The American McGee Website has concept art from an upcoming brawling game in development at Spicy Horse Games. This does not yet carry a title, and the Spicy Horse Facebook Page is conducting a contest to pick one. The art takes a decidedly stylized direction, and it seems likely the game will be part of the Shanghai-based studio's stated plan to pursue free-to-play games. Here's what's being revealed about the game so far:

• It’s a brawling game.
• It’s player-versus-player, either on teams or one-on-one.
• The setting is an old-timey US/Western five & dime kinda toy store (we think, so far).
• Your head gets bigger as your kill-number goes up.

The Team Fortress Blog announces today is the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the release of the original Team Fortress modification for QUAKE. Here's word on what anyone who plays Team Fortress 2 during the next 24 hours will receive:

• A free party hat!
• A free noisemaker that will have unlimited uses on Team Fortress's birthday and can only be used each year on that day!
• Free cake and gifts (in the form of remodeled health kits and ammo packs)!

You'll also see the return of the best stuff from previous TF birthday celebrations, including:

• The Team Fortress Birthday Beach Ball!
• The Celebration Gib, which causes gibbed players to explode in a shower of balloons and confetti!

Games

• Kohan Franchise on Steam.

Patches

• Alien Hallway on Steam.
• Bastion on Steam.

• LEGO Batman on Steam. Save 50%.
• Kohan Warchest on Steam. Save 10%.
• Mount and Blade: Warband on Direct2Drive. Save 66%.

• Dishonored on Kotaku.
• Jagged Alliance Online on Destructoid.
• Trackmania 2: Canyon on GameSpy.

• Dishonored on the new Official Website.
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on Bethesda Blog. The Races and Faces of Skyrim.

• The Space Marine demo on PS3.
• The Force Is Weak With This One- Kinect Star Wars Delayed.
• PS3 Home Boss- Free-to-Play is The Future.
• Canada: $299 Xbox 360 bundle out tomorrow.
• Telltale expands into PS3 and Wii publishing.
• Microsoft’s “not keen,” on formerly exclusive-PSN titles hitting XBL.
• Bodycount Behind The Bullets Part 4: Online Trailer.

• Amazon Launches “Daily Deals” on Kindle Ebooks.

Thanks Ant.

• Want a free Slingbox? Sign up for Time Warner cable.
• Facebook is first with 1 trillion page views, according to Google.
• Groupon Stumbles in China, Closes 10 of its Joint-Venture Offices.
• Rare but only 5.8 quake generates as much Twitter traffic as Japan’s devastating 9.0.
• Ticketmaster now lets you tag, sit with your Facebook friends. Thanks Slashdot.

Thanks Ant.

• Where Have All the 6970s Gone?
• The Black Art of Dual PSUs in Your Enthusiast PC.
• Do a good deed today, uninstall Windows XP.
• Photographer gets $9K worth of stolen camera gear back with GadgetTrak.

• Apache warns Web server admins of DoS attack tool. Thanks Slashdot.
• Study shows Android malware problem is worsening. Thanks HARDOCP.
• Calm down, Android malware makes up a tiny .00024% of the threat landscape. Thanks Ant.
• Anonymous Leaks Nude Pics of BART Spokesman. Thanks nin.

• Wolfenstein 3D iOS pulled in Switzerland and Austria.
• Microcameras versus casinos.

• Unreal Development Kit 'passes 900,000 installs'…
• RAGE comic #3 now available…
• Escape From City 17 - Part Two. Thanks reddit…
• Games Will Become 'The Literature of The 21st Century,' says USC Game Design Professor…
• QWOP: The Movie. Thanks Ant…

Link of the Day: Star Wars Han Solo in Carbonite Ice Cube Tray. Thanks nin.

R.I.P.: Nick Ashford, songwriter and singer with wife Valerie Simpson, dies at 70.

GameStop has stopped selling the copies of the standard edition of Deus Ex: Human Revolution they opened to in order to remove OnLive codes from Eidos Montreal's action/RPG prequel, reports CNN Money. The article says the game retailer is also refusing to sell sealed copies either, as they are seemingly insisting that Square Enix send them copies of the game without the code to play the game on the cloud-based service, and Kotaku has a copy of the mail telling GameStop store managers to pull the game from the shelves which states: "As GameStop is developing a streaming service in our Spawn Labs Cloud Gaming Division, the coupon that was included is for a competitive service. We are returning all copies of the regular edition to the vendor in agreement with Square Enix." They are, however, continuing to sell the game via digital distribution. There has been speculation about the legality of removing these codes, and articles on IndustryGamers and Wired (thanks Mike Martinez) each quote lawyers on the topic, saying that it is possible that this could result in lawsuits, but in each case speculating that such litigation would probably not be successful.

