A new patch is now live in Diablo III in North America, updating the action/RPG sequel to version 2.06. The patch has a couple of bug fixes and balance changes, and also frees up some inventory space by dispensing with the specific legendary crafting materials previously required to craft set and legendary items. Here's word from the patch notes: "Legendary crafted items are meant to be both a stepping stone into end game items and a good place to spend crafting materials at the end game. While we like the fantasy of having the unique crafting materials, obtaining them was either keeping too many people from being able to complete the recipes in a timely manner or encouraging game flipping and similar less than ideal patterns of play in order to acquire them. As such, we are removing the requirement for unique items when crafting Legendaries."

Aspyr announces the release of a Linux edition of Sid Meier’s Civilization V on Steam as a SteamOS release. Valve celebrates the news with Civilization Linux Launch Sale with big savings on the entire series. Here's word on the penguin-powered release:

Aspyr Media, in partnership with 2K and Firaxis Games, announced today that the critically acclaimed Sid Meier’s Civilization® V, and all available expansion packs and downloadable content*, is now available on Linux for SteamOS. The title includes all the same options and features as its Windows PC and Mac predecessors, including Steam Play support. Players will enjoy achievements and cross-platform multiplayer between Windows PC, Mac, and Linux platforms, as well as direct access to the game’s community hub on Steam. This release of Sid Meier’s Civilization V on Linux targets SteamOS and features support for Valve’s upcoming Steam Controller.

The SEGA Blog offer the E3 2014 gameplay trailer for Alien: Isolation, along with new screenshots from Creative Assembly's upcoming survival/horror game. They say they are showing off the game at the show with a 20 minute theater presentation, and a new game mode playable on the show floor. Continue here to read the full story.

Obsidian Entertainment celebrates E3 with a new "roles" trailer from Armored Warfare, detailing a new role system and the types of tanks players will command the upcoming free-to-play military tactics game. Here's a summary: "The roles of the Main Battle Tank (MBT), Recon and Artillery units in Armored Warfare will offer players an endless amount of strategies in taking on the competition in a given match. Players must weigh the cost-benefit of each role in every scenario. MBTs are bruisers that can dish out damage and take it, Recon tanks sweep swiftly throughout levels to help flank enemies and spot them for artillery strikes, while Artillery units rain destruction on enemies from a distance." Continue here to read the full story.

Obsidian also offers a new a new trailer from Skyforge showing off their upcoming MMORPG, saying: "This week, players will get a glimpse of Skyforge’s unique Ascension Atlas, the Sunken Temple location and three new character classes: the weapons-centric Gunner, the ruthless Beserker and the merciful Lightbinder. The Ascension Atlas is a unique system that lets players customize their character in billions of ways with adapted skills, talents and spells. This interface displays all the directions in which players can develop their characters." Continue here to read the full story.

• There were more severed heads than women presenters at E3 2014.
• E3 Day One: Tweet Watch.

Thanks Ant.

• R.B.I. Baseball expands rosters with new players, old timers.
• Star Wars: The Old Republic version 2.8.
• Tropico 5 Update 1.02. Thanks Quboid.
• World of Warcraft 5.4.8 Hotfixes- June 9.

• Enemy Front on Steam. Save 20%.
• Knights of Pen and Paper +1 Edition on Steam. Save 66%.
• Resident Evil Revelations / Biohazard Revelations UE on Steam. Save 75%.
• Rogue Legacy on Steam. Save 66%.

• Nintendo E3 Direct Presentation Summary.
• Legend of Zelda Wii U Gameplay Trailer.
• The New Zelda Is Open-World, Looks Absolutely Incredible.
• The Last of Us Remastered comes to PlayStation 4 on July 29.
• 1001 Spikes is Now Available on Xbox One.

• Comcast turns Houston home routers into 150,000 public hotspots. Thanks Ant via Slashdot.
• Apple Is Banning Apps That Reward Social Sharing and App Promotion.
• Movie Chain Bans Google Glass Over Piracy Fears. Thanks HARDOCP.

• Mozilla Firefox version 30.0.0. Thanks Wookiestick.
• Mozilla Thunderbird version 24.6.0.
• Adobe Flash Player updates. Thanks Ant.
• Videos may make up 84 percent of internet traffic by 2018. Thanks HARDOCP.

• AMD Lists New Kaveri Desktop Processors.
• Intel, Samsung working to push 4K monitor prices as low as $399. Thanks HARDOCP.

• Windows 8.1 patches won't install without April update. Thanks HARDOCP.
• It’s official- Malicious hackers have crappy password hygiene, too.

• Music union threatens Journey composer with $50K fine. Thanks nin.
• Online Video Game Player Gets Robbed While Live Streaming.
• How Amazon got a patent on white-background photography.

