Larian Studios announces the release of Divinity: Dragon Commander, saying the Divinity-based strategy game is now available for Windows via digital distribution as well as some retailers. A new launch trailer helps celebrate the release, and here's word:

You are the Dragon Commander. Your mission it is to reunite a broken empire and become the new emperor. Success depends entirely on your ability to efficiently rule your empire, build invincible armies and lead them to victory. Your secret weapons: your tactical insights, your leadership skills and your ability to turn yourself into a dragon.

Dragon Commander is not just any strategy game - it seamlessly blends real-time strategy gameplay with turn-based campaigning, role-playing an ascending emperor and controlling a formidable dragon

The Paradox Forums have details on how they will be offering the preorder bonuses for Europa Universalis IV after the release of the upcoming strategy sequel on August 13th. They also announce a new preorder incentive for those who preorder the Digital Extreme Edition via Uplay will get all the previously revealed bonuses plus a copy of Splinter Cell: Double Agent. Word is they will be offering the various preorder incentives as DLC on day one, including the utility to convert Crusader Kings II saved games for Europa Universalis IV, which will be $9.99. Here's the rundown:

Europa Universalis IV: Digital Extreme Upgrade - $7.99
Stars and Crescent Pack
Horsemen of the Crescent Unit Pack
Conquest of Constantinople Music Pack

Europa Univesalis IV: Pre-order DLC Pack - $6.99
100 Years War Unit Pack
The Purple Phoenix Expansion

Europa Universalis IV: Call to Arms Pack - $3.99
Winged Hussars Pack
National Monuments Pack

Crusader Kings II: Europa Universalis IV converter - $9.99
* copy of Crusader Kings II base game is not included

A new trailer from Saints Row IV introduces the Inauguration Station, a method to manage your manifestation to run the nation in the upcoming Saints Row continuation. The Inauguration Station is now available on Steam right now, and players can upload their creations to the Saints Row website, where they note that you can "download your characters from Saints Row: The Third to update them for Saints Row IV." Continue here to read the full story.

Indie developer Broken Rules announces a return to their PC roots, saying their upcoming SECRETS OF RÆTIKON is coming to Windows, OS X, and Linux (and "possibly consoles") when it's released this year. The SECRETS OF RÆTIKON website offers a first-look gameplay trailer, and here's word: "SECRETS OF RÆTIKON is a game where players fly like birds. They explore a beautiful rugged alpine landscape populated by wild animals. To progress through the game, players reactivate ancient machinery. It is a physical puzzle game as much as an exploration game. SECRETS OF RÆTIKON is a game for anyone who has ever dreamed of flying." Continue here to read the full story.

• The Humble Deep Silver Bundle adds three exceptional titles.
• Resident Evil Revelations / Biohazard Revelations UE on Steam. Save 50%.
• RPG Maker VX Ace on Steam. Save 66%.

• Borderlands 2 Hot Fixes (8/6).
• Dishonored 1.4 Title Update.
• Drox Operative version 11017. Change list.
• Gnomoria Updated.
• Star Wars: The Old Republic version 2.3. Titans of Industry.

• EverQuest Next Class Interview with Producer Terry Michaels - EQHammer.
• The Phoenix Project Interview - Part 2- Monetisation and the future - IncGamers.com.
• No Safety Nets- Edge of Space Interview - True PC Gaming.

• MINECON 2013.
• BlizzCon 2013 Costume Contest – Sign Ups Now Open.
• EA at GaymerX: LGBT inclusivity harms no one's bottom line.
• Ouya-Shield, BBC, Village Life! talks added for GDC Europe.
• Quake Champion crowned at QuakeCon.

• $9 off Tales of Xillia (PS3), Coupon Code, Best Deal, & Cheapest Price.
• What inspired The Last of Us (interview) - GamesBeat.

• In China, Apple overtaken by Xiaomi in smartphone rankings. Thanks Ant.

• Mozilla Firefox version 23.0. Release notes. Thanks Ant via DSLReports.
• Mozilla Thunderbird version 17.0.8. Release notes.
• PuTTY beta version 0.63. Security release.
• News Feed FYI: A Window Into News Feed - Facebook for Business. Thanks HARDOCP.

