Facebook page for America's Army announces that this America's Army: Proving Ground page is now accepting signups to beta test the next installment in the first-person shooter created as a recruiting tool by the U.S. Army (thanks Joystiq via GameSpot). Word is:

Wanted: Beta Testers

We bet that got your attention, huh? That’s right, we’re looking for volunteers for our Beta Tester team to help test the next version of America’s Army which is due out this year!

Let’s say that again, THIS YEAR!

Go to http://portal.americasarmy.com/ to register your Soldier name for a chance to be selected as one of our new Beta Testers!

Good Luck Soldiers!

Irrational Games now offers the promised alternate box art for BioShock Infinite, Irrational's first-person shooter sequel. Word is:

A few months ago, we asked our fans to vote on your favorite alternative cover that would come with all copies of BioShock Infinite. Design #4 ended up winning with 38% of the vote, and can be seen upon opening up your very own case. As originally promised, though, we’re now making every cover from the original voting process available for download and printing, along with a few more custom designs.

To view them all, and to choose your platform of choice, click here. Please remember to read the printing instructions before downloading, since we would hate to see our fans waste a few nice sheets of glossy paper from a misprint.

• Revolution Under Siege gets Updated.

• Guns of Icarus Online—Adventure Mode Kickstarter Biweekly Update #1.

• Blizzard buys IGN Pro League tech, assets.

• Report: Next Xbox set for May 21st reveal.
• Bloomberg: Next Xbox won't be backwards-compatible.
• Microsoft building "Cloud TV" platform for Xbox.
• Halo 4 Castle Map Pack on Xbox LIVE.
• Miyamoto: Wii U skepticism same as DS.
• Why Game Developers Are Flocking to Sony and Fleeing From Microsoft. Thanks nin.
• StarCraft: Ghost still in development- Infamous vaporware may yet solidify on PlayStation. Thanks VG247.
• Rock Band: some DLC tracks removed from store as licensing agreements expire.
• Skyrim 1.9 Update on Consoles.
• Ouya downplays early criticism.
• PS3 Super Slim 500GB God of War Ascension Legacy Bundle with God of War Saga.
• Xbox Tournaments with Virgin Gaming coming this week.

• AirPlaying music and video from iPad to Raspberry Pi—it’s as easy as….
• Sky Without Sun: Target for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad on the iTunes App Store.

Thanks nin.

• Global Web Domain Names Surpass 250 Million Mark.
• Nationwide Google Fiber would cost $11B over five years, probably will never happen.
• Microsoft sells IPTV platform Mediaroom to Ericsson, Xbox to be '100 percent' of consumer TV strategy.
• Redditor uses popular meme to confess a murder.
• WikiLeaks 'Kissinger Cables' Reveal How Much Russians Loved Joni Mitchell. Blowing the lid off Cold War secrets.
• Broadcasters Worry About 'Zero TV' Homes. Thanks HARDOCP.
• Are you ready? Messenger merges with Skype. Thanks Ant.
• Does WebKit face a troubled future now that Google is gone?
• Sky Email Avalanche Angers Customers. Thanks Slashdot.
• Shodan: The scariest search engine on the Internet. One would only imagine.
• How The Internet Found My Stolen Beetle.

• Intel’s next Thunderbolt version doubles speeds, can multitask.
• Blue state: Microsoft's tricky strategy to strike back against Apple and Google. Thanks Ant via OSnews.
• Sony’s 4K UltraHD TVs plummet in price, but content still scarce.

Thanks j.c.f.

• Anonymous Hits Israel with a Massive Cyber Attack, Israel Attacks Back.
• Closing the Door on Hackers - NYTimes.com. Thanks Ant via Linux Security.
• Facebook tries to reassure users about privacy on Facebook Home.
• In 92% of Attacks ZIP Files Are Used to Deliver Malware, FireEye Study Finds.
• Skype, Dropbox Patch Critical Facebook Authentication Bugs.
• Skype Malware Stealing Victims' Processing Power to Mine Bitcoins.
• Scribd Hacked, Some Users’ Passwords Possibly Compromised.

• USPTO backtracks on iPad mini trademark being “merely descriptive”.
• Lodsys adds Gameloft, Gamevil and others to its in-app purchases lawsuit.
• Former Zynga manager sues social game company over shares lock-up.
• NinjaVideo link site founder out of prison, wants to lead “free media movement”.
• News Corp. COO: If we lose Aereo copyright case, we‘ll stop broadcasting.
• Man convicted for hijacking ex-girlfriend’s MySpace account.

• Capcom sanctioned live-action Street Fighter series gets Kickstarter…
• Good Game - Pocket Edition Season 9 Episode 8. Thanks Ant…
• Decline in tax breaks forcing Canadian devs to relocate…
• Sony Online Entertainment to use PlanetSide 2 engine for all its future MMOs…
• AVGN Adventures – Official Debut Teaser. Videos of developers raging about it to follow? Thanks Ant…

Link of the Day: Darth Baby's Lightsaber. Thanks Ant.

