Codemasters announces that DiRT 3 is now available worldwide, offering the latest installment in the rally racing series for Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. In addition to the boxed version in retail stores, the Windows edition of the game is also available from Direct2Drive and Steam. They mark the occasion with the release of a new Racing Never Stops trailer, showing the game in action. Here's word:

DiRT 3 will boast more cars, more locations, more routes and more events than any other game in the series. With more than double the track content of 2009’s hit, players will enjoy a career as an elite professional driver, competing in off-road racing events on the intense, weather-beaten rally stages of Europe, Africa and the US and pushing car control to the limit in all-new, Gymkhana inspired showpiece challenges.

The Bethesda Blog announces QuakeCon 2011 registration kicks off on Thursday:

Quick heads up: We’ll be opening registration for QuakeCon 2011 this Thursday at 7:00 pm CST (8:00 pm EST). At that time, you’ll be able to register online for the exhibit hall, BYOC, and premium packages.

This year’s fragfest takes place August 7-11 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, TX. We’ll have plenty of news before then — stayed tuned to our official Twitter and Facebook pages, and here on Bethesda Blog.

Take-Two Interactive Software announces fourth quarter and annual financial results, saying: "For the twelve months ended March 31, 2011, net revenue grew 49% year-over-year to $1.14 billion. GAAP income from continuing operations increased to $53.8 million, or $0.62 per diluted share, as compared to a GAAP loss from continuing operations of $108.1 million, or $1.39 per share, for the year-ago period. Non-GAAP net income increased to $94.3 million, or $1.02 per diluted share, as compared to a Non-GAAP net loss of $65.9 million, or $0.85 per share, for the year-ago period. Non-GAAP net income excludes certain non-cash and non-operational gains and losses identified on the attached reconciliation of GAAP and Non-GAAP measures." They also announce they've extended their deal with Rockstar and made a new deal with ZelnickMedia:

In addition, the Company announced that it has extended its long-term employment agreements with key members of the creative team of Rockstar Games, its wholly-owned publishing label, and has entered into a new Management Agreement with ZelnickMedia.

Also, though there's no apparent reason for thinking the games were cancelled, Eurogamer reports that during the post-earnings conference call, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick confirmed that Max Payne 3 and Agent are still in development.

Gamers interested in joining the Entertainment Consumers Association but are hoping to save the $19.99 USD annual dues ($1.00 students and military) can now get a free year's membership by joining through the Red Bull Video Games Page. Word is: "With free membership into the organization, members can begin instantly enjoying the numerous affinity benefits, educational resources and advocacy efforts that are provided to the ECA community. The ECA and Red Bull Gaming will continue to introduce exciting new programs and events that will be announced in the coming months."

The Sins of a Solar Empire Forums announce the release of a new automatic update for Sins of a Solar Empire: Trinity/Diplomacy to update the real-time strategy game/trinity to version 1.21. Word is: "We've spent the last few weeks delving into the Alloy network code for the game to address lag in multiplayer games, as well as making some other minor tweaks to gameplay." It is also warned that the new version erases recordings and saved games.

Games

• Death and the Fly on Impulse and Steam.
• Elizabeth Find 2 on Impulse.
• King Arthur Collection on Impulse and Steam.
• The Secret Legacy - A Kate Brooks Adventure on Impulse.
• Spellforce 2: Shadow Wars on GOG.com.

Patches

• Garry's Mod Update on Steam.

• DUNGEONS - Steam Special Edition on Steam. Save 50%.
• Eco Tycoon - Project Green on Impulse. Save 75%.
• Extraterrestrial Week on GamersGate. Save up to 70%.
• King Arthur Collection on Steam. Save 50%.
• R.U.S.E. on Steam. Save 50%.
• R.U.S.E. - The Chimera Pack on Steam. Save 50%.
• R.U.S.E - The Pack of The Rising Sun on Steam. Save 50%.
• Sam and Max Complete Collection on Steam. Save 66%.
• Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse on Steam. Save 66%.
• Sam & Max: Season One on Steam. Save 66%.
• Sam & Max: Season Two on Steam. Save 66%.
• The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom: Deluxe Gold Edition on Steam. Save 50%.
• Uplink on Steam. Save 66%.
  Still on sale (previously reported). Continue here to read the full story.