• Samsung’s 3D Vertical NAND Set to Improve NAND Densities.
• Common car lubricant speeds imaging apps 10X.
• Time Warner Cable: We'll End Blackout If We Can Offer A La Carte. Thanks Ant.

• Surveillance scandal rips through hacker community. Thanks Linux Security.
• TOR Project urges users to stop using Windows, disable JavaScript. Thanks Linux Security.
• How do you stop HTTPS-defeating BREACH attacks? Let us count the ways.
• Twitter rolls out two-factor authentication that’s simpler, more secure.

• SOPA died in 2012, but Obama administration wants to revive part of it. Thanks nin via Consumerist.
• German justice minister proposes ban for US firms that don’t abide privacy laws.

• Environment art and modeling in Kerbal Space Program. Thanks nin…
• FIEA Cohort 9 Capstone Games Debut…
• Good Game - Season 9 Episode 26. Thanks Ant…
• Indie DB offers Hairball for Windows, Mac, and Linux, helping address the shortage of vomit-themed games…

Link of the Day: 6 Completely Insane Disguises That Actually Worked. Thanks nin.

The Kickstarter campaign for Precinct now reflects the cancellation of this fundraiser for a new game from Police Quest creator Jim Walls. It seems likely the campaign would fail after having attracted just $85,756 of its half-million dollar goal, and Joystiq has word from Robert Lindsley, president of Jim Walls Reloaded, saying they are now planning on creating a playable version of the game to better pitch it to potential backers, admitting the hiccups of a couple of recent campaigns have made for more wariness than they anticipated. They are supporting their new plan with a smaller fundraiser on the Precinct Website to raise $25,000 for their prototype, which should take a couple of months to develop. Thanks nin.

Eurogamer has word from Ubisoft on just how open are the open-world aspects of Assassin's Creed 4, as Game director Ashraf Ismail estimates it would take "maybe half an hour" to sail across the whole game world. They say large portions of this will be open ocean, but multiple activities should be visible on the horizon wherever you sail. And for those of us raised on jet travel, they say the fast-travel system has been revamped to allow you to revisit areas without all that should you choose. They accompany the news with this trailer where lead game designer Sebastien Berton introduces the game's take on harpooning, showing concept art and video footage of our character harpooning a Great White Shark from the bow of a small boat (with obvious results). Sebastien's French accent is pretty thick, so closed-captioning may help understand what he's saying. Continue here to read the full story.

A recent reddit Valve tour may spill some beans about what's up at the developer, as a photo of a monitor (blown up but blurry on NeoGAF) has emerged allegedly taken during the visit that shows an internal change log showing work progressing on Left 4 Dead 3 and Source Engine 2. This is unconfirmed, but plausible, as Valve has already seemingly confirmed Source 2, and it's not like they are reporting something farfetched like the continuation of the Half-Life series. Thanks Eurogamer.

Paradox Interactive unveils plans for War of the Vikings, a new multiplayer action game from developer Fatshark based on the tech behind their War of the Roses. The game is due in Q1 2014 and it will first be shown off later this month to the attendees of Gamescom. This page is already accepting signups from those interested in participating in the alpha, though when testing is to begin is not specified. A War of the Vikings website is also already live, offering an announcement trailer, though this is just a brief cinematic to "axe" us if we're interested. Here's a bit from the announcement:

NEW YORK — August 6, 2013 — Paradox Interactive, a publisher of games and a cultivator of epic facial hair, today announced War of the Vikings, an all-new multiplayer game built upon the technology that drives Paradox’s medieval squad combat title War of the Roses. Developed by Fatshark, War of the Vikings is a new standalone entry into the War franchise that will pull players into the brutal and bloody Viking Age, challenging them to design a personalized warrior and sack England as a mighty Norseman – or defend it as a brave Saxon. Featuring intense close-quarters combat, authentically inspired settings and weaponry, rich customization options, and large-scale 64-player battles, War of the Vikings will add a new unforgettable experience to Paradox’s close combat arsenal.

Continue here to read the full story.