Steve Jobs has resigned as CEO of Apple, Inc, the computer company he co-founded in 1976, reports Reuters, saying trading in Apple stock was suspended just prior to the announcement. He will assume the role of Chairman, and is being succeeded as CEO by Tim Cook, who was previously Apple COO. Jobs, a 55 year-old cancer survivor, has been on medical leave for an undisclosed condition since January, and while it is not clear what role his health played in this decision, it seems from the wording of his announcement that it was a factor. "I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know," he said in his resignation letter. "Unfortunately, that day has come." Cook has served as interim CEO during two of Jobs' previous medical absences, and has been running day-to-day operations of the company during Jobs' most recent leave. The report quotes BGC Financial analyst Colin Gillis saying: "I will say to investors: don't panic and remain calm, it's the right thing to do. Steve will be chairman and Cook is CEO." Thanks Dirwulf.

A post on the Electronic Arts UK Forums outlines DICE's policy on dedicated servers for Battlefield 3, where Mikael Kalms explains that unlike Battlefield 2 and like Battlefield: Bad Company 2, the software to run servers will not be released to the public, as game servers will be operated by Ranked Server Providers, even though the option of running a server in unranked mode will be included. This is may impact players in countries with smaller player bases, as they state that they do not plan on making local servers available everywhere: "We try to strike a balance where there are game servers available across the globe, while still keeping the number of RSPs at a level where we can offer reasonable support to each individual company. Since we prefer to work with larger hosting companies, and we focus on countries where we have a larger player base, there will not be game servers available in every country on the planet." There's also word that ranked severs will require PunkBuster, and that DICE will also attempt to make the game work properly with third-party anti-cheating organizations PBBans, GGC-Stream, and PunksBusted, though these are not officially supported. The post also explains the difference between ranked and unranked servers, and offers some details on the administrator interface. As for where servers will be located, they say: "The list of RSPs which will run BF3 game servers at launch is not ready yet. Once it is, we will publilalalala [sic?] widely." Thanks VG247.

The first of the two promised playable demos is now available for Pro Evolution Soccer 2012, offering the chance to sample a prerelease version of the latest installment in this association football/soccer simulation. Word is: "While there will be areas that are refined, KONAMI wants PES users to try out the game’s many new Teammate Control elements prior to launch and experience the realism that Active AI brings to PES 2012, and which have been singled out for extensive praise by the media. The demo will also showcase the individuality of the many teams in the game, and users will be able to pick from six teams and their playing styles – Manchester United, AC Milan, FC Porto, S.S.C Napoli, Santos FC, and C.A. Panarol – and pit them against each other in 10-minute matches. The demo will also showcase key Challenge Training elements, where fans can practice the new control systems to fully enjoy the game." The demo can be found on AtomicGamer, ComputerGames.ro, GamePron, Gamer's Hell, and PC Games Forever.

The UDK Website now offers the August beta of the Unreal Development Kit, the free toolset to allow the creation of games and other projects using Epic's Unreal Engine 3. The new UDK beta includes a new movie capture system, material functions, adaptive tessellation, editor improvements, and more. They also offer a large number of new and updated UDN pages to support development efforts. The download is mirrored on AtomicGamer and Gamer's Hell. We also have a new fall 2011 trailer for the UDK. Continue here to read the full story.

There's an image of an email on Ars Technica allegedly from a Field Operations Manager with GameStop that instructs employees to "remove and discard" the coupon for a free OnLive version of Deus Ex: Human Revolution included with the Windows edition of the action/RPG prequel. Ars contacted GameStop public relegations and confirmed this, as GameStop apparently views OnLive as a competitor. Word is: "GameStop spokesperson Beth Sharum confirmed the practice, telling Ars that 'Square Enix packed the competitor’s coupon with our DXHR product without our prior knowledge and we did pull these coupons'." Thanks Dirwulf.