• Oculus VR hires Jason Rubin…
• Good Game - Season 10 Episode 17. Thanks Ant…

Link of the Day: A Deer and a Dog Become Running Buddies. Thanks nin.

A tweet from FarCrygame announces the upcoming first-person shooter sequel Far Cry 4 will include co-op support, saying: "Big news, #FarCry4 has co-op! View the Gameplay Trailer: http://goo.gl/IOMtfI Pre-Order: http://goo.gl/8x0kuY pic.twitter.com/ZPpCqb3pCl." Thanks [VG]Reagle.

In a blast from the past, Running With Scissors announces Paradise Lost, an upcoming add-on that will return to the paradise of Postal 2, their intentionally outrageous first-person shooter that was released in 2003. "Here we are more than a decade later and the POSTAL brand is more popular than ever thanks to Steam and a super loyal fan base," says Running with Scissors boss Vince Desi. "From being scorned in the public arena and blacklisted in the retail market, today new gamers across the globe are experiencing the insane humor and gameplay thanks to the changing marketplace and interest in retrogaming." There's an interview about the news on Inside Gaming Daily, along with an announcement trailer. Here's more:

In PARADISE LOST the Postal Dude returns to Paradise, Arizona, the town where the original game and sequel took place. Last seen in the add-on Apocalypse Weekend, after having nuked the town, the Postal Dude is thrown back into a forgotten wasteland 11 years later. He will encounter an iconic cast of characters including Gary Coleman, Krotchy, Champ, MadCow MikeJ, Vince Desi and other familiar faces along the way.

Continue here to read the full story.

The Bethesda Blog offers a DOOM teaser trailer from E3 with a cinematic look at id Software's upcoming return to their seminal shooter series. They acknowledge that this doesn't reveal much, saying we should expect a full reveal of the game next month at QuakeCon 2014, which kicks off on July 17th. In the meantime, that BFG could use a cleaning, space marine. Continue here to read the full story.

Rockstar Games finally announces that Grand Theft Auto V is coming to PCs, saying a Windows edition of the open world action sequel is coming this fall along with versions for Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The PC edition will include a new video editor designed for advanced movie-making, all the new content added since the game's release, and the ability for players to transfer their current progress to one of the new platforms. They plan to open preorders today, and in the meantime offer this trailer showing off Los Santos in its next-generation glory, and the following explanation of what to expect:

Today we're proud to announce that the critically-acclaimed and record-breaking Grand Theft Auto V is coming this fall to PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.

Grand Theft Auto V will take full advantage of the power of the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC with across-the-board graphical and technical improvements to deliver a stunning new level of detail. Increased draw distances, finer texture details, denser traffic, and enhanced resolutions all work together to bring new life to the cities, towns, deserts and oceans of Rockstar North’s epic reimagining of Southern California.

Continue here to read the full story.

Deep Silver announces Dead Island 2, a sequel to Techland's zombie adventure in the works at Yager (Yager) which moves the setting of the series to California (which is not an island last we checked, though we do recall seeing some zombies). The Unreal Engine 4 game is planned for release in spring of 2015 for Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The Dead Island 2 website is online, offering a cinematic announce trailer from E3 that takes all the emotion of the original Dead Island trailer and trades it for comedy. Here's the announcement:

The zombie apocalypse has hit the iconic, sunny realms of California as Deep Silver announced Dead Island® 2 today. Building on the strengths of the multi-million best-selling hit Dead Island, Dead Island 2 delivers a shared survival, open-world zombie experience set in a clash of natural beauty and bloody horror and violence: paradise meets hell once again!

Developed by award-winning studio Yager, Dead Island 2 is scheduled for release in spring 2015 on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft and PC.

Several months after the events on Banoi, the United States military has put the Golden State under full quarantine. Now a restricted zone, California has become a bloody paradise for those who refuse to leave their homes and an action-packed playground for renegades who seek adventure, glory and a fresh start. Combining the classic Dead Island elements of immersive close combat, action and role-playing, Dead Island 2 features crazy, never-before-seen handcrafted weapons and over-the-top characters in taking players from the iconic Golden Gate to the celebrated beachfront boardwalk of southern California’s Venice Beach.

Developed in Unreal Engine 4, Dead Island 2 brings back its acclaimed, seamless multiplayer for up to eight players who cooperate, compete or simply coexist in a truly social, new-gen multiplayer experience. Dedicated classes offer a variety of gameplay: From the action-oriented berserker to the stealthy hunter, every character offers a different style of play. An in-depth skill system allows the player to handcraft their own heroes and weapons.

Continue here to read the full story.