Reptile Games announces the release of Megabyte Punch, saying the fighting game will be sold at a 20% discount during its first week of availability. Here's the game's release trailer, and here's word:

Independent game developer Reptile Games is thrilled to announce their game, Megabyte Punch Megabyte Punch is currently available to the public via the Humble Bundle Store, Desura and Gamersgate. Described best as a mash-up of SSB, Megaman and Custom Robo. Megabyte Punch is an electro fighting/beat ‘em up game in which players can build and customize their own player. The game is currently on sale for $11.99 (US), 20% off its original price of $14.99 for PC (Windows), Mac and Linux. Megabyte Punch fans can also purchase a special edition of the game that comes with the original Soundtrack with 27 tracks, HD Wallpapers, and extra custom levels for $20.00.

In Megabyte Punch players battle various creatures in the story mode to get their parts and upgrade their own fighter; like Tornado shoulders for a whirlwind attack or powerful hips for a devastating pelvic thrust attack. Then, using the abilities of their customized fighter, they can compete in tournaments or battle against other players in a destructible arena.

Continue here to read the full story.

A Steam Community Announcement has word from developer OVERKILL that PAYDAY 2 will be officially released on Steam on August 13th, and will roll out for all platforms over a three day period (thanks Eurogamer). Here's word:

We have now made sure that everything is in order and that our contracts are in place. The weapon shipments have been ordered and are on their way to D.C. while Bain continues to work on attracting new contacts to Crime.net.

The PAYDAY 2 release date for Steam has been confirmed!

PAYDAY 2 will be out on Steam on August 13th. The other platforms will follow suit and be out between the 13th and the 16th.

The store page description will be updated shortly.

A big thank you to our PAYDAY community, to everyone who has helped us beta test the game so far and posted messages online, sent us feedback and told us how much you appreciate our work. We salute you.

Endless Loop Studios has released a new version 1.06 patch for Survivor Squad adding Mac OS X support to the action/strategy game as well as a one-on-one multiplayer mode where one player controls the squad of would-be survivors and the other spawns infected to thwart them. A free demo is available to sample the game, and it is on sale this week for 50% off. Here's a trailer showing off the game's new multiplayer support. Continue here to read the full story.

The King Arthur's Gold website now offers beta access to this 2D co-op wargame from Transhuman Directive, the indie developer of Soldat. This is paid access carrying a USD $9.99 pricetag, as they say the game is following the "Minecraft model" which includes a paid beta, and if possible, making enough cash to buy a small country (or in the case of this game, Camelot). A "beta mini-trailer" offers a look at multiplayer play from some private sessions, and here's a brief history of the project:

King Arthur's Gold was started in 2011 by Michał Marcinkowski. Completely self-funded, self-coded, self-marketed and literally made in a bedroom. Later joined by pixel artist and co-designer Max Cahill and musician David Pencil (of PennyArcade). Initially released undercover, the game's alpha version popularity kicked off because of its innovative multiplayer game design and features - mentioned on PCGamer, Kotaku, Rock Paper Shotgun and winning several indie game awards (including Best Game of the Year). After that it got a bit quiet because the developers hid in their dungeons to totally repaint graphics and recode the engine to use scripts (and boost the modding community). Following the Minecraft model it is now a new game (with the former alpha being called KAG classic) released as KAG Beta in mid-2013.

The Queen's Jubilee event is now underway in Guild Wars 2, ArenaNet's MMORPG sequel. This includes a new gladiatorial arena, and like most such celebrations, lots of hot air:

A celebration of ten years of Queen Jennah’s rule is about to kick off in Divinity’s Reach! The queen has commissioned a new gladiatorial arena for the occasion—the Crown Pavilion—as a shining symbol of her people’s endurance.

Take a hot air balloon ride with dignitaries from across Tyria to the capital of the Krytan nation, and be there for the opening ceremony. Join in the festivities and compete in ceremonial combat in Her Majesty’s honor!

