NetDevil 's AGEIA PhysX Shooter on Kotaku has word that MMOG developer NetDevil is working on an Unreal 3 engine first-person shooter set in a contemporary urban environment. No significant details are being revealed at this time, other than the plan to support AGEIA PhysX cards to the point that almost all environments within the game are destructible, offering the example of shooting a hole in the ceiling so a player on the floor above can fall through. There is also an article on Gamasutra (thanks FiringSquad) recapping NetDevil's recent flurry of activity.

Ubisoft officially announces its upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game, specifying the PC, Xbox 360, PS2, PSP, GBA, GameCube, DS, and Wii as target platforms and offering March 13, 2007 as a release date:

CITY, COUNTRY – DECEMBER 20, 2006 – Today Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers announced that its TMNT(TM) video game, based on the upcoming CGI feature-length film starring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, is being developed for the Xbox 360(TM) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, Windows® PC, Game Boy® Advance, Nintendo DS(TM), Nintendo GameCube(TM) and Wii(TM). The TMNT video game is being created by Ubisoft developers in its world-class Montreal and Quebec City studios and will be available at retail stores nationwide March 13, 2007, just ahead of the release of the feature-length film March 23.

The new TMNT video game uses the same dark and dangerous environments and adventurous themes featured in the new TMNT CGI film being developed by Imagi Animation Studios and Mirage Licensing. The TMNT movie takes place in a New York City plagued by secretive villains and strange, otherworldly creatures. Faced with these perils, the Turtles will experience their most trying time as heroes and as a family, as Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo lose their focus and struggle to maintain their unity and ninja discipline. In the movie and in the highly immersive video game adventure, it's up to Leonardo and the faithful father figure Splinter to reunite the band of brothers and save New York City from a monstrous evil that lurks around every corner. Video game players will engage in over-the-top acrobatic navigation, collaborative combat and powerful fighting moves.

Gamasutra's Quantum Leap Awards: Most Important Games, 2006 chooses to call its honorees "important," presenting its readership's choices for games that represent quantum leaps in advancing the state of the art in gaming.

A new demo for Alien Shooter: Vengeance is now available for the arcade shooter coming out next month. Word is: "The demo will have players blasting through waves of marauding aliens while they battle through four intense levels (two campaign, two skirmish) from the game. An exciting combination of arcade action and RPG, Alien Shooter: Vengeance is set to ship to North American retail on January 22, 2007." You can find the download on 3D Downloads, FileFront, Gamer's Hell, VGPro, and Worthplaying.

This page offers a new English trailer for The Show, the upcoming mech combat game, while this page offers the German version of the clip. The clips show off gameplay and conclude with a feature list in the appropriate language. Thanks Frans.

• TNMT: The Movie
  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie Q&A on GameSpot discusses the just-announced return of the heroes on the half-shell with Ubisoft's Nick Harper: "We are following the movie's story very closely and are really trying to explore the darker feelings of being a teenager, and at the same time, include lots of humor, intense combat, and action. We received an early version of the film script, and it was clear that this movie was about the strength of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles family. We've added some characters from the turtles' history that aren't in the movie, and we've expanded on some elements that are present in the movie. Of course, we had the movie plot and script as our starting point, but I think the game and film will complement each other well. The game is really an extension of the movie experience."
• Depths of Peril
  RPG Vault's Depths of Peril Q&A talks with former Ritual tribesman Steven Peeler about Depths of Peril, Soldak Entertainment's upcoming strategic action/RPG: "Depths of Peril is a unique blend of action RPG and strategy game. From a tactical standpoint, it's similar to other action RPGs in that you adventure around the world solving quests, killing monsters and finding loot. For most titles in this category, that's all there really is to them, but in Depths of Peril, you're also constantly competing with other barbarian factions, called covenants. This competition is actually very simple; the covenants fight to the death, and whichever is alive at the end becomes the ruling party of the city. Doing this requires careful diplomacy with other covenants when you are weak, and war when you are strong. Well, at least that's what you want to happen."
• XNA
  The DNA of XNA on GamesIndustry.biz is part one of a Q&A that talks with Chris Satchell and Peter Molyneux about Microsoft's XNA program: "There's a lot of policy, and a lot of stuff to work out. But conceptually, if you do something with XNA Game Studio Express, you would own your IP. There's probably some sort of licensing agreement to allow us to put it up and allow people to download it that you would have to do when you submit it, just like a professional developer would. Probably simpler, but similar. Then the next stage after that is, if that community is monetised in some way, how to start flowing some of that money back to the people that are making it successful. But conceptually, yeah, people should own their IP irrespective of the fact that we provide a distribution channel."
• ESA
  Lowenstein on Quitting on Kotaku gets some thoughts from Doug Lowenstein on his departure from the ESA: "I don't come home from work and play video games. It's not the part of my life that I grew up with. But I don't think you would find anyone who could legitimately question the passion I brought fighting the issues of this industry. Irrespective of whether I'm a hardcore gamer, I am a huge fan of this industry and what it creates."

• Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures on Games Radar.
• Battlestations Midway on Games Radar.
• Maelstrom on GameSpot.
• Shadowrun on Hookedgamers.

• The Settlers VI on 3D Gamers.
• Spaceforce 2 on 3D Gamers.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• California legislator takes on in-game ads.
• Lawsuit challenges government's right to read your e-mail.
• Classic Rockers Send Their Lawyers After Wolfgang's Vault.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Paying for content already on the disc, the EVIL side of the Xbox Live Marketplace.
• MS exec questions long term potential for Nintendo Wii.
• Why Gears Of War Costs $60.
• Bullet Witch Q&A on Killer Betties.
• Halo 3 Brute video.
• Xbox Live says Halo motto is inappropriate.
• Dean's Q&A With The Italians On The Xbox 360 Uncloaked.
• 9 New PSOne Downloads on PS3 in Japan.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• A quick look at AMD's 65nm Athlon 64 X2 processors.
• The Future of AMD on Hardware Upgrade.
• How Apple Stores Beat Tiffany.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Publishers prime their 2007 Euro DS releases.
• Take your stylus onto the slopes as DS gets Line Rider.
• Digital Chocolate on Sopranos Bada Bing! Manager.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• VeriSign getting into the movie business.
• Nobel Prize Laureates Danced the Night Away in Virtual Night Club.
• Google drops beta tag from Blogger.
• See real-time weather on a Google map.
• Second Life millionaire pummeled with penises.
• BBC moves to file-sharing sites.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Apple plugs QuickTime hole.
• EFF taps e-voting security guru Ed Felten for board.
• Is The NBA Trying To Hide Video Footage Of The Big Brawl On YouTube.
• Latest tech ailment: Mouse rage syndrome.

• GameTap announces the release of Sam & Max Episode 2 and a first month for 99¢ promotion for new subscribers…
• Strategy First is offering a 20% discount on games purchased in their online store through the holiday season…
• Raiding The "Tomb" Yet Again. Another Tomb Raider movie planned. Thanks Ant…
• Steam announces new updates automatically available for The Ship and Garry's Mod. Thanks Frans…
• A Gunship Apocalypse German patch updates the aerial combat game to version 1.02. Thanks Frans…
• MMOPug is a site that allows MMORPG players to sign up to form pick up groups in WoW and both EQs…

No one was interested in MrsBlue's miraculous turkey salad recipe, but make one mention of intoxicating brownies, and everyone's tune changes. Okay, I'll work on her on this one. If I succeed you won't be disappointed (unless you don't find a way to whip any up).

Half-Baked Links!	Thanks Mike Martinez and Ant.
Play:	Elf Snowball Fight. Thanks Banddirector. Dodge That Anvil. Starcraft FA 5. Thanks Kxmode.
Links of the Evening:	Norad Tracks Santa 2006. The Society for the Protection and Preservation of Fruitcake.
Stories:	'Santa Claus does not exist' school tells stunned kids. Grandma Rescued After Driving Moped Into Hole. New York Retires Last Mechanical Parking Meter (registration required). Thanks Neutronbeam.
Science!:	Bouncy backpack seriously lightens the load.
Media:	Tickle Me Emo. Lost my digital camera... in space!
Auction:	The $1 PS3 and the concept of charity.
Teh Funny:	A Goombah With A View. Thanks Kotaku.

A demo for Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express is now available, providing the chance to check out the adventure game based on the classic mystery novel. Word is: "This demo takes you to the heart of the plot allowing you to interact with the game’s diverse characters including famed detective, Hercule Poirot, voiced by the well known British Actor, David Suchet. Test your detective skills on a sampling of the game’s puzzles while you explore the graphically detailed environments of a luxurious train." The download is available on 3D Gamers, 3D Downloads, FileFront, Gameguru Mania, Gamer's Hell, Strategy Informer, VGPRO, and Worthplaying.

