The Windows edition of Battlefield 1943 is delayed due to challenges developer DICE is still working through, so gamers will have to wait until early next year to play the PC edition of the online shooter released for Xbox 360 in July. The World War II game was planned for release next month, but an interview on G4tv.com with Battlefield 1943 producer Gordon Van Dyke reveals the PC setback:

We haven't released a Frostbite [DICE's game engine] built game on PC, so going into this project we lacked a starting foundation we had on Console. There are also many different and unique only challenges to the PC that has lead to us pushing the release even further to Q1 CY 2010 [early next year]. This was a hard pill to swallow, but it was absolutely needed to ensure the features and functionality that PC Players have come to expect from Battlefield on PC are not missing. Things like support for DirectX 9 and 10, higher player count (up to 32-player matches), wide peripheral support i.e. Joysticks for flying, VoIP, and ranked server provider hosting. So it was and still is the absolutely right decision, for quality sake, to not release until it is ready.

Xbox360Achievements.org has news of new achievements added to Mass Effect, a pretty strong indication new DLC is in the works for BioWare's sci-fi RPG, as first rumored over a year ago. The three achievements they list indicate the setting is a space station named Pinnacle Station, which correlates with a previous post of theirs on DLC plans outlined by project director Casey Hudson on the Mass Effect Platinum Hits Edition DVD describing possible locales as a "casino, gaming, fight club, space station." Thanks Blend Games.

The GamesCom trailer for Dark Void is now on the YouTube, showing almost five minutes of combat and other action we haven't seen in previous clips from Airtight Games' upcoming jetpack-powered action game. Especially cool were the couple of scenes of flying onto large aircraft and messing with their engines like the gremlin in the Twilight Zone.

The Rage Interview on Shacknews chats with id Software's Tim Willits and Matt Hooper about various topics of interest, focusing on RAGE, id's upcoming game of on- and off-road rage. Specific topics include stealth, their "open but directed" world, an insinuation Tech5 development was slowed by John Carmack's fascination with the then newly-released iPhone, why they are holding off building the last level, the parts of the game that still need polish, other assorted gameplay stuff, a promise they are not holding back on anything for just to add it as future DLC, word a Fallout Pip-Boy might just be on a dashboard in the wasteland, and more. There is also a strong reassurance from Matt for those concerned that RAGE being designed for console controls means PC controls will suffer as a result:

And a lot of your readers play with mouse and keyboard, and I read a lot of comments about--it's funny, because they think we abandoned that. Tim and I have been making games for that for thirty-plus years combined. It's not like we forgot about that, we've got that covered. That's the easy part.

The reason we mentioned the controllers is because that's the thing that's a little new for id, making sure it's right on all the consoles. The game will play awesome on mouse and keyboard.

English Final Fantasy XIII demo will be brand new, downloadable (if it happens) reports Joystiq. In short, there's no certainty of an English language version of a Final Fantasy XIII demo, but if there is one, it won't be the same as PS3 demo released on the Japanese Blu-Ray release of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete with Square Enix's Yoshinori Kitase saying: "if we were to provide the demo overseas, it would be a completely new version."

Gatheryn Website is now accepting account registrations and offering client downloads to prepare for the presumably imminent launch of this steampunk MMORPG. Here's the description of Gatheryn from developer Mindfuse Games: "Gatheryn is a free-to-play virtual world from Mindfuse Games, bringing together simple, accessible gameplay with the social experiences of a persistent online world. Set in a lush 3D environment inspired by Victorian steampunk fiction, Gatheryn is a game where players can enjoy a wealth of addictive, engaging mini-games, earning their way to unique avatar customization, personalized player homes, and more -- as well as explore a deep and intriguing story with a host of fascinating characters." Thanks Massively.