A new Diablo III Community Website is live as a home base for information about Blizzard's upcoming action/RPG sequel. Word is: "Welcome to your sanctuary for all the latest developments from New Tristram and beyond, featuring community forums and regular blog updates. You can post comments and share Diablo III news items via Twitter, Facebook, and other popular social media outlets, and be sure to check out the new Diablo III news feed regularly. We’ll use it to share the latest Diablo III information and to highlight recent community activity, including your most entertaining videos, art, comics, fansites, and more." They kick things off with Challenge of the Diableards, saying: "Over the past six months, many members of the Diablo III development team have risen to this challenge themselves -- and while you may have some catching up to do, the goal remains the same: grow and maintain the most awe-inspiring Diableard you can, and don't shave it off until the day Diablo III is released."

A new Mark Strong video interview hears from the actor who voices Captain Titus in Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine, Relic's action/RPG set a scant 38,000 years from now. He explains his take on the game and his approach to voicing his role. THQ also offers this new trailer to show off the just-released demo for the game. Continue here to read the full story.

Valve has been sending notifications to customers who purchased From Dust on Steam offering refunds on the god game over its DRM requiring online authentication, reports Rock, Paper, Shotgun. This follows indications last week that some customers were able to get such refunds which were not confirmed at the time, and Monday's announcement that this aspect of the game's DRM will be removed by a patch within a couple of weeks. Here's the email reproduced on RPS:

Ubisoft has just announced that they are working on a patch that will eliminate the need for any online authentication for From Dust. The patch will release in approximately two weeks.

If you don't want to wait or the patch or if you haven't played the game, per Ubisoft's request, we will issue refunds for this title.

If you would still like your purchase of From Dust to be refunded, please reply to this ticket.

Eidos Montreal game director Jean-Francois Dugas admits to problems with the AI in Deus Ex: Human Revolution, in speaking with Play magazine about the action/RPG prequel that was released yesterday in North America. "I'd be lying if I said the AI meets all of our expectations but I think it's normal that every developer has something they'd like to do differently," he said. "That being said, when you look at the type of game we're making, where stealth and combat need to cohabit as naturally as possible, I think overall gamers will be satisfied with what we did. It's not perfect but it makes for interesting gameplay situations." Thanks NowGamer via VG247.

Activision announces Kanye West will be the headline act at Call of Duty XP, their upcoming gathering dedicated to the Call of Duty series of military shooters, saying the hip-hop mogul will perform on September 3rd to close out the two-day event in Los Angeles. "We're pulling out all the stops," said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. "We promised our attendees and fans around the world a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the first Call of Duty XP, so we're thrilled to have Kanye on board. Everything about XP will be as epic as the games themselves. Whether you're competing for one of the open slots in the $1 million tournament, playing Modern Warfare 3 for the first time, dodging paintballs in a spectacular life-size recreation of Modern Warfare 2's Scrapyard level or just mingling with developers and fellow gamers, Call of Duty XP is a celebration of one of the greatest games in the world. So what better way to top it off with one of the greatest artists in the world?" No word on whether this will include one of Kanye's moments of spontaneity.

GUNNAR Optiks announces plans for "Gaming Eyewear" for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Activision's upcoming military shooter sequel, saying they will bring "new form, function and style to GUNNAR’s existing line of Advanced Gaming Eyewear." These are referred to as a "Limited Edition," though the $99.00 price tag may be enough to ensure that those interested in these will be able to find a pair. Preorders will begin soon, and word is: "The product will be sold exclusively in North America at Best Buy retail locations with a demo experience in select US locations. The Eyewear will also be sold in select European retailers. Preorders will begin in late August, available through BestBuy.com in North America and select European countries." Here's the feature list: Continue here to read the full story.

• DOTA 2 on RTSguru.com.
• Dragon Commander on Rock, Paper, Shotgun and Strategy Informer.
• Nuclear Dawn on Strategy Informer.

• Next Resistance game not developed by Insomniac?
• Hole In The Wall, Crazy Machines Elements & Street Fighter III- Third Strike Online Edition on Xbox LIVE Arcade.

• Verizon Video launches. Bandwidth capped buyers beware. Thanks Slashdot.
• Tweaks To Extend The Battery Life Of Intel Linux Notebooks.

• Facebook kills Places, but emphasizes location sharing more.
• Zombie Restaurant for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad on the iTunes App Store.

