad Company stats Facebook application launched today.
• WiiWare and Virtual Console Weekly Releases.
• Nintendo President Doesn't Think Friend Codes Are Perfect (Who Agrees?).
• MotoGP 08 Details and Xbox 360 Screenshots.
• Resident Evil 5 PlayStation 3 Screenshots.
• News WipEout HD delayed for failing epilepsy tests? Thanks Layer.
• The 'ultimate proof' that PS3 is winning.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Microsoft Tries to Polish Vista. Thanks Neutronbeam. What's that expression? Can't polish a something-or-other.
• Windows Home Server: All Better, Only It’s 7 Months Later.
• Apple Q3 2008 Macs unstoppable, solid growth down the line.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Adobe revs media player, signs up Sony.
• Buy From Amazon With Your TiVo. Thanks Ant.
• Husband wins divorce from angry wife in YouTube video.

• Details on DNS flaw inadvertently leaked; researcher says patch now. Thanks Ant.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Copyright Office May Have Just Added New Royalties For Webcasts.
• Software Patent Supporter Tries To Pretend Google Harmed Without Software Patents.
• MPAA Doubletalk On FCC Request To Block DVR Recordings.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Rumor Smash: Alan Wake At TGS? "Not An Announcement."…
• Is a multiplayer game a stupid place to look for love? Is that a trick question?…
• SCi Expects $200m Loss In Fiscal Year. Ouch!…
• Zelnick GTA isn't Take-Two's only moneymaker…
• Splash Damage hires four industry vets for multiplatform mystery…

R.I.P.:  'Golden Girls' actress Estelle Getty dies at 84.

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Science:	Is Mars Exploration Doomed? Boston Dynamics' Robot Videos. Thanks j.c.f.
Images:	CameraPhone. Thanks Digg.
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This Gamasutra article, also from Microsoft's Gamefest 2008 developer conference in Seattle has word that DirectX 11 has been announced, though no specific release date is specified. Unsurprisingly, this will be for Windows Vista and "future versions of Windows," but not Windows XP. The good news is that there will be no new hardware requirements, so DirectX 10 hardware should be DirectX 11 compatible.

Gamasutra has word that Microsoft has announced plans to introduce a Games for Windows marketplace similar to the Xbox LIVE marketplace. They also announce plans to offer a less console-centric Games for Windows LIVE service and confirm that they will be dropping the premium subscription fee the service carried for "Gold" multiplayer matchmaking that was a sticking point for so many. Here's a quote on the changes from Microsoft's Chris Satchell: "The first UI was good but it was too console-centric. It wasn't really what Windows gamers wanted. We have a new UI that's consistent with the way Windows gamers want to interact. It's free to you as a developer, and we're reducing the technical requirements. I believe, from hereon, Games for Windows Live is going to take off."

Grab your bicycle, your giant thighs and your performance-enhancing, um, Power Bars, as a playable demo for Pro Cycling Manager 2008 is now available, offering the chance to sample Cyanide Studio's sequel that once again puts players in the presumably challenging role of bicycle race team manager. Word is: "In the demo, your team is beginning its last week of competition before the grand final on the Champs-Élysées, but you still haven’t won any stages yet, and your sponsors are beginning to put some pressure on you to see their colours on the podium. Through this 157.4 km mountain stage, you’ll need to display all your talents as a Director of Sports to finally get the victory you need." The demo is a 760 MB download, which is available on FileFront and Gamer's Hell.

The Project Origin Website now offers a new movie showing off the Remnant (and/or the Remnent) from Project Origin, the upcoming F.E.A.R. sequel (thanks Gamer's Hell). The clip offers gameplay featuring these creatures and their power to sort-of resurrect dead characters Arch-vile-style to do their bidding. The clip features narration by designer Nathan Hendrickson.

Aspyr Support now offers a patch to update the Macintosh edition of Empire at War to version 1.05 Rev. A. Word is: "If you have installed the Empire at War 1.05 Rev. A update and are experiencing graphics issues such as unreadable text, this update will correct the problem." The download is mirrored on Gamer's Hell.

