Our inquiries earlier about whether Duke Nukem Forever might be making its way onto consoles as well as PCs met with telling silence, but apparently no one told 3D Realms president Scott Miller that this is being kept mum for now, as MCV quotes Scott confirming they are hoping to expand beyond the PC, saying: "We plan to have a multi-platform release if possible."

Fireglow Games announces plans for a commercial add-on for Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory, as well as the first in a series of free content updates for their World War II strategy sequel. The commercial add-on is planned for release in April 2008, and will center around the Ardennes Offensive, popularly known as the Battle of the Bulge. Word on content is: "Two campaigns playable for Germans and Allies will be included, plus a campaign playable for the German and Soviet sides. Multiplayer maps and new features will also be included." The free content add-on does not carry a release date, but word is it will offer two multiplayer maps and a solo mission, kicking off a series of such free releases.

A new patch for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is now available, modernizing the military shooter to version 1.4. Improved modification support and a new free holiday map are included in the new version. Downloads of the patch can be found on ActionTrip, AtomicGamer, AusGamers, FileFront, Gamer's Hell, GameSpot (registration required), The Patches Scrolls, and PixelRage.

NVIDIA now offers new version 169.21 WHQL-certified ForceWare reference drivers for GeForce accelerators (thanks mtnlover). There is a new driver for Windows XP, Windows XP Media Center Edition and Windows XP x64, Server 2003 x64. The new drivers add support for GeForce 8800 GTS 512 GPU and the usual "numerous game and application compatibility fixes."

The official Jumpgate Evolution Website is online as a virtual home to NetDevil's upcoming space combat revival. The site offers information, images, some in-game footage, and sign-ups to express your interest in participating in their upcoming beta test.

• id Software
  Creative Minds: Todd Hollenshead on Computer and Video Games is a Q&A with id CEO Todd Hollenshead as well as designer Matt Hooper, discussing life at id Software, and what can be revealed about Rage, their upcoming project and Tech5, the latest version of their game engine.
• Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway
  Gearbox talks Brothers in Arms on Play.TM is a Q&A with Randy Pitchford of Gearbox Software and Gearbox military advisor Colonel John Antal. They discuss the highway to hell paved by Hell's Highway, the latest installment in the Brothers in Arms series of World War II shooters.
• Eidos Montreal
  Better Living Through Order: An Eidos Montreal Studio Tour on Gamasutra offers impressions of that tour and an article format Q&A, though they learn more about the office space than plans for Deus Ex 3.

• Frontlines Beta Giveaway on Computer and Video Games and a related Q&A.
• Pro Football Pick 'Em - Week Sixteen - Big Bruin win a NZXT Rogue SFF Case.

• Europa Universalis: Rome on IGN.UK.
• Pirates of the Burning Sea on WarCry Network.
• Sins of a Solar Empire on IGN.
• Turok on GameSpot.

• Blood Bowl on FileFront.
• Rainbow Six Vegas 2 on PCGames.de.
• Silkroad Online on RPG Vault.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• GameStop clarifies Wii Reservation program details.
• Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Complete trailer.
• SCEA Boss Says PS3 Has Become Lead Platform For 3rd-Party Devs.
• Supreme Commander Shines On The 360.
• Nintendo teases two new Virtual Console consoles.

• Laptop Gaming Smackdown and Benchmarks on ExtremeTech.
• iPond: Cool or Cruel? Thanks Ant.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Firefox 3 beta 2 Arrives with More Speed and Fewer Bugs.
• Microsoft to release IE 8 beta 1 in first half of 2008.
• Microsoft lands Viacom advertising, content deal.
• More teens move their social lives online.
• Flash Player Problems and Fixes on Techware Labs.
• Mac users much more likely than PC users to pay for music - NPD.
• How buying an Aquos gets you a Vudu. Thanks Ant.
• Executives Leaving Earthlink - Is the end nigh?

