EA's APOC tweets that Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight is coming to Steam. Word is: "100% official! Command & Conquer 4 is on STEAM. Rejoice my people! http://bit.ly/c4P2Ye." The Steam page for the RTS sequel is online, saying the game unlocks on March 16.

A post by DICE on the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Forums says the EA master servers have gone down again, preventing access to Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and other games. Word is simply, "EAIT are looking into it." Thanks Joao. Update: There's no official update, but some recent posts to that thread indicate this problem may be cleared up now (around 11:00 pm EST).

Atari announces Sam & Max: Beyond Time is now available in stores for Windows and Wii, offering a second five episode season starring the canine and rabbit detective duo. Here are some screenshots from the game, and here's word: "In Sam & Max: Beyond Time & Space the canine gumshoe and hyperkinetic “rabbity thing” explore the surreal and supernatural, venturing out of the confines of their New York City office to intriguing locales like Santa’s North Pole workshop and a bumping zombie dance party as they attempt to solve an epic mystery over the course of several bizarre misadventures. Along the way, the Freelance Police will get a little help from some familiar faces from the series’ first season, including Bosco, Flint Paper, and Stinky!"

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light will launch this summer via digital distribution for Windows, Xbox LIVE Arcade, and PlayStation Network, reports Joystiq, who say the return of the Tomb Raider heroine will cost $15.00 USD. They say: "According to developer Crystal Dynamics, Lara Croft & The Guardian of Light will be cognizant of the bar set by other high-production games in the download space, while offering a unique interpretation of the well-established Tomb Raider franchise."

Steam News has word on a new automatic patch that's now available for Supreme Commander 2, the real-time strategy sequel from Gas Powered Games. The patch includes a couple of fixes and word that: "Ranked games and custom skill match-up games coming soon." The complete patch notes follow. Continue here to read the full story.

A new version 1.2 of Star Wars The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition is now automatically available via Steam. The patch notes from Steam News are below. Continue here to read the full story.

The Dawn of War II - Chaos Rising Q&A on GameShark talks with Relic Lead Designer Daniel Kading on the eve of the launch of the Chaos Rising expansion for Warhammer 40,0000 Dawn of War II, the real-time strategy sequel. Topics include how they view the success of Dawn of War II, how "corruption" works in Chaos Rising, new "toys," tactics, game balance, multiplayer support, and the experience of players who buy the standalone expansion without owning the original game.

An interview with BioWare's Fernando Melo on Greywardens.com discusses the upcoming Awakenings add-on for Dragon Age: Origins, BioWare's fantasy-themed RPG. Along the way they ask how BioWare has changed their digital distribution methods since the delayed release of Return to Ostagar, future DLC plans, the Social Network, and several specific questions about the Awakenings add-on.

Eurogamer quotes EA's Eric Brown on the topic of Star Wars: the Old Republic, the upcoming MMORPG he describes as the "largest ever development project, period, in the history of the company." He compares the development cost of the game to the $100 million Blizzard spent creating World of Warcraft, though no actual budget is ascribed to the upcoming Star Wars MMORPG.

LEGO Universe beta codes are being distributed, reports Massively, though it's not clear how many invites to test NetDevil's brick-tacular MMORPG are being sent out at this time. The LEGO Universe Website is still accepting beta applications if you are interested, though there are no guarantees of acceptance.

Steam News will put different titles from SQUARE ENIX and Eidos Interactive on sale every day this week.

• The Last Remnant on Steam. Save 50%.
• Tomb Raider + Last Remnant Bundle on Steam. Save 66%.
• Tomb Raider: Anniversary on Steam. Save 50%.
• Tomb Raider Bundle on Steam. Save 60%.
• Tomb Raider: Legend on Steam. Save 50%.
• Tomb Raider: Underworld on Steam. Save 50%.
  
  Still on sale (previously reported)
    Continue here to read the full story.

• Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Battle For PAX registration. More details on this page.

• Hinterland on PCPointer.de.

• Sony announces Move sub-controller, demos it with SOCOM 4.
• Xbox LIVE Arcade: Scrap Metal.
• Going to South By Southwest? Come to the Xbox Party.

• Application Compatibility Update for Windows - February 2010. Thanks Ant.
• CeBIT 2010 Coverage on ocinside.de. In German, but with over 100 photos.
• 2010 tech industry graveyard.

Thanks Mike Martinez and Ant.

• The Internet of tomorrow: 100Gbps to your house by 2030.
• Why the explosion of social games excites veteran developers.
• Hot Property Sex.com on Auction Block.
• Facebook Fans Want Baby Named Megatron.
• Google Maps now generates bike routes.
• MySpace is pitching game developers to help with revival.

