Robert 'fourzerotwo' Bowling tweets that he has resigned from his prominent position as voice of the Call of Duty franchise (thanks The Grifter). Here's word:

Today, I resign from my position as Creative Strategist of Call of Duty, as a lead of Infinity Ward, and as an employee of Activision.

The TAKEDOWN Kickstarter Page offers a few changes from when this fundraising proposal launched earlier this month for a "Crowdsourced Hardcore Tactical Shooter." There's an article on Kotaku explaining what's different (as we have entered an era when even crowdsourcing gets rebooted), regretting their failures at conveying why gamers should be excited about this project and picking a name that "SUCKED." In addition to the new title, the site offers new art and other resources to attempt to convey what to expect. Word is: "Will we be successful? Time will tell. We'll write a postmortem for other game developers to learn from, so no matter what we hope to make the landscape better for others. But no one will be able to say we gave up."

A new trailer from Assassin's Creed III gives some background on "Connor," the main character in the scalping-free next installment in the stealth/action series. Ubisoft also announces three different Collector's Editions for the game, a "Freedom Edition," the "Join or Die Edition," and the "Special Edition," and VG247 has details what is included with each, and here's word on a preorder bonus for all customers: "Gamers who pre-order Assassin's Creed III at GameStop®, Amazon.com or Best Buy® will receive a Limited Edition collectible case featuring artwork created by award-winning comic book artist Alex Ross." Here's word on the game's protagonist: "Set against the backdrop of the American Revolution in the late 18th century, Assassin's Creed III introduces a new hero, Ratohnhaké:ton, of Native American and English heritage. Adopting the name Connor, he becomes the new voice for justice in the ancient war between the Assassins and Templars. Players become an Assassin in the war for liberty against ruthless tyranny in the most stylized and fluid combat experiences in the franchise to date. Assassin's Creed III spans the Revolutionary War, taking gamers from the vibrant, untamed frontier to bustling colonial towns and the intense, chaotic battlefields where George Washington's Continental Army clashed with the imposing British Army." Continue here to read the full story.

Rockstar Games has word on a preorder bonus for those who order Max Payne 3 before April 15th. This commitment will get early access to the "Pill Bottle" loadout item, which allows you "to carry more health-reviving painkillers as you fight," since the two things we know about painkillers is how healthy they make you, and how they must always be stored in proper pill bottles. They have a list of locations where you can earn this bonus.

The Diablo III Fansite Q&A on IncGamers answers a bunch of questions about Blizzard's upcoming action/RPG sequel. In keeping with the approach of the game's release, the questions and answers focus more on minutia than anything.

• Anno 2070 DLC Packs on Steam.
• Anno 2070 Update on Steam.
• CrimeCraft Update on Steam.
• Trine 2 Update on Steam.
• Waveform Update on Steam.

• Confrontation on Steam. Save 10% on pre-purchases.
• Neverwinter Nights Diamond on GameStop PC Downloads. Save 75%.
• Sonic the Hedgehog 4 - Episode I on Steam. Save 66%.

• The Age of Decadence on GameBanshee.
• Assassin's Creed III on Strategy Informer.
• Guild Wars 2 on Player Attack.

• Comcast 360 Video Won't Count Against Your Cap. Thanks Ant.
• Net neutrality concerns raised about Comcast's Xbox On Demand service.
• Ghost Recon- Future Soldier beta coming in April for Playstation Plus Members.

• Public Knowledge Wants FCC to Investigate Caps. Thanks Ant.

Thanks Ant.

• Mass Effect 3 Gameplay Performance and IQ Review on HARDOCP.
• Notepad++ version 6. Thanks Betanews.
• Why Linux on the Desktop Is Dead. Thanks Linux Today.
• New Nvidia Video Driver Supports Linux Kernel 3.3.

Thanks Ant.

• Tens of thousands of web sites affected in ongoing mass SQL injection attack.
• Product Update for Norton 360 v6.1.2.10.
• Product Update version 19.6.2 for Norton Internet Security.
• Gun-shy TSA gets critic booted from Congressional panel.

• TiVo accuses Motorola, Time Warner of violating "time warp" patents
• Facebook moves to dismiss NY man's ownership claim. Thanks HARDOCP.
• Anti-SOPA Internet Society under fire for hiring MPAA executive. Thanks HARDOCP.
• Google ordered to delete terms from autocomplete in Japan. Thanks HARDOCP.