Fairytale Fights and the Kill 1,000 Children Achievement on UGO reports a tidbit it seems likely will make a stink before long, but we'll see. Word is Playlogic's Fairytale Fights apparently does (in its current prerelease form, at least) have an achievement for killing 1,000 children, "innocent ones," no less. The game's producer Poria Torkan expresses concern this achievement may not make the final cut, but aren't almost all fairy tales about killing innocent kids? Thanks GamePolitics. Speaking of which, there is a new GameTrailers has a new Emperor Cinematic and a new Boss Gameplay trailer from the game.

Europa Universalis III: Heir to the Throne is the title of a new expansion planned for release this December for Europa Universalis III, Paradox Interactive's RTS sequel, reports Big Download. Details on what it will offer are scant, but include a new system where "wars have specific goals from start to finish," more options for the Holy Roman Empire and Papacy, more dynamic pirates, and more. Big Download also has word on For The Glory: A Europa Universalis II Game, a new standalone game based on the previous installment in the series based on a Europa Universalis II user modification. For The Glory is due in November offering control of any of 180 countries to participate in historical scenarios set between 1419 and 1819. There are more details on Europa Universalis III: Heir to the Throne on the Paradox Interactive Forums (thanks dubfanatic):

Requested by the fans, Heir to the Throne is the third expansion to the preeminent historical strategy game Europa Universalis III. The expansion takes the hugely successful game beyond complete, with improvements across the board:

Features
• Intriguing Casus Belli system, where wars have specific goals from start to finish.
• Monarchs now belong to dynasties, with far reaching effects on the diplomatic model.
• More involving and powerful Holy Roman Empire and Papacy options.
• Special diplomatic options for Republics.
• Set your National Focus in a province to enhance growth and strengthen your hold in the region.
• Permanent Terra Incognita removed and replaced with impassable regions.
• Cultural Tradition allows better advisors in the same way that Military Tradition allows better generals and admirals.
• Spheres of Influence simulate the Great Game of the major powers.
• More dynamic pirates. Issue letters of marque to plague the sea zones of rival nations.
• Monarchs need to uphold their legitimacy in the eyes of their subjects
• Many other additions and improvements.

The weekend deal on Steam is 1701 A.D. (aka Anno 1701), the real-time strategy/city construction game from SUNFLOWERS. Until Monday 1701 A.D. Gold Edition is $14.99, which is half-price. Impulse Weekend Buys include Kingdom Elemental Tactics for $14.95 ($5.00 off), AI War for $14.99 ($5.00 off), Space Rangers for $9.99 ($10.00 off), and Hero's Tale Enhanced Edition for $5.99 ($4.00 off). Finally, GamersGate offers Universe at War: Earth Assault for $9.95 (half price), Serious Sam 2 for $14.95 (also half-off), and Viva Media Chess Bundle for $29.95 (40% off).

New on GameTap for subscribers is Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword, which also includes the Warlords expansion. Also, you don't need to steal anything to play Thief: Deadly Shadows, as for the next week the stealth game is part of the free area on this subscription service. There are also some new offerings on DRM-free game vendor GOG.com, where they now offer more Ubisoft titles such as Heroes of Might and Magic 2 Gold Edition, Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Complete Edition, The Settlers 2 Gold Edition, and Might and Magic 6 Limited Edition.

The Guild Wars 2 Website is now live with the media and information released today for ArenaNet's online RPG sequel, as well as newsletter signups, and presumably more to come.

The Unknown Worlds Website has another of the reveals for Natural Selection 2, the upcoming online first-person shooter sequel. Today we meet "Gorge" the game's main "builder/healer" class that's a bit lacking in offensive power. They link to a trailer on the YouTube with some character animations, and describe similarities and differences between the Gorge in the first game and the sequel.

GameTrailers.com now offers part three of their video conversation with id Software's John Carmack. In this installment, id's technical director outlines his thoughts on how to break into the game development field.

A new Aliens Vs Predator trailer puts us in the dark with some Colonial Marines as they lock and load in Rebellion's upcoming shooter. Things actually work out okay until a predator shows up, at which point it's game over, man! You can find the trailer on GameTrailers.com.