R.I.P.: Ex-Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher dies, aged 87.
R.I.P.: 'Mickey Mouse Club' original Annette Funicello dies.

The Unreal Engine Twitter feed has results of the 2013 Make Something Unreal Live competition, offering Facebook photos of the festivities. Here's word from the official announcement: "Epic Games, Inc., creators of award-winning games and game technology, announced from the Gadget Show Live, that Dead Shark Triplepunch, the winning team at Make Something Unreal Live 2013, has won a host of hardware prizes in addition to the main award of a commercial Unreal Engine 4 licence. The team, from Belkinge Institute of Technology in Sweden, blew away MSUL judges with their game Epigenesis, which was developed with Epic’s Unreal Development Kit (UDK), the free edition of the award-winning Unreal Engine 3." Epic also announces the top two finalists will receive an additional Unreal Engine 3 license specifically for the publication of the games they developed for the competition, which must be packed with action, since this year's theme was "Mendelian inheritance: genetics and genomics."

A Kickstarter is now underway in an effort to fund Grimlands, the post-apocalyptic FPS/MMORPG announced in 2011 before being cancelled last month. The game has actually been in development for five years now, "Grimlands is the MMORPG we always wanted to play," says Lucjan Mikociak, the game's head of development. "We strive to mix the shooter- and RPG-gameplay inspired by Fallout 3 and Borderlands with the social dynamics and freedom of choice like in Ultima Online." They outline their plans for what they would do with the $650K they seek and how the game's hybrid subscription/free-to-play model will work.

The Kickstarter campaign for Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues has concluded, having collected nearly double the $1 million target set for the upcoming RPG from Ultima creator Richard "Lord British"" Garriott. Here's word on what follows:

A sincere thank you goes out to all our backers for pledging your support to “Shroud of the Avatar” and helping us raise almost double our Kickstarter goal! This game would not be possible without your dedication and feedback – what a fantastic experience it’s been to interact with all of you, learning what is most important and desired in our new world.

And we very much look forward to continuing that interaction, so please follow us to our official site at ShroudOfTheAvatar.com and join us in our continuing discussions and efforts. We’ll have regular updates and information for friends old and new. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter, or tweet us with #LBSOTA to keep the conversation alive!

The new GfK Chart-Track Listing of the 20 bestselling full-priced PC games in the U.K. for the week ending April 6th. SimCity has returned to the top spot in a chart that's always been Sims heavy (40% of the chart is Sims games, supporting the franchise's infinite SKU approach). BioShock Infinite falls to number two this week on that chart, but retains the number one position on the all-platforms chart, where Tomb Raider remains number two and Defiance debuts at number three.

This clip features live action performances from Peter Stormare and J.B. Smoove to promote the upcoming Uprising map pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. Stormare reprises his role as "the Replacer," who has enlisted Smoove as a new partner so the pair can fill in for your "regular" life as you play the military shooter sequel. The clip shows several examples of the replacers at work replacing, but also concludes with some footage of gameplay from the add-on. Continue here to read the full story.

This trailer offers a look at Distance, the recently Kickstarted arcade racing game in the works at Refract Studios. The footage is pre-alpha gameplay that was shown off to attendees at the just-concluded Game Developer's Conference. To accompany the clip, here's a refresher on the game:

Distance is a Windows/Mac/Linux survival racing game that combines the intense action of arcade racing with the exploration of an atmospheric world. You control a unique car that allows you to boost, jump, rotate, and even fly through a chaotic and twisted city. The world has a mysterious history, and as you explore you'll be able to uncover pieces of its past.

The roads are treacherous and unpredictable with obstacles around every corner. Instead of doing laps on a loop, you'll be trying to survive to the end in the quickest time. Since your car has several abilities, it allows you to not only drive fast on the track but also upside down and on buildings and walls! You can also fly to discover new shortcuts and paths.

Continue here to read the full story.

A new trailer from Thunder Wolves offers a look at this upcoming helicopter combat game from Most Wanted Entertainment. The clip's description is in German, but a translation shows it touts "hard-hitting action and massive explosions," which are indeed included. Continue here to read the full story.

• The Minecraft Creator Markus Persson Faces Life After Fame - The New Yorker. Thanks Game Genus.
• Do it right, don’t “just f**king ship it”- Part one of our massive Defiance interview · games.on.net.
• Matt Chat 189- Swen Vincke on Divinity- Original Sin. Thanks Ant.

Gamasutra - VGVN Touts 500k Members- Does It Really Mean Anything?
For many months, the ESA openly claimed support of SOPA. They claimed it was necessary to protect their members’ interests and profits from online piracy. However, many consumer groups opposed the legislation as it would have had severe unintended consequences for free speech online. Many consumer organizations were in opposition of SOPA except the VGVN. Throughout the whole debate and the site blackouts all over the internet, the VGVN never once spoke up in support of its members. It never once said a single thing in regards to SOPA. Despite many attempts to contact someone at the VGVN, I never once heard back from them. This event showed that those 500,000 members it claims to represent don’t matter when the interests of its publisher controlled master clash.