• New York tries to educate parents on games, fails to spot hoax. Thanks Devicer.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Ubuntu 7.10 vs. Early Ubuntu 8.04 Benchmarks on Phoronix.
• PC World's 30 Most Popular Stories of 2007.
• Brain Age Creator Creating Intelligent Toyotas.
• F.C.C. Eases Media Ownership Rule.
• We Already Suffer From The Paradox Of Choice, Now We're Paralyzed By The Ubiquity Of User Reviews.
• The Year The Industry Broke. Thanks Devicer.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Orkut worm demonstrates vulnerability of service.
• Colorado The Latest To Ditch E-Voting Machines.

• Microsoft, Yahoo, Google to pay $31.5 million for illegal gambling ads. Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Future Fury Updates To Bring Crafting, Improved Tutorial…
• Activision encores earnings revision…
• DICE is now hiring Community Managers…

Hump Day Links!	Thanks Ant and Mike Martinez.
Play:	XMas Toy 2007. Thanks Demo_Boy. Gangsta Bean.
Link of the Evening:	Worlds most dangerous roads. Thanks Neatorama.
Stories:	Man's journey to find birth mom ends — at work. Addicted Doctors Are Allowed to Practice. Hey hot shot, chill out in the cold stuff. Thanks Devicer.
Science:	Time is running out - literally, says scientist. Whales may be related to deer-like beast. Small asteroids can pack a mighty punch.
Auction:	Drive Someone Insane with Postcards. Thanks dakslf.
Media:	Duke Nukem Forever Trailers Through The Ages. Battle of the Magicians.

The promised teaser video from Duke Nukem Forever is now available, just about an hour earlier than the noon CST release predicted yesterday (story). The blurb promising the trailer was updated by George Broussard at some point to temper expectations a bit, saying: "This is a teaser. It's not a full blown trailer like the 2001 trailer (but something like that is coming). I tried to be clear about that in the message board post, so just bear in mind that it's a teaser :)" The clip includes gameplay footage, Jon St. John returning as the voice of Duke, and the music of game composers Jeremy Soule and Julian Soule. It runs around a minute and ten seconds and is available in five variants, covering 720p and 480p resolutions in either QuickTime or Windows Media Player formats as well as one in iPhone format. I tried to get an answer to whether the 480p and 720p formats indicate plans for console editions, but there are no such formal announcements being made (which sounds more like a confirmation than a denial). As could be predicted, the 3D Realms Website is fairly hosed at the moment, but the trailer downloads have premiered on FileShack, and mirrors of one or more of the clips can be found ActionTrip, AtomicGamer, ComputerGames.ro, FileFront, GamesFire, Gamer's Hell, PixelRage, and Primotech. An accompanying blurb on Shacknews quotes George Broussard as saying that their release date is still "when it's done," but "you can expect more frequent media releases and we're not changing engines again and we have considerable work behind us." He also does not confirm nor deny plans for console editions, but his answer seems to hint that they will happen. Shack also has a history of development of this game, offering a timeline of a project that's taken longer than NASA took to put a man on the moon.

This story announces a new partnership between MTV Networks and Hollywood producer Jerry "Boom Boom" Bruckheimer to create video games. As described in the official press release, this is a way of telling you you've been super-served: "Gaming is a focal point of MTV Networks' overall vertical entertainment strategy of super-serving its core audiences with engaging experiences across multiple platforms," and in a fascinating sign of the times, the release also includes credits for the lawyers and agents involved in brokering the deal. As for the gaming implications, the announcement mentions new game concepts and IPs, innovation, and even dares to toss in the phrase "unique games," but specifics are not provided at this point, and no target platforms are mentioned. Here's a bit:

NEW YORK, Dec. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- MTV Games, a division of Viacom Inc.'s MTV Networks, today announced an exclusive deal with internationally renowned motion picture and television producer Jerry Bruckheimer to develop and create new and original video games, marking his first official foray into the gaming world. As part of this landmark agreement, Bruckheimer will build a game incubation studio with MTV Games, where a team of experienced video game experts, artists and storytellers will seek out and deliver new game concepts and intellectual property.
[…]
Executives from both MTV Games and Bruckheimer's gaming studio will work together on all phases of development -- from concept to platform -- as well as on the production, distribution deals and marketing elements, with the potential that some of the game concepts could migrate to other entertainment media including film and TV. Jeff Yapp, Executive Vice President, Programming Enterprises and Bob Picunko, Vice President Electronic Games & Interactive Products will oversee the relationship for MTV Games.

