Capcom announces DuckTales: Remastered is coming to Windows this summer. Word is: "Woo-hoo! You guys demanded it, so we’re unbelievably happy to announce that your most requested platform will indeed be receiving DuckTales: Remastered! Yep, Capcom’s heartwarming collaboration with Disney and WayForward will definitely be pogoing onto hard drives everywhere via Steam, Origin, Impulse, GamersGate, Green Man Gaming and numerous other places PC gamers download their wares." This trailer offers a look. Continue here to read the full story.

Battle.net was news that spawning is coming to StarCraft II, offering the ability to play the real-time strategy sequel with a friend who does not own the game, just like you could in the original StarCraft. Here's a video explaining all this, and here's word:

Nowadays, anyone who hasn’t yet purchased StarCraft II can still play, thanks to the Starter Edition. While Starter Edition players have access to much of the game, there are many features that they previously couldn’t try before upgrading to the full game. Spawning closes that gap. Any player at a lower expansion level who joins a party that includes a player at a higher expansion level is Spawned up, and gets to play using the features and options of the highest expansion level for as long as they’re in a party together.

For example, when a Starter Edition player joins a party with a Wings of Liberty-level player, both are instantly playing Wings of Liberty. When those two players then join a party with a Heart of the Swarm-level player, they all immediately gain access to Heart of the Swarm content, and they keep that access until their party no longer includes any higher-expansion level players.

A Kickstarter Update for Shadow of the Eternals has word from Precursor Games that they are closing the crowdfunding campaigns on Kickstarter and their website for this proposed "spiritual successor" to Eternal Darkness from Denis Dyack and other veterans of Silicon Knights. The update explains their fundraising efforts "have seen more support from our community than we had ever hoped for," even though their Kickstarter has raised under 10% of its goal. They say this unprecedented level of lukewarm support has presented them with "a host of a new exciting opportunities that will make the game better than we envisioned," and they plan on relaunching their Kickstarter "in just a few short weeks with a reveal of these exciting new developments." Thanks Joao.

Bethesda announces the release of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Legendary Edition:

We’re pleased to announce that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim® Legendary Edition is now available in retail stores across North America for $59.99.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Legendary Edition includes the original critically-acclaimed game, official add-ons – Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn – and added features like combat cameras, mounted combat, Legendary difficulty mode for hardcore players, and Legendary skills – enabling you to master every perk and level up your skills infinitely.

For more information on The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim® or Legendary Edition, please visit www.elderscrolls.com.

CCP Games announces the launch of EVE Online: Odyssey, the 19th expansion for EVE Online, their sci-fi MMORPG. This page has details and media from the add-on, here are the Patch Notes, here's a trailer for the expansion, here's video explaining Archaeology and Hacking, and here's word from the announcement:

EVE Online: Odyssey brings evolved and enhanced spaceship metrics for multiple ship classes and redistributed stellar resource landscape, exploration sites, and NPC loot across the universe. These changes will shake up EVE’s player-driven economy and rattle tenuous diplomatic ties between even the largest player alliances of New Eden. Allegiances will shift, markets will boom and crash, and fresh wars will rage across the cosmos as EVE’s notorious pilots do what they do best—follow their ambitions and live their own unique and dramatic stories.

The Kickstarter for MASSIVE CHALICE announces the proposed tactical strategy game from Double Fine Productions has met its $725K funding goal with over three weeks remaining in their campaign (thanks nin). This leaves plenty of time to crack their stretch goals, except they don't list any, saying:

This Kickstarter is clean and simple. We’re asking for the minimum amount to make an awesome game, and the game’s scope will grow based on the amount of total backing we receive. There will be ongoing conversations with the community as new features are considered, so stay tuned and let us know what you'd like to see in the game!

• Atomic Indie Bundle on Bundle Stars. 12 games for $5.00.
• BRAINPIPE- A Plunge to Unhumanity on GamersGate. Save 25%.
• Data Jammers: FastForward on GamersGate. Save 25%.
• EA Action Bundle on GameStop PC Downloads. Save 66%.
• EA Adventure Bundle on GameStop PC Downloads. Save 66%.
• The Humble Indie Bundle 8 (pay what you want and help charity). Adds four new games.
• Mirror's Edge Bundle on GameStop PC Downloads. Save 75%.
• The Sims Medieval Bundle on GameStop PC Downloads. Save 75%.
• World of Warcraft Character Services 50% Off.