So what should you do if you are a “member” of the VGVN? That’s up to you ultimately. However, my suggestion is to unsubscribe. I have no idea if that will delete you completely and you will no longer be counted when it touts its numbers, but at least it sends some kind of message. My other suggestion is to join a gamer organization that actually cares about you. One that is independent of any corporate masters. A group like the Entertainment Consumers Association. (disclaimer, I am a member and work with them over at Game Politics as well as other aspects) This group has done wonders over the years to protect the rights and interests of gamers. Yes it costs money to be a member and to stay a member, but the benefits you get in return far outweigh the costs.

Don’t be fooled by big numbers like those touted by the VGVN. Those are mere distractions from what really matters, its record. What does it really stand for and who is it really speaking up for. That is what matters in the end. If it is not 100% on your side, then you should not be on its side.

• Half-Life 2 triumphs in Develop 100 Critics' Choice.
• First Call of Duty Championships dominated by team Fariko Impact.

• Report - Next Xbox priced at $500.
• Developing for PS4 is 'a really pleasant surprise,' says Ubisoft Montreal.
• Defiance Developers Address Launch Issues, Patches On The Way.
• Darkstalkers Resurrection Title Update: Release Date Confirmed.
• GameStick Dev Units Shipped, Early-backer Consoles Delayed to June. Thanks Ant via Slashdot.
• Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is “an ’80s VHS vision of the future” starring Michael Biehn.
• Schafer: Double Fine toying with PS4.
• Halo Has Micro-Transactions 'Potential' Says Executive Producer.

• Eye-tracking Umoove parks in closed-beta zone. Thanks Acleacius.

• Hulu seeks buyers, gets $500 million bid from former News Corp president.
• Wikileaks releases The Kissinger Cables. Thanks Ant via Slashdot.
• How a banner ad for H&R Block appeared on apple.com—without Apple’s OK.
• Google sells Frommer's brand after only eight months – to Arthur Frommer. Thanks HARDOCP.

• Set your watches for the end of Windows XP. Thanks Ant via Slashdot.
• It's an ideal time to have Linux skills, SUSE exec says. Thanks Linux Today.
• The World's Richest In Tech Billionaires 2013. Thanks HARDOCP.

• Chinese Hackers May Gain Advantage From U.S. Attempt to Block Chinese Hackers. Thanks Acleacius.

• Study suggests patent office lowered standards to cope with backlog.
• Meet the nice-guy lawyers who want $1,000 per worker for using scanners.
• Patent troll Lodsys sues 10 mobile game makers, despite Apple’s intervention.

• Evoland on True PC Gaming.
• Kerbal Space Program on The Indie Mine.
• Sang Froid on games.on.net.
• The Sims 3 University Life on Gaming Nexus.

• CM Storm Ceres 400 Headset on pcGameware.
• HGST Travelstar 7K1000 2.5-inch Mobile Hard Drive on Mad Shrimps.
• HighPoint Rocketstor 5322 Dual eSATA 6Gbps Dock on The SSD Review.
• INEO I-NA321U PLUS Docking Station on Benchmark Reviews.
• NZXT Kraken X60 280mm AIO CPU Cooler on TweakTown.
• OCZ Vertex 3.20 20nm 240GB SSD on Legit Reviews.
• SuperTalent USB 3.0 Express RC4 64GB Flash Drive on The SSD Review.
• Synology DiskStation DS2413+ NAS on TechSpot.
• WD Black 4TB hard drive on The Tech Report.

• Vote for Markus "Notch" Persson to be included on The 2013 TIME 100 Poll…
• Black Ops 2 Multiplayer PC Guide - True PC Gaming…

My rack of lamb was a success last night. The tricky thing with lamb is how small the window is before it starts to overcook, and I hit medium rare on the nose, which was pretty awesome. And to all of you who pointed out that grilling is actually the more traditional method than the oven, I grant you are correct, but to see your ball-busting and raise it: For those who say grilling would be the most traditional method, I'll point out eating the lamb raw probably pre-dated that. So there.

R.I.P.: Acclaimed documentary maker Les Blank dies at 77.

Medium-Rare Links:	Thanks Ant and Acleacius.
Play:	ButtonX20.
Links:	Boy With Brain Cancer Adopted by Husker Football - Scores TD.
Science:	Jupiter Moon's Volcanoes Are in Wrong Spot, Scientists Say.
Images:	Great "do not disturb" status message.
Media:	Val Kilmer Batman Warwick Davis Ricky Gervais Life's Too Short. Thanks nin. Unibrow Discrimination: Social Experiment. How Actors Cry on Cue.
The Funnies:	Dilbert.