• E3 Returns to Los Angeles June 7-9.
• One week left in RAGE’s Graffiti Contest and Sweeps.

• Deus Ex: Human Revolution on Shacknews.
• Ghost Recon Online on PC Gamer.

• Diablo III on Blizzplanet.com. Barbarian concept art.
• BioShock Infinite on Irrational Games. Ads and propaganda of Columbia.

• Microsoft loses last Xbox founder, mobile PC visionary. Thanks Shacknews.
• Sounds Like L.A. Noire's Publisher Wants L.A. Noire 2 and L.A. Noire 3. Thanks nin.
• New Witcher game to be announced at E3. And "console gamers might be interested."
• EA SPORTS Unveils New Features for NHL 12.

• Barnes & Noble goes after Kindle with Nook Simple Touch Reader.
• Minecraft coming to Xperia Play.
• Majesco Announces 'Cooking Mama 4 :Kitchen Magic' for 3DS and 'Camping Mama: Outdoor Adventures' for DS.
• Last Survivor on the Roof for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad on the iTunes App Store.
• Got iPad: Get Opera Mini 6 now. Thanks Ant.
• Foxconn: Weekend explosion at plant won't affect iPad shipments.

Thanks Ant.

• Internet rules at center of 'e-G8' forum in Paris. Thanks [H]ard-OCP.
• Charter Prepares for World IPv6 Day. Thanks DSLReports.
• Verizon Planning Internet Video Service for Non-FiOS TV Markets?
• WordPress dumped support for Internet Explorer 6.
• Yahoo Mail puts final touches on the big makeover.
• France attempts to -civilize- the Internet; Internet fights back.
• 47% of Facebook Walls contain profanity.

• Windows 8 unofficially officially coming to PCs, slates, and tablets in 2012.
• Announcing the release of Fedora 15. Thanks Ant via Slashdot.

Thanks Ant.

• System Update Readiness Tool for Windows.
• SUPERAntiSpyware v4.53.1000 released.

• Samsung Must Show Cell Phones to Apple. Thanks [H]ard-OCP.
• Online poker "payment processor" admits U.S. charges. Thanks Devicer.
• Apple loads up for battle with over 200 Freescale patents.
• Why Search for Piracy when Google Reader Hand-Delivers It?

• Unity Named the #1 Game Engine by Game Developer Magazine Readers…
• IMDB Lists SWTOR Voice Talent (Look Who’s Talking). Thanks Digg…

Link of the Day: Battle of the Bonds- Stop Motion. Thanks Ant via TDW Geeks.

Activision announces November 8, 2011 as the official worldwide release date for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, the upcoming military shooter sequel. This confirms a previous rumor that was recently bolstered by the image of a MW3 poster that carried that date, as well as the listing for the game on Amazon.com. "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is by far the most epic Call of Duty experience yet. The teams at Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games have worked tirelessly to create for the Call of Duty player a scale that is unimaginable with a level of polish and creativity that will push the genre forward," said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing, Inc. "The passion and energy of our developers is reflected in everything about the title. From the innovative gameplay, to the cinematic intensity, to the most advanced multiplayer ever, Modern Warfare 3 will raise the bar for this already incredible franchise."

Ubisoft announces Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Online, an upcoming free-to-play third-person multiplayer shooter based on the tactical shooter series. The game is in development at Ubisoft Singapore, and while it doesn't carry a release date at this time, closed beta testing is set to begin this summer, and those interested in the beta can sign up on the game's official website. Word is: "With Ghost Recon Online, Ubisoft is delivering the most social, connected and customizable Ghost Recon experience yet. The game offers players the ability to choose between three different classes of Ghost, customize their weapons, deploy cutting-edge military technology, and share intel with their team. Ghost Recon Online also features a rich lobby platform for hosting social and persistent progression features. Ubisoft also will back the game with a full set of services, including regular events and game content updates, customized content based on community feedback, and live support." Here's a batch of screenshots and here's the game's debut trailer, which is also embedded below. Continue here to read the full story.