A new "Vote Trailer" from Tropico 3 demonstrates the joys of a democracy, as long as you vote for El Presidente. The clip is posted on GameVideos.

There's an Age Of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer gameplay movie on GameTrailers.com. This is a ShakyCam clip shot off the monitor, offering a look at Funcom's MMORPG expansion in action.

Midway Europe Sold In Management Buyout on Edge Online has details on the "smaller entities" said to be buying Midway's French and German divisions when THQ bought Midway San Diego earlier this month. It turns out these arms have been part of a management buyout, and word is: "Spiess Media Holding UG has acquired the UK and French offices of Midway Games, while the German office of the Midway group has been bought by F & F Publishing GmbH, which is owned by Fürstenberg and Meyer." According to Midway boss Matt Booty (call): "We are very pleased that the European management team has come together to purchase Midway’s European organisation. Our European publishing and distribution business had consistently grown year-on-year under the leadership of Martin Spiess. These European operations are comprised of a strong network of developers and publishers from around the globe and are based around an excellent team that has proven its expertise and know-how in game production." There's further detail on all this on Gamasutra, where they say this will revive the dormant Tradewest brand, and that Midway says the UK, French, and German offices will "form a strategic alliance" within a European distribution network, quoting Speiss saying: "Most recently, the European arm had contributed almost 40 percent of Midway's worldwide revenues."

• APB on Kotaku.
• City of Heroes on MMORPG.COM. Issue 16 hands-on.
• Dark Void on Kotaku. Delay Explained: Hint, It Has to Do With Hover.
• RAGE on Edge Online.

• DC Universe Online on MMORPG.COM.
• FIFA 10 on Blue's News.
• James Cameron's Avatar: The Game on Blue's News.
• Lego Universe on Joystiq.
• Prison Break on Blue's News.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Konami GamesCom 2009 Press Conference Video.
• Peter Molyneux's Fable III Presentation At GamesCom 2009.
• Gamescom's BIG games played on GamesRadar.
• GamesRadar's Photo Diary. Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Harmonix looking at Project Natal for 'Rock Band 3'.
• PlayStation Home v1.3 coming this September.
• Euro PSN update, August 20 - WET and DiRT 2 demos.
• How you can play Halo 3: ODST Firefight before anyone else.
• Transformers DLC Priced, Dated and Detailed.
• 12 things you didn't know about the PS3 Slim.
• PS3 Slim Ad Copies Photographs, Features Rumored Drug Users.
• Castlevania- Lords of Shadow Xbox 360 Screenshots.
• Bayonetta Xbox 360 Screenshots.
• MAG- Massive Action Game PlayStation 3 Screenshots.
• Heavy Rain PlayStation 3 Screenshots.
• Uncharted 2- Among Thieves PlayStation 3 Screenshots.

• Wi-Fi connection issue hurts iPhone 3G owners. Thanks Ant.
• Rock Band for Nintendo DS Details.
• Apple reconsidering C64 Emulator for iPhone? Thanks Ant.

• PCI Express 3.0 Spec Pushed Out to 2010. Thanks Slashdot.
• Scientists make bendable, transparent LEDs—without organics.
• Windows 7 will run 120 days for free, Microsoft confirms. Thanks brother19.
• Does Nvidia have a future?
• Why America Lags Behind the World's Top Technology Leaders.
• Linux Got Game. Thanks Mike Martinez and Linux Today.
• PC Perspective Podcast #70 - AMD Phenom II X4 965 CPU and DX11 GPUs, new nForce chipsets, an SSD roundup.

• Dirty Coding Tricks on Gamasutra. Thanks DrEnter…

Link of the Day: Apple Movie Trailers - Avatar. Thanks Tony!!!

