A new post on the Left 4 Dead Blog describes plans for the next update for Valve's co-op zombie shooter, saying a new version will be available next week that concentrates on custom campaigns. Included will be new support for third-party campaigns, a retooled matchmaking system, and the non-beta release of the Left 4 Dead authoring tools. Also promised is a new update on their Developer Community wiki on how to package up your custom Left 4 Dead campaigns and add-ons.

As announced on the Project Reality Website, a new version 0.86 of the Project Reality modification for Battlefield 2 is now available (thanks LittleMe). The new version, which requires version 0.85 (as well as Battlefield 2) to be installed, is located on this page, and this change log outlines what's new and different. Here's a bit:

Over the past four months, we have been tediously combing through Project Reality v0.85, addressing any major issues and bugs which were introduced upon its release. With the help of our dedicated tester team and continued feedback from you, the community, multiple tweaks and alterations were performed that have greatly improved the overall game play and stability of the mod. We would like to thank the entire community for being patient and sticking with us throughout this release cycle.

Steam News announces pre-purchases are now underway for Anno 1404, the strategy follow-up known as Dawn of Discovery in North America. The release of Anno 1404 in Europe is expected on June 25, while Dawn of Discovery dawns on June 30.

A new "rides" trailer is now available for Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood is now available, showing off more of the upcoming wild west prequel. Word is: "As the McCall brothers, players enter a doomed quest for the legendary Gold of Juarez leading them from a ravaged Georgia during the Civil War to the Aztec ruins of Mexico. They make their lawless trail into the wildest West ever depicted, using their gun-slinging skills and killing all of those that stand before them. But when the brothers face lust, their bond of blood feels thinner than ever." The clip is posted on Gamer's Hell and Steam.

• Splinter Cell: Conviction on Hooked Gamers.

• Report: Sony Outlines PS3 Motion Control Details To Devs.
• Ballmer Clarifies His 'New' Xbox 360 Comment. Now explain "developers."
• Madden NFL 10 PlayStation 3 Screenshots.
• The Bigs 2 PlayStation 3 Screenshots.
• Wii Bowling Ball: Tear It Up Like Jesus.

• Steve Jobs recovers from liver transplant. Thanks Ant.

Thanks Ant.

• iPhone 3G S activations may take two days.
• iPhone Commodore 64 emulator in the works.
• Twitter bath death. Thanks Digg.
• Everyone but you is being rude with their mobile gadgets.
• Lies, Damn Lies, and Battery-Life Statistics.

• Google tackled on e-mail security. Thanks Mike Martinez.
• Wikipedia To Add Video.
• Dutch muggers caught on Google street view camera. Thanks Morris.

• Is Possessing RapeLay a Federal Crime in the United States?
• Louisiana Bill Targeting Sexually Explicit Games Dies in Committee.

• Braid on Adventure Classic Gaming.

• Corsair HX850W PSU on Hardware Secrets.
• Corsair Ice T30 Memory Cooler on HotHardware.
• Enermax Aurora Premium & Aurora Micro Keyboards on Overclockers Online.
• EVGA GeForce GTX 295 Graphics Card on Motherboards.org.
• Grace Digital Audio Pico GDI-VW00 Compact USB Turntable/Vinyl Archiver on Test Freaks.
• In-Win X-Fighter Gaming Case on OverclockersHQ.com.
• Kingston SSDNow V Series RAM Kit on ITREVIEWED.
• MIONIX Saiph 1800 Gaming Mouse on PCShopTalk Forum.
• Nexus Clodius1 Ventilation Pro Series Case on OverclockersHQ.com.
• Sanus Low Profile ELM203 Surge Protector on Legit Reviews.
• Seasonic M12D 750W PSU on Hardware Secrets.
• Thermaltake BlacX eSATA and USB HDD Dock on DragonSteelMods.
• Thermaltake Element S Case on Hi-Tech Reviews.
• Thermaltake ISGC-100 CPU Cooler on OverclockersHQ.com.
• Thermaltake V9 Black Edition Gaming Case on eTeknix.com.
• Thermolab Baram Heatsink on PCShopTalk Forum.
• XFX GeForce GTS250 Graphics Card on Gamepyre.com.

• WoW Detox - The Detox center for your World of Warcraft Addiction! Thanks Mike Martinez…
• MTV Multiplayer » Sierra Adventure Games Inspire Off-Broadway Play…
• China To Crack Down On "Undesirable" Games. Thanks Ant…

Today is the last day of spring in half the US, and the first day of summer in the other half, as the solstice will be in the wee hours of the morning here on the East coast, but later tonight in the Pacific and Mountain time zones. This is splitting hairs in more ways than one, as it's been summery warm for weeks now, but there it is for the record. I never considered this before, but with this being the winter solstice in the southern hemisphere, and the same time-zone weirdness surely in effect somewhere down there, I suppose there will be a point tonight where all four seasons will technically be in effect in different areas at the same time. Wow, I think I just blew my mind.

Summery Links:	Thanks Ant and Mike Martinez.
Play:	RAIDER. Thanks Jay is Games. Sparks and Dust. The Treasures of Mystery Island.
Links:	!Classy Games IV. Protect your Furniture with the Red Ring of Death. Michael Cera Quotes on Arrested Development Movie and More.
Stories:	What happens when a pilot dies? Karen Black lands the plane? Beware of the, er... kitten. Thanks Digg. A Literary Legend Fights for a Ventura County Library. Thanks Neutronbeam.
Science:	Manufacturing universes in a fractal multiverse. Lift off for Nasa's lunar probes. NASA! In Heat of Summer, and the Moment, Murder Grows More Likely. Thanks j.c.f.
Images:	Los Angeles Steam Plant Responsible for Obliterating Alderaan. Thanks Digg. Lobo Sackboy Looks Ghoulish and Alien. Thanks Dan.
Media:	Gamer on Video Dating. Transformers/GI Joe aren't the only sh**ty toy-based movies. Real Street Fighter Wannabe. Thanks frag.machine.
Follow-ups:	Case of restaurant's snake head remains cold. Thanks brother19.