MTV Networks will support this venture across all its broadcast and digital platforms including CMT, MTV, Spike and VH1. Gaming is a focal point of MTV Networks' overall vertical entertainment strategy of super-serving its core audiences with engaging experiences across multiple platforms. In August of 2007, the company announced that it will invest more than $500 million over the next two years in the development and distribution of its Interactive Entertainment and Video Game business.

As announced in this press release, the Dead Wake Website is live as a preliminary home to this upcoming survival/horror game in the works at indie Finnish developer Polycount Productions. The site currently offers a prerelease demo that features "a couple of minutes of gameplay," user forums, and sign-ups for notification about future news. The site also features a countdown timer ticking off until the game's full release, currently approximately 42 days off. The announcement sheds light on community involvement in the game's development: "Dead Wake game is developed in an open manner: the players contribute towards to the game design process. In fact, a contest was arranged to even pick a name for the game. Gamers are encouraged to give feedback throughout the game development process."

Warren Spector may only work on three more games ever on Eurogamer excerpts a quote from their interview with the famed designer where they seem to feel his comments on retirement are significant. What Spector says is: "What it means, in an ideal world, I may work on five more games in my entire life. More likely probably three given how long they take." How long they take is a reference to the two to five year development cycle modern games involve, so what the 52 year old is saying is that he may hang 'em up sometime between the ages of, say, 60 to 75 (stop the presses). A separate comment he makes along the way is revealing, as he expresses worries about how Deus Ex 3 will turn out with a sidelong swipe at Invisible War, and he also states he does not intend to play, much less make, any more games that take 20 or more hours to complete.

Massgate.net now offers downloads of the promised Countyside map, just a little later than originally planned (story). Along with the new map, Massive is now serving up a patch to bring the Map Editor to version 1.1, a new update 5 WiC Broadcast Tool, a new version 2 of the WiC Mod Kit, as well as a link to the version 1.005 dedicated server, though this last link is actually broken (thanks Gamer's Hell). Working downloads of the new dedicated server can be found on AusGamers, Big Pond, and Internode Games Network.

• Fury
  WarCry Network's Fury Q&A hears from Tony Hilliam and Adam Carpenter about Fury, Auran's MMOG, and efforts at turning the company around following a shakeup that included laying off most of the staff (story). They discuss efforts at improving and supporting the game, explaining the layoffs mean it is no longer operating at a loss.
• NWN2: Mysteries of Westgate
  The Neverwinter Nights 2: Mysteries of Westgate Q&A on Sorcerer's Place attempts to solve some of the mysteries surrounding the upcoming Adventure Pack for the D&D RPG sequel by chatting with Alan Miranda, Luke Scull, and Kevin Smith from developer Ossian Studios.

• Jumpgate Evolution on WarCry Network.
• Kwari on Pointer.de.

• Playstation 3 System Software Update Version 2.10 Announced.
• Kane & Lynch Kane & Lynch Demo Up On Xbox Live.
• Rock Band Content (Various Tracks).
• DivX Video Support Added to Playstation 3 With Latest System Software Update.
• Winter Sports The Ultimate Challenge Ships For Nintendo Wii.
• Burnout Paradise soundtrack features Guns N Roses.
• Sensible World of Soccer has critical bug, gets pulled.

• Overclocking Intel's New 45nm QX9650: The Rules Have Changed on AnandTech. Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Bomberman released for the iPod in the US. Thanks Ant.
• N-Gage platform nearing relaunch; pre-release available on Nokia N81. Thanks Mike Martinez.
• Apple posts MacBook (Pro) Software 1.1. Thanks Ant.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• At 71, Physics Professor Is a Web Star.
• Ticketmaster Signs Resale Deal With N.F.L.
• MTV declares music industry broken -- and backs it up.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• IE6 crashes after you install security update 942615 over Windows XP Service Pack 2. Thanks Ant.
• IE, Gmail bugs allow hijacking of accounts on public PCs.
• Google Toolbar flaw opens door for phishers.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• US Cuts Deals To Keep EU, Canada And Japan From Siding With Antigua In Online Gambling Dispute.
• Facebook Settles Text-Messaging Suit.