There will not be a demo before the launch of Borderlands, though a demo may still follow the release of Gearbox's upcoming role-playing shooter. This comes from Joystiq, who learned this from a 2K rep, who told them: "Everyone is really, really focusing on getting the game done for release ... that's not to say there will never be a demo, just not before launch." This jibes with a comment they attribute to Randy Pitchford's GamesCom presentation, as he says he hopes people will be drawn to the game through solid word of mouth. Also, Eurogamer has comments from Pitchford about DLC, who says "people are going to be surprised when they find out how quickly we're coming, and with what content we're coming", though they are also planning on evaluating what players want to seem more of. "But we do have some plans for the initial stuff already in motion, and I'll be announcing that soon," he adds.

A tweet by Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling reveals some of the voice talent from Modern Warfare 2 (including Keith David, one of Hollywood's great voices), and says that development of the game is "all coming together," if you are hoping for signs that development of Infinity Ward's military shooter sequel is nearing completion:

It's all coming together! Kevin McKidd, Craig Fairbrass, Barry Pepper, Keith David & Glenn Morshower's final voice work going into the game.

A new trailer from Batman: Arkham Asylum is now available, focusing on the asylum itself, rather than the Batman. The clip offers the sordid history of the institution, which turns out to have been created for psychopaths by a psychopath. The trailer is available on FileFront and GameTrailers.com.

This Ubisoft R.U.S.E Page outlines plans for a "VIP Beta" for R.U.S.E. later this year that will test the multiplayer support in this upcoming RTS game. Anyone with a Ubi.com account can register, and here's word: "R.U.S.E. VIP Beta will be available later this year on Windows systems and will feature an extended preview of the multiplayer mode. We’ll share extra details on the content you’ll get your hands on when the time will draw near." Thanks Kotaku.

'Early 2010' is a 'realistic' release for BioShock 2 on Joystiq reflects on the release date for BioShock 2, 2K Games' upcoming underwater shooter sequel. They hash out when the game is to be expected based a conversation with a 2K representative, and after a confusing update over which version of PAX they will be attending, they report being told "'early 2010' is a much more realistic release date than 'second quarter 2010,'" as they had previously drawn the inference that the game was due in Q2 2010. Either way, neither release window is out of line with the game's release plans, as when the game was delayed Take 2 said it was due in their fiscal year 2010, which ends in November, 2010.

It's Welcome Back Week for The Lord of the Rings Online as Turbine hopes to entice former subscribers to return to their Tolkien-inspired MMORPG with a free sample of its current state. They offer info on the latest content updates, links to download client patches, and 25% XP bonus. This is offered to former LOTRO players whose paid online subscriptions expired in good standing. Thanks Massively.

Tripwire Interactive announces the release of the free Heavy Metal Content Pack for Killing Floor, and they celebrate the news by offering a 10% discount on purchases of the co-op survival/horror game all week. The content pack adds two new weapons, the AK-47 and the Katana, along with a new map called KF-Foundry. The pack also adds new "on fire" behavior ("When you're on fire and running down the street, people get out of your way"), makes the flashlight more realistic, and addresses some bugs. The update is available automatically for free on Steam (where that 10% off sale is also underway), and the content pack will be part of the retail version of the game, which is due in North American and European stores soon. Full details are here.

EA community manager APOC tweets that the blank on this cover image will be filled in tomorrow, when they will reveal the subtitle for Command & Conquer 4, their upcoming real-time strategy sequel. Our vote is for "Fred," but that's probably not it.

Here is the latest financial reporting from CDV Software Entertainment AG, calling their results from the first half of 2009 "strong." Revenues for half were 11.3 million Euros, compared to 6.8 million Euros for the same period in 2008, an increase attributed to "sales of video game software in key territories." The group reports earnings of 0.9 million Euros compared with a loss of 1.6 million Euros last year, with net income for the fiscal half-year ending June 30, 2009 of 0.4 million Euros, up from losses of 1.9 million Euros for the half year ending June 30, 2008, attributed to "a substantial in-crease in sales of mainly console software followed by game software for the PC." According to CDV CEO Christian Gloe, "The first half of 2009 was a record year for us with major achievements despite the current global financial crisis."