• Windows 7: "This program has known compatibility issues" when launching Norton 360. Thanks Ant.

• PC Gaming Software Rises 3% in 2009…
• StarCraft 2 Beta Exploit - Zerg with Battlecruisers and Carriers…
• Ubisoft Making Online Dancing Game?…
• Investors Look Beyond Games to the ‘Game-Ification’ of Life. Thanks Neutronbeam…

Link of the Day: Portrait of a nation peeing. Thanks The Flying Penguin.

German website ComputerBase has word that Ubisoft has recalled the Collector's Edition of Silent Hunter 5: Battle of the Atlantic in Germany. It turns out the Collector's Edition does not have World War II symbols properly removed or edited in accordance with German law. Apparently this problem does not impact the standard edition, which is still for sale in Germany. Thanks Oliver.

Fallen Earth LLC announces beta testing is underway for a Mac edition of Fallen Earth, their post-apocalyptic MMORPG. This is not a completely native port, but rather uses Wine (which, as we know, is not an emulator). Word is: "For optimal play, Mac users will need to run OS X 10.5 Leopard or later, using an Intel-based system with dedicated graphics hardware." Full details are in the Mac-Wine Client Beta FAQ.

Startup OnLive announces their cloud-based gaming and content delivery service will launch on June 17 during this year's E3, also revealing the service will carry a $14.95 USD subscription fee, though the first 25,000 users who sign up through this OnLive Registration Page will get their first three months for free. Subscriptions do not include separate fees for the rental or purchase of games, as word is: "Waiver of Service Fee includes free access to OnLive’s Game Service including game demos, video profiles and community features, but does not include playing full versions of games, which are to be purchased or rented separately." There's more on this in this OnLive Blog by Steve Perlman, where the OnLive CEO says: "Once you are on the service, instant-play, top-tier, newly-released games will be for sale and for rent on an à la carte basis. Specific pricing will be announced as games are released, so you’ll hear about the pricing of the first games by E3, but needless to say, we expect them to be offered at competitive prices. Games are always updated with the latest versions, and purchased game add-ons are playable instantly."

Codemasters follows up on announced plans for Formula 1 racing games by officially announcing F1 2010, which will race into stores this September for Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. Here are a couple of screenshots, and here's a bit from the announcement: "In F1 2010, gamers will take on the full, expanded grid in a variety of game modes including Grand Prix, Championship, Time Trial and an extensive, innovative Career mode. F1 2010 will also feature a highly advanced damage model, fully dynamic weather system and extensive competitive multiplayer options."

Direct2Drive announces the top 10 bestselling titles on their service for the week of February 28 to March 6, where their Mac sale has even propelled a Mac title onto the list.

1. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Limited Edition + prima guide
2. Silent Hunter: Battle Of The Atlantic Gold Edition
3. Civilization 4: The Complete Edition
4. Star Trek Online Digital Deluxe Edition
5. Dragon Age: Origins (Mac) Digital Deluxe Edition
6. Star Trek Online
7. Best of Indie Bundle Vol. 3
8. Tropico 3
9. Mass Effect 2 Digital Deluxe Edition
10. Supreme Commander Gold

Steam now features a playable demo for Napoleon: Total War, offering the chance to try your hand at Creative Assembly's recently released real-time strategy game (for adherence to the historical cliché your other hand should be tucked in your jacket). The demo includes the game's "War on Land" tutorial and the Battle of Ligny, a historical scenario playable from either the French or Prussian side. They warn that although the full game supports English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Czech, and Polish, the demo version only includes English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish language support.

Steam News announces that Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Chaos Rising (we thought there was a "2" in there somewhere) and the Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Gold Edition are now available in Australia and New Zealand. They also separately announce the promised free content for Dawn of War II is now available, equipping owners of the base version of Relic's sci-fi RTS sequel with the tools needed to fight the armies of chaos. Details on the new units and maps in this free update follow. Continue here to read the full story.

The manual versions of the first patches for Colin McRae DiRT 2 are now available to update Codemasters' rally racing sequel to version 1.1, following the release of Steam updates last week. There's one patch with support for the English, German, French, Italian, and Spanish languages, which is mirrored on AtomicGamer, Gamer's Hell, The Patches Scrolls, and WorthPlaying; and there's also a separate Polish language patch on AtomicGamer, Gamer's Hell, and The Patches Scrolls. The patch notes follow. Continue here to read the full story.