• MechWarrior Online Patch Notes - 1.2.226 - 04-06-2013.

• Microsoft prowls Hollywood for more exclusive Xbox One video content.

Thanks Ant.

• Amazon Prime jumps into bed with Viacom.
• Fairphone aims for a, well, fair phone.
• Zynga shuts down OMGPOP, estimates say company lost $528,000 per day.

Thanks Ant.

• AmazonFresh local grocery delivery reportedly expanding to LA, San Francisco this year.
• APPLE-SA-2013-06-04-2 Safari 6.0.5.
• Verizon Strikes New Live Game Streaming Deal With NFL.
• Internet Explorer 10 takes chunks out of IE9, Windows 8 closes on Vista.

Thanks Ant.

• An open letter to Microsoft about Windows Red. Thanks OS news.
• Intel's Thunderbolt 2 Doubles Bandwidth, Enabling 4K Video Transfer & Display.
• APPLE-SA-2013-06-04-1 OS X Mountain Lion v10.8.4 and Security Update 2013-002.
• Visual Studio 2013 announced.
• Password crackers go green by immersing their GPUs in mineral oil.

• Deadline Looms for Suspect to Decrypt Laptop, or Go Directly to Jail. Thanks HARDOCP.
• Obama administration comes out swinging against patent trolls.

• The Swapper: How to Get All 10 Secret Steam Achievements…

Link of the Day: WIN Compilation - (June, 2013). Thanks Ant.

Gazillion Entertainment announces the official launch of Marvel Heroes, the free-to-play superhero MMORPG designed by Diablo mastermind David Brevik. "For over three years we’ve been building Marvel Heroes to be an exciting, free-to-play massively multiplayer action game, and we are ecstatic to finally put it in the hands of Marvel fans and gamers alike," said David Brevik, President and COO of Gazillion Entertainment. "The creation of Marvel Heroes has been a labor of love. As a die-hard Marvel fan, it’s an honor to give players the chance to take on the roles of their favorite Marvel Super Hero in an epic adventure." Here's the game's opening cinematic which gets all those origin stories out of the way, and here's word on the game:

At launch, Marvel Heroes will feature 21 Super Heroes, each with unique and extensive leveling systems, power trees and equipment. Players can choose to wear costumes from over 70 years of Marvel history, including costumes from Marvel’s recent theatrical blockbusters Marvel’s The Avengers and Iron Man 3. At any time, players can swap between their favorite Marvel Super Heroes on the fly. Set across diverse locations from the Marvel Universe, Marvel Heroes offers fast-paced, action-packed game play with a robust crafting system, intense player-versus-player (PvP) combat, End Game, and much more.

Gazillion will be frequently releasing updates to add new content to the free-to-play experience, including additional story missions, new playable Marvel Super Heroes, end-game content and much more.

To download and start playing Marvel Heroes today, visit http://www.marvelheroes.com or download the game on Steam.

Firefly Studios announces they plan to reveal Stronghold Crusader 2 at E3 next week, though of course this actually reveals plans for their siege gameplay series today. At E3 they will roll out video and screenshots from the game, and presumably release new details, though they offer quite a bit already, including a Q4 2013 release window and word that they will be crowdsourcing some of the funding for the self-published project. Here's word:

London, UK – 4th June 2013 – Strategy fans and castle builders rejoice, Firefly Studios has just announced the next entry in their legendary Stronghold series will be revealed at E3 2013. Set to march across the Atlantic next week Stronghold Crusader 2 will be shown to press at E3, with the first screenshots and game trailer released to the public shortly after.

Seeking to build upon the trademark gameplay of the original Stronghold Crusader, Firefly will be showing press the game’s new visuals, sleek new battle interface, new units and AI characters. Stronghold Crusader 2 promises the original game’s epic fast-paced skirmish gameplay with all-new maps, unit classes, traps and unique castle designs not seen before in the Stronghold series.