The World of Warcraft Forums have news of the release of a new version 3.2.0a bug-fix patch for World of Warcraft to address some issues in the MMORPG that can't be hot fixed. Manual patches for the various language editions are mirrored on The Patches Scrolls. Also on The Patches Scrolls are manual patches to update any previous version 3.x.x of the game to version 3.2.0 for a mere 1.6 GB download.

Telltale Games now offers the promised release of The Siege of Spinner Cay, Chapter 2 of Tales of Monkey Island, the episodic continuation of the adventures of Guybrush Threepwood. A trial version of Chapter 1, Launch of the Screaming Narwhal, is available, and here's word on the new chapter:

In Chapter 2 - The Siege of Spinner Cay, Guybrush's adventures continue on the high seas as pox-plagued pirates threaten the innocent Mer-People. In between defending the Mer-People and dodging the persistent pirate hunter hot on his trail, Guybrush manages to catch up to his beloved wife and despised arch-nemesis -- but their reunion is short-lived. Now Guybrush must focus on eradicating the Pox of LeChuck before more harm can be done. And as the Mighty Pirate draws closer to a cure, the waters will only grow murkier in this thrilling new chapter of the epic saga over 5 months.

The Tales of Monkey Island series can be purchased for $34.95 on PC at www.telltalegames.com. The Siege of Spinner Cay WiiWare is expected to release in the near future, and will be available from the Wii Shop Channel. The first Tales of Monkey Island WiiWare chapter is currently available on the Wii Shop Channel for 1000 Wii points.

GameStop posts disappointing profit, cuts outlook has disappointing financial results for this retail game chain. GameStop claims earnings of $38.7 million (23 cents per share) for the period ended Aug. 1, down 32% from the same period last year. Word is: "Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected a profit of 28 cents per share. Sales fell nearly 4 percent to $1.74 billion, while same-store sales, or sales at stores open at least a year, fell 14.1 percent." GameStop has also lowered its financial outlook for the rest of the year. There's a follow up on IndustryGamers quoting GameStop CEO Dan DeMatteo's optimism for the future: "To all of you who follow this industry, I would like you to begin thinking in respect to 2010 and what it's going to look like, and I think if you look at the model of 2008 you're going to find a very similar set of circumstances in 2010 that will drive the business bigger for both us and the entire industry."

PopCap announces that Plants vs. Zombies is now available for Windows and Macintosh at several retail outlets after three months of availability online. The press release outlines current availability at Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Target, Apple Stores, and Amazon.com, and says the game will also come to Sam’s Club, OfficeMax and Office Depot in October. They also outline plans to bring the RTS game to iPhone and iPod Touch around the end of this year, though no further details are offered at this time.

A Crynet Systems Website is a new viral website offering an introduction to Nanosuit 2, "the next generation of modern war fighter," that players will wear in Crysis 2, Crytek's upcoming shooter sequel. The site offers info on the sci-fi game's new armor, including a brochure in that Adobe Acrobat format that apparently will still be in favor in 2024. There is a video trailer in the form of a Crynet Systems promotion, as well as a technical demonstration video with specifications for the suit, which may or may not make your ass look fat.

$40 For That Old Thing? How Used Games Are Priced on Kotaku.AU looks at how used games are priced, talking with several used game vendors, though industry leader GameStop was not willing to comment for their article. The simple economics of supply and demand are still in play, of course, and they examine how this is determined. On a related note, Retailers 'limit UK games market' on the BBC is a GamesCom conversation with a couple of publishers about games at retail and the secondary market (thanks GamesIndustry.biz). Koch Media's Georg Larch tells them digital distribution will help publishers deal with used game sales, while Eidos' Ian Livingstone says they still want to work with retailers because: "These aren't just shops, they are a marketing tool, a window into our world where software houses can display their wares." Of course some gamers buy games at full price only because they know they can later recoup some of that cost by selling games, and many gamers use the proceeds from selling their old games to buy new ones, but apparently Livingstone sees no value in this, saying: "The pre-owned market is a serious problem, because there is no benefit to developers or publishers."