4D Rulers has posted an announcement directly relating to the viability of this independent developer (Gore), saying the company "is on the brink of destruction or turning into a gold mine." They are now soliciting individual investments to fund development of a multiplayer-only shooter that will be distributed for free and supported by in-game advertisements, an unusual proposal offered as an alternative to shutting the company down altogether. They have raised $27,000 so far, putting them most of the way towards their goal of raising $40,000 for a six month supply of Ramen noodles to fuel the project, offering a return of up to 150% on each investment after the game's completion. Here's a bit:

This plan eliminates the publisher and gives us the creative freedom again, that made a great game like Gore in the first place. We deserve one last chance to pull this company out of the gutter! We've seen some very hard times, and deserve to make it. One last chance to take 10 years of experience, and make a winner! One more shot at hitting the big times. And without a publisher calling the shots, and taking all the proceeds, we can do this. If the online free version doesn't work out, (I don't see how it can fail, each ad pays huge) we can always take the game to retail channels and sell it. But I know it will work. There is no way we won't make back 40k. I'm willing to pay back up to 150% your investment, so if you invest 100 dollars, you will get back up to 150 dollars. I've already raised nearly 7k the first day, but we need more to make it happen.

A new The Settlers II: The Next Generation demo is now available, offering an updated sample of this updated version of Blue Byte's strategy/management sequel. The new demo is updated with the same fixes included in the most recent retail patch, and also extends the time limit for demo games to 90 minutes. The download is available from PLAYMANZ and mirrored on 3D Downloads, 3D Gamers, FileFront, Gamer's Hell, Tiscali Games, VGPRO, and Worthplaying.

As noted on the America's Army Website (thanks Frans) a new SITREP on the America's Army Community Rally Point has details on the next update for Uncle Sam's freeware shooter, calling version 2.8 of the game America's Army: Coalition, continuing their trend of slipping in a new name for the project with every update. The focus of the update is on the map creation tools to be included in the new version, the submission process for user-created maps, and the launch of their map forums. The version 2.8 of America's Army is expected to be released as soon as tomorrow.

Steam News has word that a new update for Dark Messiah of Might and Magic is now automatically available via the Steam service. Word is: "Updates to Dark Messiah Might and Magic Single Player have been released. The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted. Numerous map changes are present in this update."

Ensemble Studios (thanks Frans) has word on plans for an upcoming version 1.10 patch for Age of Empires III and upcoming version 1.02 patch for The WarChiefs expansion for the RTS sequel. They offer quick thoughts on the patches, but admit that a couple of bugs turned up during testing, so they are pushing back the release of both patches to January.

A new Penumbra: Overture Product Section is online in honor of Got Game Entertainment's new deal to publish this first-person adventure game in North America. Included is a screenshot gallery with four new images.

• Pirates of the Burning Sea
  The Pirates of the Burning Sea Q&A on The Game Musketeers talks with Russell Williams of Flying Labs Software about their coming MMORPG: "The sheer amount of work that’s left to be done. We have all but one of the major systems done and iterated through a few times, but polish is critical. Our milestones are scheduled for 60% new work, with the other 40% being reserved for bug fixing, performance improvements, and general polish. If I had to pick a specific feature, I’d say boarding combat, which is a massive technical challenge."
• Dark Messiah of Might and Magic
  HEXUS.tv's Interview with Chris Easton from Ubisoft is a video conversation with the Ubi community manager about Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, their M&M action game.
• Year in Review
  Analyze This: Wrapping Up the Year in Gaming on FiringSquad Gamasutra.com talks with a bunch of developers to learn their thoughts on the state of gaming in 2006.

• Pirates of the Burning Sea on the Official Website. Thanks Frans.
• Sam & Max Episode 2: Situation Comedy on 3D Gamers.
• The Witcher on 3D Gamers.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Sony pays $1.5M to settle Texas, CA rootkit suits.
• RIAA Drops Case It Can't Make Against Mom After Bleeding Her Dry -- Focuses On Suing Kids.
• YouTube's Solution To Unauthorized Japanese Videos: A Warning Written In Japanese.
• Goodbye VHS, farewell fair use.
• Does A Movie From 1983 Give MGM Permanent Control Over The Domain Wargames.com?

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Activision Reveals Plans for Downloadable Call of Duty 3 Maps on Xbox Live.
• Ken Kutaragi sez I promise an AV-centric PS3. BetaMax support?
• Calling All Cars Q&A on FiringSquad.
• Reassessing Nintendo's no game drought policy.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• A peek at Intel's upcoming roadmap.
• Intel to launch Core 2 Quad in January.
• Faster external drives arriving--slowly.
• Why 99% of Power Supply Reviews Are Wrong.
• Circuit City Surprises Analysts With a Loss (registration required).