“The Stronghold series has been a huge success. Since the launch of the first game more than 6 million Stronghold games have been sold and it’s all thanks to the fans, many of whom have been with us from the very start,” said Nick Tannahill, Marketing Manager at Firefly Studios. “We can’t wait to show people what we’ve been working on and will do just that with our E3 reveal. I’m happy to announce that we will also be launching the full Crusader 2 website on June 11th, which will feature the game’s first trailer, artwork and more”.

Currently scheduled for release in Q4 2013, Stronghold Crusader 2 will be self-published by Firefly Studios. Later this year the team plans to seek additional funds through game-focused crowd sourcing service Gambitious, with funding going towards polish, a closed backer-only beta and additional game content.

More news and information on Stronghold Crusader 2 can be found at StrongholdCrusader2.com and fans can help fund the latest crusade at Gambitious.com. Follow @SHCrusader2 for updates on the crowd funding campaign and updates on the development of Stronghold Crusader 2.

An Eidos-Montreal post on Vine offers a more concrete tease for Deus: Ex: The Fall than the indications from yesterday that a follow-up to Deus Ex: Human Revolution is in the offing. The clip, restricted to the site's signature 140 characters six seconds of video, shows a logo with the title, and concludes with a date: 05/06/13, a strong indication they will unveil a new installment in the action/RPG series tomorrow, unless they are writing the date in U.S. notation, in which case this reveal was last month and we missed it. Thanks nin.

The Halo Website has the not-unexpected announcement of Halo: Spartan Assault, with the unexpected twist that this is a Windows game. However, this is not a typical installment in the series, it's a top-down shooter that's coming to Windows 8 and Windows Phones this July at a bargain price. Here's word:

Available only for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, "Halo: Spartan Assault" is a new top-down action shooter that brings a "Halo" video game to touch-based devices for the first time in franchise history. Developed by 343 Industries in conjunction with Vanguard Games, "Halo: Spartan Assault" provides an accessible, pick-up-and-play experience for fans and newcomers alike.

Set between the events of "Halo 3" and "Halo 4," "Halo: Spartan Assault" is a new chapter of the award-winning "Halo" universe that explores the first missions of the Spartan Ops program and dives deeper into the backstory of Human-Covenant wars. Play through the eyes of either Commander Sarah Palmer or Spartan Davis stationed aboard the UNSC Infinity as they fight never-before-seen battles against Covenant forces.

With rich storytelling, intuitive controls, and best-in-class action, audio and graphics, "Halo: Spartan Assault" brings the epic scale and action of the "Halo" universe to mobile devices through unrivaled action and intensity.

Continue here to read the full story.

Games Workshop and Cyanide Studio announce they are now offering an open beta of Blood Bowl: Star Coach, on Steam, offering early access to the Blood Bowl spinoff they're creating for Windows, OS X, and tablets. This is a free-to-play game, and they plan to reward testers with some in-game space bux as a thank you. Here's word:

To thank the first players for their contribution to this Beta, Cyanide will offer a pack of Cyans, usable in-game when Blood Bowl®: Star Coach™ is officially launched. Blood Bowl®: Star Coach™ is a tactical, free-to-play game, in which the player is placed at the head of blood thirstry, glory hunting football team. Dwarfs, elves, humans and a host of other fantasy creatures will be your keys to victory. It's up to the coach to create his team and to set up the various defense and offence tactics. That done, there's no relaxing as matches are played in a no-holds-barred atmosphere with little guarantee that players will escape unscathed. Fortunately, a replay mode allows the coach to understand his tactical errors and to pinpoint strategies worth repeating. It’s a new game whose aim is to create a hitherto unpublished experience which mixes team management and the Blood Bowl world.

This trailer offers a cinematic look at World of Warships, Wargaming's upcoming MMOG previously known as World of Battleships. This paves the way for showing off the game at E3 next week: "The video release marks the company's first debut of the title, which will take E3 attendees into an immersive theater experience at Wargaming's booth (#601 South Hall). In the demos, which will take place one per hour, attendees will be placed in the middle of the action in intense naval engagements and deadly aircraft strafing runs."

A Kickstarter looks to raise $900K to fund Armikrog, a claymation-style adventure game from Pencil Test Studios, a developer that includes Earthworm Jim creator Doug TenNapel and the creators of The Neverhood (thanks siapnar). Here's the pitch: "The founders of Pencil Test Studios, Mike Dietz and Ed Schofield (also from Earthworm Jim and The Neverhood), have assembled much of the original Neverhood development team to create a brand new game that blurs the lines between art and technology, using stop-motion animation and sculpture to bring this project to life."