Erik Lindqvist's LinkedIn Page has a credit for a game called Fortress that was being developed by now defunct GRIN for Square Enix before being cancelled. This comes way of superannuation, who also show us that Tomislav Spajic's LinkedIn Profile lists an "unannounced Final Fantasy project" on his résumé that is also Fortress, as his portfolio offers art from Fortress as well as Cult, "another cancelled and unannounced project." You may want to hurry to check out the art if you're interested, as they also link to a portfolio that's already been deleted.

There's a Guild Wars 2 trailer on GameTrailers.com as the first sign of the promised news on ArenaNet's online role-playing sequel. The first half of the high-resolution clip is pre-rendered, but striking, depicting all creatures great and small (especially the great ones). The later portions of the clip feature in-game environments and a bit of gameplay. Here is an updated Guild Wars 2 FAQ and a big batch of Guild Wars 2 artwork and screenshots, and there are also details on the game in a preview on Eurogamer and the preview on IGN also has a Q&A with the folks from ArenaNet. Here's a bit of Mike's own words on the topic:

We think of the Guild Wars franchise as the un-MMO, with all of the depth and social features you'd expect from an MMO but without the grind or the mandatory time commitments, and without the monthly fees.

Guild Wars 2 takes the instanced gameplay that allowed us to tell stories so effectively in the original and supplements it with a fully persistent world that provides easy opportunities to find existing friends and make new ones. It takes the flexible and customizable character progression from the original and adds new options, new playable races, and new personalized storylines. It takes the optional competitive aspect of the original and splits it in two, so that it's both more approachable for casual players and more of an e-sport for the hard core. It takes the unique skill deck system of the original and makes it more comprehensible, with a focus on quality of skills instead of quantity.

During the past two years of development we made huge advances to our game engine, adding a persistent world with free-form movement and exploration, day/night cycles, cutting edge support for dungeons and interior environments, numerous graphical advancements including support for more detailed environments and models, better lighting and shadows, new animation and effects systems, plus new audio and cinematics engines, a more flexible combat and skill-casting system, and so on. We also built an array of new content creation tools, enabling us to build a larger and grander world, bring it to life with a wide variety of events always taking place, create more unique and interesting adversaries, and tell stories more compellingly than we ever did before.

Paradox Interactive announces East India Company Privateer, an upcoming expansion for Nitro Games' naval combat RTS game East India Company, saying it "introduces players to a dark and mysterious world with allegiances only to fortune and a thirst for destruction." The "ominous" GamesCom cinematic trailer for the add-on is posted on the YouTube, and here's word on what you will get to do playing as a Privateer:

When playing Privateer, you can hire two distinct type of commanders for your fleets: merchant captains and privateers. You’ll be contracted by the crown or other powers for different missions, ranging from smugglin and escorting friendly fleets to locating, capturing or sinking important ships from enemy nations. Also included in East India Company: Privateer is a brand new multiplayer scenario entitled ”Breakthrough.” In Breakthrough, one team will attempt to escort their flagship to safety while the other team tries to destroy the enemy ship.

East India Company: Privateer Features:

      • Two new campaigns in which you play the game as a privateer of your chosen nation.

      • New missions, including locating and either sinking or capturing enemy ships, blockading enemy ports and escorting friendly fleets.

      • New commander skills to fit the life of a privateer, such as "False Colors", which allows the player to get close to the victim without them perceiving a threat, and "Critical Hit", which gives the player a chance to hit an enemy ship’s magazine, causing the enemy ship to explode.

The Just Cause 2 Website is now online as a destination to find out more about the upcoming action sequel. The site includes information, forums, videos, and screenshots, including the game's box art. To kick things off they are running a competition that will add the names of five registered users of the site to the game as Colonels.