2K Games and Gearbox Software announce that development is complete on Duke Nukem Forever, saying it is in duplication for release, something that seemed likely never to happen at various times since the announcement of the first-person shooter sequel in the last millennium. The game is due in internationally on June 10 except for North America, where it will be released on June 14. A playable demo is due a week from Friday, to be first released for those who have preordered the game or who own the Borderlands Game of the Year Edition. Here's a bit from the announcement on the game's legendary, if not unprecedented, nearly 15-year development cycle:

In 2009, after many believed that Duke Nukem Forever would never be completed, a small team of intrepid developers, known as Triptych Studios, resurrected the dream. Through their inspiring and steadfast commitment to the game and their exemplary talent and skill, they finally assembled the pieces to create an incredible, epic and cohesive gameplay experience. Under the production of Gearbox Software, Triptych Studios, Piranha Games and many other contributors joined together in a heroic effort to complete the long awaited game as a polished, full-featured triple-A title.

This trailer offers the promised reveal for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, the next installment in this series of military first-person shooters. Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling offers a clarification of what we're seeing via Twitter: "Call of Duty doesn't have cut scenes, every second of that was taken from playable moments in the game." The embedded version follows. Continue here to read the full story.

Wargaming.net announces that more than two million players have registered for World of Tanks on the Russian server for the MMO armored combat game. They also say the North American and European server is nearing the one million player milestone since the game's official launch earlier this month. "At the very beginning of development for World of Tanks, we were assuming that the maximum number would be around 600,000 players worldwide. Now, we have 2 million registrations in Russia alone, not to mention the Western audience and its immense growth," said Wargaming.net CEO Victor Kislyi. "With the tremendous number we’ve reached in Russia as well as the dynamics of community growth in Europe and North America, we are looking forward to the many more milestones to come."

Games By Design offers the latest development update on A Valley Without Wind, the procedurally generated side-scroller in the works at Arcen Games. This includes a new pre-alpha trailer, as word is: "a number of the new animation updates that are in this batch of changes really can't be described very well with words, so I've put together this animation test video that shows off each new thing for you."

Charlie Brooker - Hollywood shuns intelligent entertainment. The games industry doesn't. Guess who's winning? Thanks Mike Martinez.
And both these games – both of these entirely different, utterly unique creations – are a huge commercial success. In cinematic terms, it's the equivalent of films of the intelligence and quality of 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Maltese Falcon not just being released to great fanfare in 2011, but actually going on to smash box office records. Somehow Portal 2 and LA Noire manage to be more cinematic than a great deal of contemporary cinema – while being something entirely different, something with the phrase "I LOVE VIDEO GAMES" embedded in their DNA like a cheerful slogan through a stick of rock. These are not replacements for films, but something thrillingly different. Gaming's ongoing push into the mainstream consciousness has entered a bold new phase – by appealing to the players' intelligence and imagination, it's starting to make Hollywood look embarrassing.

• The Testament of Sherlock Holmes on Blue's News.

• Demo: Halo: Reach on Xbox LIVE.
• 360 tipped for Stereoscopic 3D.
• Peace Walker tipped for PS3.
• Trophies axed from PSP Remasters.
• Xbox LIVE DOTW: Bethesda Blowout.

• Over 500 new features for next Windows Phone OS.
• Apple said to introduce curved-glass iPhone 5.
• Pixofactor Entertainment Tees Up Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons for iPad.

• Scientists set new download speed record. Thanks [H]ard-OCP.
• Firefox 5 beta arrives for desktop and Android.
• Lack of IPv6 traffic stats makes judging progress difficult.
• Mozilla rejects WebP image format, Google adds it to Picasa.
• Twitter reportedly seals the deal to buy TweetDeck.

• Microsoft's Ballmer says next-gen Windows systems due in 2012. Thanks [H]ard-OCP.
• Intel Capital Invests $24.5 Million Across the Compute Continuum. Thanks [H]ard-OCP.
• Hacking the planet.

• One Arrested For Attempting To Scam Man Out Of Thousands. Thanks [H]ard-OCP.

• Baron Wittard: Nemesis of Ragnarok on Adventure Classic Gaming.
• Brink on Out of Eight and Skewed n Reviewed.
• Garshasp: The Monster Slayer on Strategy Informer.
• Numen: Contest of Heroes on GameBanshee.
• The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings on Examiner.com, GameSpot, Shacknews, and Strategy Informer.