• Before You Begin: Deus Ex Graphics Guide on GameSpy.
• China overtaking U.S. as top market for PCs. Thanks HARDOCP.
• Razer to double its workforce.
• Tech Focus: Stereo 3D - Year One (registration required).
• ASRock introduces Z68 Extreme 7 PCIe Gen 3 motherboard.
• VirtualBox version 4.1.2 is now available. Thanks Ant.
• Introducing the Microsoft Touch Mouse Artist Edition.

• Privacy lawsuit targets comScore. Thanks HARDOCP.
• Stolen video game leads to drug arrest for Hickory teen.

• Deus Ex: Human Revolution on GameBanshee, HotHardware, and Shacknews. Thanks nin.

• ASUS Sabertooth AMD 990FX Motherboard on OCIA.net.
• Bitfenix Colossus Venom Edition Case on Teknix.com.
• BitFenix Shinobi Mid Tower Case on Hardware Canucks.
• Cooler Master Notepal U Stand on Bigbruin, The SSD Review, and ThinkComputers.org.
• Cooler Master Silencio 550 Case on PureOC.
• Cooler Master Silent Pro Gold 1200W PSU on Bjorn3D.com.
• Corsair H80 Self-Contained Liquid CPU Cooler on Techgage.
• Cyborg Gaming - V.7 Keyboard, R.A.T. 7 Mouse and G.L.I.D.E. 7 Surface on Hardware Heaven.
• Ducky DK9008G2 Cherry MX Brown Keyboard on Tech ARP.
• ECS P67H2-A2 B3 Stepping Motherboard on OCWORKBENCH.
• Epson Stylus Photo R2000 Printer on TechReviewSource.com.
• Fractal Design Define R3 Mid-Tower Case on The Tech Report.
• IOGEAR Theater Xperience USB DTS Sound Adapter on Everything USB.
• Lian Li PC-C60 HTPC Case on ProClockers.
• Mach Xtreme DS Turbo 120GB SSD on Guru3D.
• MSI X-Slim X460 Ultraportable Laptop on TechSpot Reviews.
• NZXT Sentry Mix Fan Controller on Neoseeker.
• OCZ ZX850W PSU on TechwareLabs.
• Patriot Viper Xtreme Division 2 PC3-15000 2x4GB RAM on APH Networks.
• Rosewill Thor v2 Case on AnandTech.
• Samsung UN55D7000 55 Inch Smart LED 3D TV on Tweaknews.
• Sapphire Pure Platinum H67 Socket 1155 Motherboard on ProClockers.
• Soyntec Netsound 500 Headset on XSReviews.
• Thermaltake Chaser MK-I Case on VR-Zone.com.
• Thermaltake Jing Heatsink on FrostyTech.com.
• USB 3.0 7-Way Host Controllers Roundup on VR-Zone.com.
• Xigmatek Aegir CPU Cooler on Hardware Secrets.
• Zalman ZM-VE200 External HDD Case + Virtual Drive on Real World Labs.

• "Be Nerdier" and Other Tips for Working in Gaming…

The BlueTower was within the range of yesterday's Virginia earthquake, but it did not last nearly long enough for me to mix a martini to take advantage of the brief shaking we experienced. When I worked for a company that had had offices in the south we used to joke about how they would close up shop if a snow flurry was forecast so they could avoid being caught on the roads. I imagine there are people in more quake-prone zones (like the island of Vanuatu, which has had 16 quakes of magnitude 5.0 or greater in the past week) who would find similar amusement at the reaction to the quake here in the New York area, as while it was magnitude 5.8 at the source causing damage like this (thanks Slashdot) and this (thanks reddit), it was obviously that much milder up here. Not that I'm complaining: This is the second mild quake I've experience in my life, and I certainly hope I never get to experienced a more serious one.

Links:	Thanks Ant and Mike Martinez and Acleacius.
Play:	Angry Birds Rio. Thanks Daniel. ESCAPE. Zombies vs. Penguins.
Links:	A Chinese version of Batman’s origins. Rear Gear. Thanks Hoop via funny write-up on Stuff.co.nz.
Stories:	Steampunk Themed Apartment in Manhattan, Only $1.75 Million. Thanks Neatorama. Burbank businessman arrested over feeding of birds near airport. Thanks Neatorama.
Media:	Movie Titles In Movies (Part Deux). TETRIS - Le Film. Forrest Gump Auditions.
The Funnies:	How To Draw A Spider Cartoon - Savage Chickens.