This press release announces plans to launch a print magazine devoted to World of Warcraft, Blizzard's MMORPG. With the general shift from print to online underway, this seems an odd move, especially for an online game, and a $40.00 subscription fee for four quarterly issues seems like a tough sell in any case. Ars Technica talks to the folks behind this project to explore these issues, discussing how the magazine is to be marketed directly at players and issues will be printed on demand.

Playable console demos for Colin McRae: DiRT 2 are now available. According to Codemasters: "...the Colin McRae: DiRT 2 playable demo will be available today from Xbox LIVE Marketplace for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation Store for the PLAYSTATION3 computer entertainment system in Europe." There's a clip from the demo on the game's Facebook page where they offer a best time competition and the following on the demo's console release schedule: "The DiRT 2 demo is coming out in North America on Xbox 360 20th August and Playstation 3 27th August and the Rest of the World on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 20th August." We're also told the DiRT2 Website has yet another new movie from Colin McRae: DiRT 2 to show off the RV interface in the game. We've encountered problems with the site's mega-Flash interface to find it, but the clip is also available on ActionTrip. Meanwhile there's a Colin McRae- DiRT 2 Interview on IncGamers in your choice of video or text. As for the PC-specific edition, PC Perspective has a clip teasing the DirectX 11 support that delayed the PC ediiton, and we have contacted Codemasters for to ask if a PC demo is also planned, and will follow up when we hear back from them.

• Bigfoot Networks Announces New eSports Sponsorships to Support Top International Professional Gaming Teams.
• Galaxy4Gamers.com Launches National CyberAthlete Search.

• APB on G4tv.com.
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on Eurogamer.
• Napoleon: Total War on Eurogamer.
• The Sims 3: World Adventures on Hooked Gamers.
• Star Wars: The Old Republic on G4tv.com.

• Assassin's Creed 2 on Eurogamer.cz.
• BioShock 2 on The Cult of Rapture. Big Sister wallpapers.
• Risen on UGDB.com.

• Need for Speed Carbon Now Available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace.
• Demo: NHL 10 on Xbox LIVE.
• Demo: DiRT 2 on Xbox LIVE.
• Blitz Hopeful Of Xbox 360 And Wii Price Cuts.
• FFXIII out simultaneously on PS3/360.
• Trials HD dev: Xbox Live not ready for user-generated content.
• Opinion: Forbes Spews Nonsense About PS3 on IndustryGamers.

Thanks Ant.

• Microsoft shutting off Windows 7 RC downloads Thursday. Thanks Digg.
• IBM gaining Linux customers at Sun's expense.
• Hardware Hackers Create a Modular Motherboard. Thanks Mike Martinez and Slashdot.
• Use Spiral Notebook Binding to Manage Wires. Thanks Digg.
• Apple releases Firmware Update 2.0 for 7200RPM MacBook Pros.

• Internet slowly wakes up to PayPal's quiet fee hike.
• Damaged Undersea Internet Cables to Be Fixed Soon.
• Trade group releases new list of 'awful' Internet laws. Thanks Slashdot.
• Rogers Launches 50Mbps-2Mbps Service. Thanks Ant.
• 25% Of All Music In U.S. Purchased From iTunes.
• Better late than never as FCC finally joins blogosphere.
• Tr.im goes open-source, founder questions bit.ly-Twitter link. Thanks Slashdot.
• NASA lunar probe blasts 461 gigabytes of moon data per day back home.
• Flickr Censors Political Image Critical of President Obama. Thanks Slashdot.
• Mozilla makes much ado about nothing over browser ballot.

• Microsoft appeals Word ruling, asks for stay. Thanks Mike Martinez.
• How The Pirate Bay Will Be Legalized. Thanks Slashdot.
• Ruling could let model find, sue online heckler. Thanks Slashdot.
• Fighting Software Piracy with Humor.