• AMD FirePro V5900 Graphics Card on [Phoronix] .
• AMD FirePro V7900 Graphics Card on [Phoronix].
• AMD FirePro V7900 and V5900 Graphics Cards on HotHardware.
• Antec Soundscience Rockus 3D 2.1 Speaker System on Overclockers Online.
• ASRock H61M-U3S3 Motherboard on Hardware Secrets.
• Asus ENGTX460 GTX 460 Voltage Tweak Graphics Card on Tweaknews.
• ASUS P8Z68-V Pro (Intel Z68) Motherboard on TweakTown.
• BitFenix Shinobi Case on Hardware Secrets and XSReviews.
• Cooler Master Silencio 550 Case on eTeknix.com.
• ECS Elitegroup H67H2-I LGA1155 Mini-ITX Sandy Bridge Motherboard on Futurelooks.
• Enermax MaxRevo 1350W PSU on [H]ard-OCP.
• GIGABYTE GTX 560 1GB Graphics Card on ProClockers.
• Gigabyte P67A-UD3R-B3 Intel P67 Motherboard on OCWORKBENCH.
• Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E220s Laptop on TechReviewSource.com.
• Lenovo ThinkPad G570 Laptop on TechRadar UK.
• Mionix NAOS 3200 Mouse on Technic3D. In German.
• Motorola Atrix Smartphone on TechRadar UK.
• MSI R6950 Twin Frozr III Power Edition OC Graphics Card on Benchmark Reviews.
• NZXT Avatar S Gaming Mouse on Neoseeker and Overclockers Club.
• OCZ Agility 3 (240GB) SSD on AnandTech.
• OCZ Vertex 3 Max IOPS 240GB SSD on Hardware Heaven and TweakTown.
• OCZ ZX Series 850W PSU on techPowerUp.
• OWC Mercury EXTREME Pro 6G 120GB SSD on Legit Reviews.
• Panasonic TX-L32E3B TV on TechRadar UK.
• Patriot G Series AMD Black Edition DDR3-1333 4GB Dual Channel RAM Kit on ThinkComputers.org.
• Patriot Memory Torqx 2 128GB SSD on CDRinfo.
• QPAD MK-80 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard on techPowerUp.
• Razer StarCraft 2 Banshee on PC Gamer.
• RIM BlackBerry Playbook on HotHardware.
• Samsung PM800 128GB mSATA SSD on The SSD Review.
• Scosche freeKEY BTKB Bluetooth Keyboard on Legit Reviews.
• SilverStone Raven SST-RV03B-W EATX Tower Case on TweakTown.
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Play (Verizon Wireless) on TechReviewSource.com.
• XFX Radeon HD 6790 Graphics Card on Ultimate Hardware.
• Zalman Z9 Plus Case on PureOC.

• DePaul stocks video games for research…
• Pockie Ninja now boasts over three million registrations for this MMO brawler…
• This Video Game Was Made in the 1940s…
• All Your History: Volition Part 1- Degrees of Freedom. Thanks Ant…
• SteelSeries Announces Availability of Licensed Medal of Honor Headsets for Xbox 360 and PC Gamers…

We had some technical difficulties here in the Blue Tower this morning. It turns out there was a problem with the dreaded flaky cable, which is annoying, but at least fixing it was easy enough, once the problem was properly diagnosed.

Diagnosed Links:	Thanks Ant and Mike Martinez and Acleacius.
Play:	Amigo Pancho. Adam The Archer. Mad Shapes.
Links:	Summer’s Here! Time For a BBQ. Clothing Donation Box: "Donating" Isn't Necessarily Charitable.
Stories:	Students, when you get a second chance, take it. Thanks Neatorama.
Science:	Top Ten Myths About the Brain. Thanks Boing Boing. Acne science. Thanks Boing Boing.
Images:	Against all odds I've yet to be banned from City of Heroes. Thanks reddit. Chrono Tigger. Fake Science - How Do You Get Water Out Of Your Ear?
Media:	Pixel Music Video of the Day. One Night In Bangkok (Mike Tyson). Thanks nin. Interview with Sir Ian McKellen & First Look at Dwarves.
The Funnies:	Why Steal When You Can Pun?
Follow-up:	Orci Talks "Star Trek 2" Preparation.