Link of the Day: BioShock Short Film. Thanks Ant.

Sony Online Entertainment announces SOE Live, a face-to-face gathering in Las Vegas this October for players of SOE's MMOGs can gather and meet the each other and the developers of the games, get a look at PlanetSide 2, and gain exclusive access to new announcements and beta programs, tournaments, premium swag and more." Here's word:

Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) today announced that its annual fan event will now be called SOE LIVE and will take place at Bally's in Las Vegas, October 18-21, 2012. An annual SOE-sponsored event, SOE Live is set to be the ultimate gathering for the SOE community, and provides players an opportunity to celebrate their favorite games across SOE's portfolio of titles, including: DC Universe™ Online, EverQuest®, EverQuest II, Free Realms®, Magic: The Gathering - Tactics®, PlanetSide® 2, Star Wars®: Clone Wars Adventures™ and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes®.

"The 'SOE Live' name change represents a deeper meaning behind our annual event," said Laura Naviaux, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales, Sony Online Entertainment. "As our game portfolio continues to expand, we wanted to better represent our diverse player base and games, including the newest additions to the SOE family, with DC Universe Online, Free Realms, Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures, and the highly anticipated PlanetSide 2. Previous event attendees can rest assured that we are not removing any of our established activities in order to accommodate the new players; rather, they can expect even more to make this the ultimate SOE fan experience."

SOE Live reflects the belief that all SOE players are part of one extended family and presents an opportunity for fans of all ages to meet the talented people behind some of the online world's most successful games. In addition to a slew of social events, SOE will host developer panel discussions and game-themed live events, giving attendees a chance to voice their opinions of current and upcoming game content. SOE Live will also feature exclusive access to new announcements and beta programs, tournaments, premium swag and more.

Some details emerged on the GameSpot forums that allegedly reveal specifics about the characters and story in Grand Theft Auto V, the next installment in the open-world action series, said to have been spilled by a disgruntled former employee. The post was deleted, but VG247 notes it can still be found on the Google cache. According to the post, the game will be shown in playable form at E3 this year, and the game is expected in May 2013.

Starbreeze reveals plans for Cold Mercury, a "freemium" game, reports GamesIndustry International, though details are scant at this time. "Starbreeze will not leave the AAA segment," says Mikael Nermark, CEO of Starbreeze. "We are discussing with several leading game publisher on publisher financed games, but we will broaden our product portfolio of games in the new business models and segments that have arisen in the games industry. I am convinced that Starbreeze will be successful with the new games."

Andriasang has details on Phantasy Star Online 2, saying beta testing for the upcoming follow-up to SEGA's MMORPG will begin this month. They have some screenshots, and word on plans to bring the series to mobile devices: "The PC version of PSO2 will be arriving first (as previously promised), with service planned to begin in early summer. The smartphone version will come next, in Winter 2012. The Vita version is due in Spring 2013." Thanks VG247.

GfK Chart-Track has the list of the bestselling full-price PC entertainment titles for the week ending March 24th. There's a new entry at number one: Total War: Shogun 2 - Fall of the Samurai, on an otherwise stable chart. The all-platforms chart has two new entries in the top 10: Kid Icarus: Uprising at number seven and Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City at number two.

A new patch is now available for Anno 2070, updating the strategy sequel to version 1.04. The new version adds a notepad function, improves Diplomacy, fixes some quest bugs, and more. The download is mirrored on Gamer's Hell and The Patches Scrolls, and here are the change notes: Continue here to read the full story.

The WMD Portal has images and details for a new alpha build .179 of Project Cars, the upcoming driving game from Slightly Mad Studios. Word is: "The build introduces California Highway & Azure Coast, two point-to-point country tracks located in a stunningly beautiful setting. If you need a break from circuit racing, these tracks offer the perfect opportunity for a scenic drive." This trailer offers a look at the new build in action. Continue here to read the full story.

• Naval War: Arctic Circle on Gaming Nexus.
• WoW: Mists of Pandaria on Gaming Illustrated.

• Microsoft 'to release Xbox Lite before next-gen console'.
• BlazBlue devs announces Xblaze.
• Assassin’s Creed III Wii U support detailed.
• Diablo 3 on console will be 'a true Blizzard-level experience'.