• Avencast: Rise of the Mage on GamersInfo.net.
• Death to Spies on GamersInfo.net.
• Fantasy Wars on GameZone.
• Galactic Assault: Prisoner of Power on JustPressPlay.
• rFactor on HEXUS.

• 3rd Space Gaming Vest on Dragon Steel Mods.
• AMD Phenom 9900 CPU on Neoseeker.
• AMD Radeon HD 3870 Video Card on Boot Daily.
• ASUS EN8800GTS 512MB Video Card on Elite Bastards.
• ASUS Xonar U1 USB Audio Station on Virtual-Hideout.
• Boogie Bug AIMB Mouse Pad on DriverHeaven.net.
• Cellshock DDR2 1066 MHz CL5 2 GB RAM Kit on techPowerUp.
• Eagle Tech W Series HDD Enclosure on Mikhailtech.
• GlacialTech Igloo 5610 Silent and PWM Coolers on Hardware Logic.
• GMC Noblesse AVC-S7 Slimline Home Theater Case on [OC]ModShop.
• Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9770 Quad-Core CPU on Guru3D.
• InWin Allure Designer Case on Tweaknews.
• Keysonic ACK-126 RF Keyboard on XSReviews.co.uk.
• NZXT Rogue Small Form Factor Case on Big Bruin.
• NVIDIA GeForce 8 Series Video Card Performance Comparison on Legion Hardware.
• Razer DeathAdder Gaming Mouse on Digital Trends..
• Razer Lachesis 3G Gaming Mouse on Overclockers Club.
• Razer Lycosa Keyboard on XSReviews.co.uk.
• SilverStone Temjin TJ10 Case on ViperLair.
• Thermaltake DuOrb VGA Cooler on OCIA.net.
• Thermaltake DuOrb and HR-03 GT VGA Coolers on PC Perspective.
• Ultra M998 Midsize Black Tower PC Case on Legit Reviews and Overclockers Online.
• XFX 8800 GTS 640MB Extreme Edition Video Card on Overclockers Club.
• XFX nForce 780i SLI Motherboard on Legit Reviews.
• Zalman ZM1000-HP 1000W PSU on techPowerUp.

• The Shaiya Website announces the launch of open beta testing of this free fantasy MMORPG…
• Soda companies blame obesity on gaming. Thanks Ant and Digg…

MrsBlue and I were shedding our coats and such last night after returning from picking her up at the train station when we heard an odd noise from the living room. Upon investigating, we found Hudson the wonder dog licking at a bowl of M&Ms I had indiscriminately left on the coffee table. She's usually pretty good about avoiding such temptations, but as we've discovered on a couple of previous occasions, our Airedale has a weakness for chocolate, which is scary, since chocolate is poisonous to dogs. Luckily the amount of cocoa in an M&M is low enough that she could probably stomach a couple (not that I'm eager to test this), but even more luckily, a dog trying to discreetly pluck peanut M&Ms from a small bowl with a mouthful of giant fangs is trying to pull off a tough trick (picture Winona Ryder in that Aliens movie trying to pick up a shot glass wearing boxing gloves), so she could only manage to lick some candy coating before being caught in the act. So in the end, she didn't make herself sick, all she did was manage to ruin a bowl of M&Ms… oh, who am I kidding? I ate them.

Chocolaty Links!	Thanks Ant and Mike Martinez.
Stories:	Don't Tase Me, Bro tops '07 memorable quote list. Writer 'sick' at Sopranos claim.
Science:	Mars Closest to Earth Tonight; Best View Until 2016. System to Track Cloned Animals Is Planned. Biggest U.S. solar panel farms open in Nevada, Colo. Thanks Neutronbeam.
Auction:	Magna Carta copy sells for $21.3M.
Media:	You Don’t Look Like Your Head’s Exploded Yet Today. The Jingle Cats: White Christmas. Kangaroo on a Golf Course.
Follow-up:	Mad cow disease detected in Alberta animal.
Teh Funny:	xkcd.