• American McGee on OZombie: 'I would have cancelled it, even if it reached the goal' - games.on.net.
• Jade Raymond: Triple-A must find new ways to make money for innovation. Thanks GamesIndustry International.
• The Phoenix Project interview - Part One: Creating a crowdfunded superhero MMO - IncGamers.com.
• Wizards of the Coast 'flattered' by other companies online TCG efforts: We speak to Senior R&D Director Aaron Forsythe - games.on.net.

• Air Conflicts: Vietnam on Gaming Nexus.
• Elder Scrolls Online on ComputerAndVideoGames.

• Sony rejects bid to sell off its entertainment divisions.
• Developers can control how PS4 games download.
• Xbox One captures game footage at 720p 30fps.

• Small Android tablets gain as Apple 'buzz' fades. Thanks Ant via Linux Today.

• Not Everybody Can Get New 500 Mbps FiOS Tier.
• Amid epic woes, Bitcoin’s largest exchange rolls out faster hardware.
• Zynga cans OMGPop.com.

• Time Warner Cable gives CBS two options to end blackout.
• CBS Fight Also Impacting Bright House, Dish Users. Thanks Ant.

• Confused photocopiers randomly rewriting scanned documents.
• "Safety issues" prompt trade-in program for off-brand iPhone adapters.

• What Should, and Should Not, Be in NSA Surveillance Reform Legislation - Electronic Frontier Foundation. Thanks Ant via Boing Boing.
• Yelp review liable to have libeled landlord.

• The Alamo on The Strategy Wargamer. And part two.
• Civilization V: Brave New World on Techgage.
• Cloudberry Kingdom on Strategy Informer.
• Megabyte Punch on The Indie Mine.

• CM Storm Havoc Professional Gaming Mouse on eTeknix.
• CM Storm SF-17 Gaming Notebook Cooler on Overclockers Club.
• Cooler Master CM Storm Pulse-R Gaming Headset on Legit Reviews.
• Fractal Design Node 605 on Guru3D.
• GIGABYTE Z87X-UD5H LGA1150 Motherboard on Hardware Canucks.
• Lian Li PC-TU100 B Mini-Tower Chassis on TweakTown.
• Logitech G230 Gaming Headset on Gaming Nexus.
• MSI GK-601 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard on Benchmark Reviews.
• Noctua NH-U12S and NH-U14S CPU Cooler on Mad Shrimps.
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 SLI Video Card on HARDOCP.
• Samsung WB800F Smart Camera on Technology X.
• Sapphire HD 7790 Dual-X on LAN OC.
• Seagate Slim Portable 500GB Hard Disk Drive on TweakTown.
• Synology DS713+ on techPowerUp.
• Thermaltake Smart 750W Power Supply on ThinkComputers.org.

• Deus Ex: Human Revolution Lore in a Minute. *Spoilers* if that wasn't obvious. Thanks Ant…
• The Top 10 Most Bizarre Objectives In Video Games…

The one thing I've struggled with a bit as I work towards mastery of the man-stove is grilling chicken breasts. My first efforts involved store-bought marinade and direct grilling, but they ended up a bit tough. I tried a brine and indirect method that left them looking like drowning victims, followed by attempts to pound them flat that were inconsistent at best. I think I've finally worked it out though: The last couple of times I made them I brined them and then used a simple rub and grilled over a very hot fire (550-600 degrees), and finally managed to create a juicy, flavorful dish. It took long enough, I don't want to estimate how many sub-par chicken breasts I've turned out up until this point.

Par for the Links:	Thanks Ant and Acleacius.
Play:	Go Virus. Forever Steve.
Links:	5 Dumb Myths About Prehistoric Times That Everyone Believes. The PREDATOR 2 Motorcycle Helmet.
Story:	Pa. couple's best man- their dying 2-year-old son. Tearjerker warning.
Science:	Scientists make "Impossible Material" ... by accident. Fujitsu supercomputer simulates 1 second of brain activity. Google's Brin backs first lab-grown burger.
Images:	Dogs being dogs. Thanks reddit.
Media:	Warwick Davis and Carrie Fisher Reenact Return of the Jedi. Giant Robot Mech meets Stan Lee. Mine-Shaft.
Follow-up:	Public divide on climate change: Right wing nature or human nature?
The Funnies:	Brevity.