Ubisoft's info section on the R.U.S.E. Open Beta Improvements trailer had a note we missed at the time saying the real-time strategy game was expected on June 3. This was a fortunate oversight as it saved us a correction, as there is a follow-up post on VG247 saying the game is actually due in the U.K. on June 4 (which makes sense since games are usually released in PAL territories on Fridays). There is also a follow-up on Big Download resetting the game's U.S. release date to June 8, which also makes sense, since games are typically released in the U.S. on Tuesdays. R.U.S.E. open beta testing is currently underway.

The Jace Hall Show Season 3, Episode 6 (NSFW) is online, with still more wacky webcasting from KING OF TEH MONSTARS. The clip includes a warm reunion at Jace's old stomping grounds at Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment where they reminisce over Jace's stewardship of the company and their respect for The Matrix Online. This portion also reveals a 5 second glimpse of an unannounced game in a segment that occurs at the very end of the show. The clip shows a helicopter in what appears to be a modern combat first-person shooter.

The Need for Speed World Website has word that English beta testing has begun for the MMO installment in the long-running racing series. The first session was apparently this past weekend, but word is there will be more testing going forward: "This beta program is much more than one weekend of play. We’ll be running a number of beta events over the next several months, all aimed at testing one or more aspects of the experience. If you didn’t get into this round, don’t worry, there will be more stages and many, many more invites in the weeks and months ahead. Some expectation setting: these initial rounds are intentionally constrained in terms of features, level progression and content. We are testing and so we need to keep the variables under control to ensure quality data. As the beta program progresses you’ll see more content, ways to play and places to see." Thanks Big Download.

Portalarium announces the commercial launch of Sweet @$! Poker on Facebook, offering the unfortunately titled first game from Portalarium, the start-up from Ultima creator Richard Garriott. Here's word on the crowded environment in which the game is competing: "The game is available on Facebook and during its short beta cycle of only five weeks has already zoomed to become the 12th most popular poker app on Facebook (out of 47 total) and the 32nd most popular Facebook card game overall (out of 200+ total)." The game is only available for Windows to start, but they say Macintosh compatibility is coming soon, as well as versions for MySpace, iPhone, and Android.

The Interview with Mafia II producer Denby Grace on Joystiq discusses the upcoming life of crime sequel, learning the reasons for the game's delays and how the release version will differ from the versions they've demonstrated for the press. When asked if there were concerns about fitting the open-world game onto a single DVD, he explains the scope of the game, saying there will be about 15 hours of gameplay:

There were at one time. We've resolved those issues now. Not to go into too many details, because it's not very interesting, but we had to split out languages. We're doing full localization for every language, which is pretty unheard for an open-world game, but it's something we're committed to because we have such a huge following in Europe. So we've had to do that, but the English fits fine. It's one disc. The experience is fifteen hours, so it's not too bad. But the scope is pretty huge, the script's like 600 pages; 160,000 words; 300 speaking characters. It's huge, but it fits on a disc.

Epic's Unreal Development Kit Website now offers the March 2010 beta of the UDK, which allows the creation of free Unreal-engine games. These build notes and this announcement outline all that's changed in the new version. Downloads of the new beta are mirrored on AtomicGamer, FileFront, Gamer's Hell, and WorthPlaying.

Fallen Earth co-developer Icarus Studios announces expanded plans for a mobile companion application to Fallen Earth, the post-apocalyptic MMORPG. They have already announced plans for an iPhone app, and will now also be bringing mobile access to game functions like chat, managing crafting queues, auction house access to the Blackberry, Android, Brew, and Java platforms. They say the app is due in the second quarter of this year.

• Just Cause 2 on Eurogamer.
• Portal 2 on GamesRadar. "The 10 things you NEED to know." Thanks Joker961.

• EA Sports Active 2.0 to get heartbeat sensors and online sharing (video).
• Thousands of video game fans queue to meet creators of Final Fantasy XIII.
• Lead Your Team to Glory! Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 11 to Feature Ryder Cup.
• Power Gig: Rise of the SixString Preview for the PS3, Xbox 360 - 1UP.com. Thanks Joker961.
• Xbox LIVE Activity for week of March 1.

• XNA Game Studio 4.0 for Windows Phone.
• Your guide to all those damn smartphone lawsuits.

• Graphics Card Hierarchy Chart - March 2010 Tom's Hardware. Thanks Batman.
• USB 3.0 performance explored.
• 'Nobel of Computing' Goes to Early PC Designer.
• Ex-Sun chief dishes dirt on Gates, Jobs.

• ZyXEL to showcase 300Mbps Wireless N access point at IT Show 2010.
• Fresh Weblings Online Game Uncovered; Quirky Critters Spotted Fighting Bugs Across the Web.

• Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 Review - t-break.
• Microsoft Patch Tuesday- Two Bug Fixes, IE Warning. Thanks [H]ard-OCP.
• Zero-Day Hole In Internet Explorer 6 and 7.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Google reluctant to release info in Viacom case.
• Pink Floyd battles EMI in online royalties case.
• When RealNetworks Settled on DVD Copying, We All Lost.
• Cyber-bullying cases put heat on Google, Facebook.
• Dutch Pirate Party Joins Election Race. Thanks [H]ard-OCP.
• Lindsay Lohan sues E-trade for $100M over "Milkoholic" super bowl ad gag. Thanks Ant.

• Chronicles of Mystery: The Tree of Life on Adventure Games.
• Mass Effect 2 on The Wargamer. Mega-review part one of three.
• Silent Hunter 5 on Eurogamer.
• Sins of a Solar Empire - Trinity on Gaming Nexus.
• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Chaos Rising on Eurogamer.

• Antec P183 Advanced Mid Tower Case on ThinkComputers.org.
• Arctic Sound E361 Earphones on Top Review Shop.
• ASUS TS Mini Home Server on Tweaknews.
• CoolerMaster GX Series 750W ATX PSU on Futurelooks.
• Gelid Tranquillo CPU Cooler on Hardware Secrets.
• G.Skill PC3-18400 (2300MHz) PI Series 4GB RAM Kit on TweakTown.
• GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 3 USB 3.0 PCI Express Card on Bona Fide Reviews.
• In Win - Diva Case on TechwareLabs.
• Kingston SSDNow V+ Series 128GB SSD on Big Bruin.
• Leadtek WinFast PxVC1100 MPEG-2-H.264 Transcoding Card on CDRLabs.
• Lian Li PC-T1R Spider Case on techPowerUp.
• Mionix NAOS 5000 Mouse on Overclock3D.
• NZXT Hades Crafted Series Tower Case on ProClockers.
• PowerColor PCS+ 5830 1GB Graphics Card on PureOC.
• Proluma Deluxe Triple LCD Stand on TweakTown.
• Sapphire Radeon HD 5770 1GB Graphics Card on XSReviews.co.uk.
• Seagate BlackArmor PS 110 USB 3.0 Hard Drive (500GB) on Everything USB.
• Thermaltake SpinQ VT CPU Cooler on Legit Reviews.
• Thermaltake Toughpower XT 775W PSU on Overclockers Club.
• TomTom Ease GPS on TechReviewSource.com.
• TRENDNDET Laptop Backpack on OverclockersHQ.com.
• USB 3.0 34mm Expresscard Comparison on iGadget Life.

• A List of PC Game Classics Available Free of Charge…
• Computer games disguised as Excel and Word prove a hit with office workers…
• Police get house wrong, handcuff game devs…
• A new version 2.0 of GodsWar Online is now available. Word is: "the new version gives ancient Greek combatants plenty of fresh content to explore and new challenges to conquer."…

It was just a bit over a week ago that I was digging out of a ton of snow thinking what a liar that Staten Island Chuck is, after he predicted an early spring. This just shows how wrong it is to doubt the mystical prognostication powers of rodents, as the weather turned almost immediately after that, and it's been beautiful ever since. Thanks for the nice weather Chuck, and apologies for ever doubting you.

R.I.P.: Corey Haim Found Dead. Thanks Devicer.

Sprung Links:	Thanks Ant and Mike Martinez.
Play:	Super Mario Bros. Star Scramble Firing Day. Yang Loong Legend 2 3rd Impact.
Links:	Top 7... ways games can transform you into a superior human being. Data Underload #12 – Famous Movie Quotes. Thanks Frans via nrc.next. Star Trek- The Next Generation of Fandom. Thanks Digg.
Stories:	Britain May Force Owners to Microchip Dogs to Curb 'Weapon' Pets. Thanks brother19. Chef at Chelsea restaurant offers customers a taste of cheese made from his wife's breast milk. Thanks Neutronbeam.
Science:	Scientists Develop Highly Recyclable Plastic. Thanks Acleacius. Oh, Those Robot Eyes.
Images:	Geneva Motor Show Highlights. Thanks ^Drag0n^. Mario and Luigi in Manchester. Well, at least they tried to fix it.
Media:	Unlimited Detail: Potential Next-Gen Graphics Technology? What If I Want To Go Upside Down In A Tunnel?
Follow-up:	LHC to shut down for a year to address design faults. Why Oscar didn't embrace 'Avatar'. Thanks Digg.