• PS Vita News- Silent Hill Vita delayed.
• Cipherz on the iTunes App Store.
• Save the Monster on the iTunes App Store.

• Flawed sign-in services from Google and Facebook imperil user accounts.
• Facebook Selling Log-Out Ads for $700K a Pop. Thanks HARDOCP.

Thanks Ant.

• Steve Jobs's Last Gift To Apple Employees. Thanks Digg.
• The Tech Report 108- Take three tablets and call Dr. Kepler in the morning.
• Theaters will charge premium on 2D movies in order to lower the cost of 3D movie tickets. Utter idiots.

• Brazilian city uses computer chips embedded in school uniforms to keep track of students. Thanks HARDOCP.

• Copyright isn't dead just because we're not willing to let it regulate us. Thanks Boing Boing.
• Microsoft Joins Financial Services Industry to Disrupt Massive Zeus Cybercrime Operation. Thanks HARDOCP.
• Microsoft censors Pirate Bay links in Windows Live Messenger.

• J.U.L.I.A. on Strategy Informer.
• Kingdoms of Amalur: The Reckoning on PC Gamer.
• Starpoint Gemini on GameSpot.com.

• ASUS P9X79WS Motherboard on Bjorn3D.com.
• Bequiet Shadow Rock TopFlow Cooler on Overclock3D.
• Crucial Adrenaline SSD on The SSD Review and TechSpot Reviews.
• Cyborg M.M.O.7 Gaming Mouse on eTeknix.
• GIGABYTE Z68XP-UD5 Motherboard on PureOC.
• HIS Radeon HD 7770 iCooler GHz Edition 1GB Graphics Card on TweakTown.
• Mad Catz Cyborg M.M.O. 7 Gaming Mouse on Mad Shrimps.
• Monster iSport Immersion In-Ear Headphones on t-break.
• Noctua NH-L12 Low Profile Heatsink on Ninjalane.com.
• Noctua NH-D14 SE2011 CPU Cooler on Nikk Tech.
• NZXT Switch 810 Case on Overclockers Online.
• Plextor M3 256GB SATA 6Gb/s SSD on The SSD Review.
• Samsung Galaxy Note Smartphone on Hardware Canucks.
• SanDisk Extreme 240GB SATA III on PureOC.

Thanks Ant.

• Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment to Manage Codemasters’ Video Game Distribution for the Americas…
• Bundle4Dead. Four indie games for $4.00…
• GAME Group officially enters administration and GAME CEO quits, disappointed by media coverage…
• Javascript game of tron in 221 bytes. Thanks Slashdot…
• Solitary Sand, a text-based survival game…
• CCP launches investigation after Eve Online FanFest panel accused of mocking suicidal player…

I cooked up some hot dogs and burgers for everyone over the weekend, which worked out well (though I failed at my plan to tempt my older niece, who hates hamburgers, to try a slider). It also became apparent that grill's time has come: one of the legs broke off from rust at spot where a hole for a shelf caused a breach in the leg's powder coating. Several other parts of the grill are shot, including the grill grates and the fire tray, and though replacements for those are readily available, with the framework starting to rot it's time to move on. I continue to contemplate the virtues of a Kamado grill, but as my need for lots of grilling space is the most important consideration which will probably push me back towards another Char-Griller or similar model, though I would do something to prevent a recurrence of this leg rusting incident. The other thing I want to check into are the benefits of these newfangled infrared grills, though those involve propane. Decisions, decisions.

Hot Links:	Thanks Ant and Mike Martinez and Acleacius.
Play:	Epic Stand. Madness: Project Nexus.
Links:	Militarizing Your Backyard with Python and AI. Thanks Slashdot. 2012's Top 10 Spring Allergy Cities. Here’s How You Should Hold the Steering Wheel.
Stories:	Cameron plans to film Avatar sequel 7 miles below the sea. Thanks Slashdot. I'm Batman... Getting Pulled Over In A Lamborghini. Thanks nin.
Images:	Ouch, overclocking mishap.
Media:	I'm Nerdy and I Know It. Perpetual Motion Bulldog. Awesome Frisbee Trick Shots.
The Funnies:	xkcd: Share Buttons. ActionTrip Comic Strip: The Life of Max Payne.