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• EA Brings id Software's Orcs & Elves to Mobiles in Europe. Thanks Frans.
• Finally, Sudoku, Solitaire Come To iPod. Ending the Sudoku shortage.
• PSP camera review: Worse than most camera phones.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Getfirefox.com and Getthunderbird.com now offer new Firefox 1.5.0.9, Firefox 2.0.0.1, and Thunderbird 1.5.0.9 downloads.
• Google Steps More Boldly Into PayPal’s Territory (registration required).
• Virtual land magnate shares secrets of her success.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Apple slated for month of security bugs.
• BCA issue Wii advice.

• Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs on Gameplanet NZ.
• Coffee Tycoon on Killer Betties.
• Dark Messiah of Might & Magic on Four Fat Chicks and Bjorn3d.
• Gothic 3 on Gameplay Monthly and Worthplaying.
• Heroes of Might & Magic V: Hammers of Fate on IGN.
• Massive Assault Network 2 on games xtreme.
• Medieval II: Total War on The Escapist.
• Sam and Max Episode 1: Culture Shock on Gaming Nexus.
• Sam and Max Episode 2: Situation: Comedy on Quandary.
• Sid Meier's Railroads on Gamepyre.
• Silent Heroes on GameSpot.
• Star Wars: Empire At War - Forces of Corruption on Game Industry.
• Ultimate Baseball Online 2006 on GameZone.

• Antec NSK1300 MicroATX Cube Case on ThinkComputers.
• ASRock 775Dual-VSTA Motherboard on Phoronix.
• ASUS M2R32 MVP Motherboard on LostCircuits.
• Asus P5B-E Motherboard on Neoseeker.
• Biostar GeForce 7600 GS V-Ranger Edition Video Card on Guru3D.
• Crucial Ballistix PC2-8000 EPP RAM on TweakTown.
• Foxconn GeForce 7950GT 512MB OC Video Card on Gaming Nexus.
• Intel QX6700 Quad-Core CPU on techPowerUp.
• Noctua NC-U6 Chipset Cooler on Pro Clockers.
• OCZ 2x1GB PC2-8500 NVIDIA SLI Edition DDR2 RAM on Virtual-Hideout.
• OCZ 2GB DDR2 PC2-6400 Special Ops Edition Urban Elite RAM on Bona Fide Reviews.
• Ratpadz XT Mouse Pad on techFEAR.
• Sapphire TOXIC X1950 XT-X Video Card on TrustedReviews.
• Silverstone Temjin TJ06 Case on XSreviews.co.uk.
• Sony Vaio VGN-SZ3XP Laptop on TrustedReviews.
• Steel Series SteelSound 4H Gaming Headset on Modders-Inc and Tweaknews.net.
• Titan TTC-G3T Aluminum Notebook Cooling Pad on OverClock Intelligence Agency.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• The Tribal Trouble Website now offers a new version 1.4 update for this cross-platform indie RTS game…
• Eidos to Move U.S. Headquarters…
• Live Action Tekken Short Film In Progress…
• New York City Youth Design Own Educational Video Game…

Those $3.95 Royal Riviera pears intrigued me the way the five dollar shake fascinated Vince Vega in Pulp Fiction, and the aftermath stayed true to that. My pear review takes the form of an imaginary conversation between myself, Uma Thurman, and Steve Buscemi as the Buddy Holly waiter:

Did you just order a four-dollar pear?
Sure did.
A pear? With a stem and seeds?
Uh-huh.
It costs four dollars?
Yep.
You don't put bourbon in it or anything?
Nope.
Just checking.
(Fast Forward)
Goddamn! That's a pretty f-in' good pear!
Told ya.
I don't know if it's worth four dollars, but it's pretty f-in' good.

Anyway, it really was pretty darned excellent. I don't know if it was that the flavor stood out over other pears so much as it was just, well, perfect. As first we shrugged and thought we weren't sure what the fuss was all about, but by the time we were done, we were impressed enough that we may give some out as gifts.

Pear of Links!	Thanks Mike Martinez and Ant.
Play:	Slam. Thanks User Friendly.
Stories:	Baby Put Through Airport X-Ray Machine. Thanks brother19. Scorpion in jeans stings woman at store. WarGames Sequel Now Filming.
Science!:	Moths drink the tears of sleeping birds. Wasn't that a Prince album? NASA Telescope Picks Up Glow of Universe's First Objects.
Media:	Roger Federer Takes The P*ss. Smoker Owned by Co-worker in the bathroom. That's Why They Are Models. And walking is their big job skill.
Follow-up:	School board abandons evolution sticker case.
Teh Funny:	UserFriendly.