The Making History Website announces the release of a new version 1.22 of Making History II, Muzzy Lane's World War II strategy sequel. The new patch brings the recently released German edition and the upcoming French edition of the game in line with the English version. The patch also includes bug fixes and other improvements, all outlined in the release notes. There is also an updated demo on their downloads page with support for all three languages. Finally, they also announce that multiplayer support is coming ever nearer: "We plan to update the multiplayer alpha site this week as well, and go into final testing to bring it live this month." Thanks The Patches Scrolls.

Seriously! has details on an upcoming Fusion DLC pack for Serious Sam HD: Second Encounter, which will be free to owners of Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter, as it combines the content from the two encounters into one complete product. Word is: "The Fusion DLC Pack combines all the campaign and multiplayer levels from Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter into Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter for the ultimate in classic first-person shooter mayhem. For the first time ever, enjoy new modes like Beast Hunt and My Burden using the classic maps from Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter." They also note that they've been told "that if this DLC gets a strong fanbase that future DLC projects will be possible."

The Academy Of Interactive Arts & Sciences announces former EA executive Bing Gordon will be the fifth recipient of their AIAS Lifetime Achievement Award, which "recognizes contributions of individuals to the interactive entertainment industry outside of game makers." The award will be presented at the 14th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, at the 2011 D.I.C.E. Summit on February 10, 2011 at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas. The four previous honorees are Doug Lowenstein, Howard Lincoln, Minoru Arakawa, and Ken Kutaragi. Thanks G4tv.com.

• 7 Sins on Direct2Drive. Save 50%.
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• Majesty 2 - Battles of Ardania on Impulse. Save 75%.
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  Still on sale (previously reported). Continue here to read the full story.

• RIFT on IncGamers.
• The Witcher 2 vs. Dragon Age II on GameZone.com.
• The Witcher 2 on the Official Website. Thanks Gamer's Hell.

• NBA 2K11 Gets Free Stereoscopic 3D Update Tomorrow.
• Homefront news - Xbox LIVE's Major Nelson.

• The home theater PC is dead, long live Windows Media Center. Thanks [H]ard-OCP.
• KNOPPIX version 6.4.3 is now available. Thanks Ant.
• 1 Second Linux Boot!

• Happy 25th birthday, IETF.
• The ultimate Internet attribution instructive flowchart. Thanks Ant.
• Bank of America restores online banking system. Thanks [H]ard-OCP.
• JFK library opens 1st online presidential archive. Thanks [H]ard-OCP.

• A Fascinating, Worrying Article On The Dangers of Free WordPress Themes. Thanks Ant.
• Oracle Issues 66 New Fixes. Thanks [H]ard-OCP.

• Sony Must Show It Can Sue PS3 Hacker. Thanks Ant via Slashdot.

• Back to the Future: The Game Episode 1- It's About Time on Adventure Classic Gaming.
• Tropico 3 on Armchair General.

• ASUS Maximus III Gene P55 Motherboard on techPowerUp.
• Cyborg R.A.T 3 Gaming Mouse on t-break.
• Deepcool N8 Notebook Cooler on PureOC.
• Razer Tron Mouse and Mat on XSReviews.co.uk.
• Sparkle GeForce GT240 Low-Profile Graphics Card on Test Freaks.
• Thermaltake Armor A30 Cube Case on Hardware Bistro.
• Thermaltake Armor A60 Case on t-break.
• Thermaltake BlacX 5G ST0019U HDD Docking Station on Overclockers Online.
• Thermaltake Level 10 GT Case on HEXUS.net.
• Zalman ZM850-HP Plus PSU on Hardware Secrets.

• Pac-Man Reality Series In The Works. Thanks Ant via TV.com…
• Dead Space 2: Isaac at Visceral: The Locator…

I ended up at .500 picking last week's NFL playoff games, which is not impressive, especially when not using the point spread (though I wonder how many people outside of Seattle picked the Seahawks?). Let's see if we can improve on that this week: Steelers, Packers, Bears, Patriots.

Links:	Thanks Ant and Mike Martinez and Acleacius.
Play:	Spikes Tend to Kill You. Codename Ballistic. Mecharon: Survival.
Links:	9 Famous Movie Villains Who Were Right All Along.
Stories:	Tampa suspends pilot who used police chopper to run errand. Thanks Slashdot. Lost dog finds owner after 5 years, 4 moves.
Science:	Cloning might create live woolly mammoth. Transgenic chickens glow green, block spread of bird flu. The sun rises two days early in Greenland. Thanks Neatorama.
Images:	World of Warcraft Bathroom.
Media:	Priest Trailer #2. If Movies Had Internet. Robot Hulk that lost out to CGI Hulk. You wouldn't like me when I'm Ang Lee.
Follow-up:	Michael Scott is Leaving The Office Early.