• Spam offers to let people use their PC to attack Obama site.

• Death to Spies: Moment of Truth on Games32.
• Zeno Clash on IncGamers.

• AMA Phantom Cooler on Overclockers Club.
• AMD Phenom II X4 965 3.4GHz AM3 CPU on TweakTown.
• Arctic MX-3 Thermal Paste on Vortez Hardware.
• Asus Bravo 9500 Graphics Card on TrustedReviews.
• Asus EHD3-100 Dual Hybrid TV Card on Bjorn3D.com.
• BFG GeForce GTX 295 H2OC LE Graphics Card on Guru3D.
• Coolermaster Hyper 212 Plus Socket 1156 Heatsink on FrostyTech.com.
• Coolermaster Hyper TX3 Heatsink on [OC]ModShop.
• Corsair Hydro H50 Water Cooling on MetkuMods.
• Dell OptiPlex GX280 PC on Monster-Hardware.
• Evercool Rifling Fan 80mm on Overclockers Club.
• GIGABYTE GTS 250 1GB and 9600GT 512MB Graphics Cards on PC Perspective.
• GIGABYTE MA785GMT-UD2H Motherboard on TrustedReviews.
• HP Pavilion Slimline s5160f PC on Digital Trends.
• In Win Maelstrom Case on Hardware Bistro.
• Lancool Dragonlord PC-K62 Case on Hardware Canucks.
• LG 55LH90 Television on Digital Trends.
• Mophie Hard Case Plus for iPhone on ThinkComputers.org.
• MSI X58M Motherboard on Neoseeker.
• Patriot Memory PCXL25SR Convoy XL 2.5 inch Dual Hot Swappable RAID Enclosure on Futurelooks.
• Seagate BlackArmor NAS 440 NAS Device on HotHardware.
• Samsung Solstice Cell Phone on Digital Trends.
• Sennheiser IE 6 Noise Isolating In-Ear-Canalphone on ModSynergy.com.
• SilverStone Element ST50EF-Plus 500W PSU on Hardware Secrets.
• XFX ATI Radeon HD 4770 Graphics Card on I4U News.
• Xtracpads Ripper XXL Gaming Mouse Pad on OverclockersHQ.com.

• IGN Presents the History of Warcraft. Thanks Ant and Digg…
• Kind of Bloop: Miles Davis as Video Game Music. Chiptunes in Time…
• World of Warcraft... the magazine- From online to dead tree…

Well my gable fan is finally fixed. After all that waiting, the guys didn't even come into the house, they were able to replace it from the roof. I try not to contemplate the consequences of them never asking me to shut off the power, as I picture an electrocuted guy falling 30 feet from the roof to his death, but it all worked out fine, and I'm sure I'm just being a wuss. And a hot wuss at that, as I think I have been overestimating the impact the repaired fan could have on such a nasty heat wave.

Fanned Links:	Thanks Ant and Mike Martinez.
Play:	Daytraders of the Dead. Savanna Blocks. Thanks UserFriendly. Space Anarchy.
Links:	District 9 Sequel a Possibility, Says Director Neill Blomkamp. Thanks nin. 8 Interesting Facts About Gaming's Greatest Companies. Thanks Digg. If Schools Told The Truth.
Stories:	Thorpe Park bans rollercoaster fans from putting hands in air - due to body odour. France worried by hornet invasion. Thanks brother19.
Science:	UK team attempts steam car record. Evolving Robots Learn To Lie To Each Other. Thanks theAntiELVIS. Ford's plug-in hybrids will talk to electrical grid.
Auction:	Woman's House Mistakenly Auctioned by Bank. Thanks Slashdot.
Images:	Classic Art Meets Videogames.
Media:	Mass Effect- Commander Shepard Is Such A Jerk. Quentin Tarantino reveals the secret behind Top Gun. NSFW. Ghostbusters - Full Movie. Really. Thanks Kxmode.