• Borderlands 2, Dungeons and Dragons, and not talking down to nerds- Part one of our massive chat with Anthony Burch.
• Wargaming kicks 'pay-to-win' monetization to the curb.
• The Wester Front: Paradox CEO on life as a niche publisher - GamesIndustry International.

• Blizzard Entertainment Is Going to San Diego Comic-Con 2013. No word if they're cosplaying.

• The Evil Within on Strategy Informer.
• Telepath Tactics on SinisterDesign.net. May 2013 Update.

• Lionhead tease HD remake of original Fable: The Lost Chapters.
• Harmonix's next project is Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved.

Thanks Ant.

• Apple removes the download option from Quicktime trailers website. Solution to the few users who still don't hate QuickTime. Thanks Dark Horizons.
• Online Dating Really Can Lead to Love. Almost like it's dating. Thanks Slashdot.
• Vine Gets RickRoll’D With A Three Minute Video. Thanks nin.
• Aus Gov goes cloud.

• Upgrading Windows from 1.0 to Windows 8 Pro.
• TweakTown Blue Prodigy PC breaks PCMark Storage World Record at Computex 2013.
• IBM Roomba-Based Robot Measures Data Centre Heat. Thanks Ant via Slashdot.
• Corsair Launches Vengeance Pro Series DDR3 Memory.

• Pirate Bay Blockade Whac-a-Mole Continues in UK. Thanks Ant.
• Apple calls e-book price fixing case “bizarre,” says DOJ is being unfair.

• Expeditions: Conquistador on IncGamers.
• Pinball FX2 on True PC Gaming.
• Remember Me on gamesTM.
• Reus on Strategy Informer.
• Sanctum 2 on True PC Gaming.
• Wargame: AirLand Battle on games.on.net.

• Astro Gaming A50 wireless gaming headset on Gaming-Daddy.
• ASUS Crosshair V Formula Z Motherboard on Overclockers Club.
• ASUS Republic Of Gamers Maximus VI Hero Intel Z87 Motherboard on Legit Reviews.
• Cougar Spike on techPowerUp.
• Gigabyte U2442F Ultrabook on XSReviews.
• Gigabyte Z87X-UD3H Motherboard on Hardware Secrets.
• Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 on ThinkComputers.org.
• PQI Air Card 4GB Wi-Fi SDHC on TweakTown.
• Samsung 5-Series NP540U3C-A01 13.3-inch Ultrabook Notebook on PCSTATS.com.
• SanDisk Extreme II Series 120GB, 240GB and 480GB SSD on AnandTech, Guru3D, Legit Reviews, and TweakTown.

• Good Game - Season 9 Episode 17. Thanks Ant…

I'm glad I mentioned the Game of Thrones episode yesterday, because I found the brief discussion of it here far more sensible and informative than what I saw in other, presumably more GoT-appropriate places. In particular I appreciate the explanation of the significance of the musical score they played as being informative, and the link supplied by jacobvandy to this Twitter account retweeting the extremely overwrought reaction to this for entertainment. That made me feel sadistic enough already before watching this spoilery video (NSFW) sent along by Acleacius, which is also an odd revelation that a lot of people tape themselves watching TV. Perhaps the best unhappy reaction to the episode was in this (obviously spoilery) Onion article.

R.I.P.: Hall of Fame DE Deacon Jones of famed Fearsome Foursome dead at 74. Two of the three famous David Joneses now gone (the survivor, David Bowie changed his name). And Rosey Grier is now the only living survivor of the Fearsome Foursome.

Cruel Links:	Thanks Ant and Acleacius and nin.
Play:	Planet Wars. Freedom Tower - The Invasion.
Links:	-The Sopranos- - The Best Written Show Ever? The Twilight Zone??
Stories:	"Lantern" Scribe Re-Writes "Blade Runner 2". Gigli writer not available.
Media:	Mortal Kombat Flipbook. Improvise - Adapt - Overcome. Prank to a flight attendant. Cats vs Fox (Part 1).
Follow-Up:	Your car is not a tornado shelter.