SOE Austin’s John Blakely Talks DC Universe Online on The MMO Gamer is a Q&A about SOE's upcoming superhero MMORPG. The conversation is available as an audio recording, and has also been transcribed into text. Along the way, SOE Austin's John Blakely chooses to point out this isn't your parent's MMORPG: "This isn’t your mother or father’s MMO. Those things work for the fantasy setting, but felt to really deliver on that superhero power fantasy we had to deliver it in the game first in that moment-to-moment experience. This is an action game. Skill does count. There are no die rolls, you have to aim, and shoot, and hit. That’s really important to how we communicate that."

• 10 games from E3 to be suspicious of.
• E3: hate it or love it? Game industry wrestles with how to boost next year’s show.
• WAR E3 Blog - E3 Post Mortem.
• Industry Leaders Speak Out on E3's Relevance.

• Stropp’s World - Open Sourcing The MMO Game.

• Gary Oldman Confirms The Dark Knight Video Game.
• Facebreaker demo due July 31.
• Rock Band DLC: Nine Inch Nails and Shinedown.
• Virtuoso Pack for Guitar Hero 3 on Thurs.
• Dead Rising Chop Till You Drop Details and Nintendo Wii Screenshots.
• ‘PS3’s problems are being resolved’.
• Getting Home right is "important" for PS3 - and SCE.
• Puzzle Quest Expansion Pack hits Xbox LIVE Arcade on July 23rd.
• 2K Games not improving BioShock visuals for PS3 version.
• 2K details BioShock PS3 Trophies.
• Fallout 3 Xbox 360 Screenshots.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Investors eye health of Apple's Steve Jobs: report. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Sandisk: Windows Vista not optimized for solid state drives.
• Movie industry eyeing 3D movies for the home theater.

• Crusaders: Thy Kingdom Come on ComputerGames.ro.
• XIII Century: Death or Glory on Gaming Nexus.

• Acer P243WAid 24 LCD Monitor on Phoronix.
• EVGA nForce 750i SLI FTW Motherboard on bit-tech.net.
• Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 CPU on Overclockers Club.
• Logitech Quickcam Vision Pro ON ASE Labs.
• NZXT Performance Power Series PP800 800W PSU on DragonSteelMods.
• NZXT Sentry LX Fan Controller on TweakTown.
• OCZ 780W ModXstream PSU on Overclock3D.Net.
• OCZ Core Series SATA-II SSD on Benchmark Reviews.
• Super Talent Pico Gold 8GB Flash Drive on Reviews.
• Sapphire Radeon HD4870 Graphics Card on Elite Bastards and Hi-Tech Reviews.
• Seventeam Thundering 1000W PSU on JonnyGURU.com.
• Vigor iSurf II Hard Drive Cooler on Legit Reviews.
• VisionTek HD 4870 512MB Graphics Card on TheTechLounge.
• Tagan Icy Box IB-3218 USB JBOD External NAS on Bjorn3d.com.
• Thermaltake Armor+ VH6000BWS Full Tower Case on Big Bruin.
• Thermaltake Armor MX Mid-Tower Case on TWEAKNEWS.
• Vantec NexStar MX Raid Edition NAS on Pro-Clockers.
• Zalman ZM750-HP 750W PSU on PC Perspective.

Thanks Gamer's Hell.

• Take-Two Interactive Responds to EAs Fifth Extension of Tender Offer. Most stalking incidents end up in temporary restraining orders…
• ‘Investors don’t give a sh-t about quality’, says Riccitiello. Too easy…
• THQ Inc. to Report Fiscal 2009 First Quarter Results on July 30, 2008…
• North Carolina library teaches game design to kids. Thanks Mike Martinez…

I got some spam from an environmental group today... am I just being Beevis, or does the subject line "Tell Congress not to drill our special places" seem more suggestive than it should?

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