Paradox Interactive announces Magicka 2, saying a sequel to the spellcasting action/adventure is coming to Windows and PlayStation 4, though a release date is not yet specified. There are some details on the Paradox Interactive website along with the E3 2014 announcement trailer, and here's word:

Paradox Interactive today announced that Magicka 2, sequel to the best-selling, award-deserving game Magicka, will be released on PC and the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system. Magicka 2 will bring the iconic spellcasting system, irreverent humor, and relationship-testing friendly fire into an all-new adventure with up to 4-player co-op. Featuring a story-driven campaign mode, new co-op gameplay features, and plenty of surprises, Magicka 2 will have players casting and blasting together on computers and consoles alike.

While you get your robe cleaned and pressed for your next adventure, witness the announcement in a new trailer:
“Millions of people enjoyed the first Magicka, even after their friends exploded their heads with an ‘accidental’ fire beam,” said Fredrik Wester, CEO of Paradox Interactive. “The next chapter of the Magicka saga is going to introduce new twists on the gameplay and customization options, all presented with beautiful art and animation on the PC and PS4®. Our players will be able to control their Wizards the way they like, assuming their fellow spellcasters let them live that long.”

In Magicka 2, Wizards will attempt to survive the next chapter of the Magicka tale, exploring a Midgård that has been ravaged by the recent Wizard Wars. Utilizing a new iteration of the dynamic Magicka spellcasting system, players will don a wide selection of robes and staffs, face new enemy classes, and seek guidance from Vlad, who is, thankfully, not a vampire.

Magicka 2 features:

• 4 Player Friendly Fire Co-op: Making and losing friends has never been better with all game modes supporting co-op, including hot-joining, checkpoints, and more supportive functionality.
• Venture into Adventure: Witness a Midgård mostly purged of Wizard-kind, save for a few remaining madmen, and encounter hordes of fantasy creatures great and small.
• Wizard Your Way: Try on your choice of robes, staffs, and weapons, each with special abilities of their own, to play as the Wizard of your choice.
• The Art of Artifacts: Discover the new “Artifact” system of Magicka 2, offering new gameplay changes and options to put new twists on each level.

Continue here to read the full story.

Indie publisher Grey Box announces Dreadnought, a multiplayer aerial armada action game in development for PCs by Yager, who are also developing the just-announced Dead Island 2. The Unreal Engine 4 game does not have a set release date, though they say it should begin testing next year. The Dreadnought website is online, offering a teaser trailer, and here's the announcement:

Independent publisher Grey Box has issued a call to battle stations today, announcing it is working with Berlin-based studio YAGER to create Dreadnought, an aerial armada action game for PC. Set in a futuristic era of war and refuge, players will take on the role of a mercenary spaceship captain who owes allegiance to no nation, fighting for glory amidst a galaxy of chaos.

“Dreadnought harkens back to the PC space combat game we developed when we first started out,” explained Mathias Wiese, Art Director and Co-Founder at YAGER. “In the years since, we’ve been developing and testing some incredible ideas that now perfectly come together in Dreadnought. Grey Box has been an amazing partner and we’re incredibly thankful they share our vision for what Dreadnought will become.”

Battleships in Dreadnought are massive spacecraft that come in varied shapes and classes. Commanders will assume complete control, dedicating power to specific sub-systems, customizing weapons, engines, armor, abilities, crew and their ships’ aesthetics, all while collaborating with the development teams to help determine what comes next.

“We all have that dream of sitting in the Captain’s Chair,” noted Tony Medrano, Creative Director at Grey Box. “It’s an awesome feeling to control something so huge and powerful, and that feeling is present in Dreadnought. Our goal is to nurture that feeling at all costs by working with players to fulfill the creation of their dream armada. With the game announced, that feedback starts now. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Dreadnought is powered by Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 4 (UE4) technology and is set to enter public testing in early 2015. For more information, please visit www.playdreadnought.com , like the game on Facebook (www.facebook.com/playdreadnought ), and follow it on twitter (www.twitter.com/playdreadnought).

Continue here to read the full story.

Publisher Devolver Digital announces The Talos Principle, saying this puzzle game will be the next release from Serious Sam creator Croteam this autumn for Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4. Here's a teaser trailer, and here's what they're revealing for now:

Devolver Digital has announced Croteam's new game, The Talos Principle! According to the description for the game's teaser trailer's description, The Talos Principle is a first person game that has the player, a construct designed by an artificial intelligence, solving over 120 puzzles through digital recreations of ruins from different eras, such as Rome and ancient Egypt. Little information has been given about how the game plays, but it seems to be based on manipulating laser beams and computer terminals. The Talos Principle uses Serious Engine 4, which the teaser trailer description says has “ new proprietary method to scan real world locations and historical elements into the game world”. The game will be released for the PC, PS4, Linux, and Mac this autumn!

The game is written by Tom Jubert, the person who wrote the stories for FTL and The Swapper, and Jonas Kyratzes, who wrote Infinite Ocean. The Talos Principle is about intelligence and what the term “meaning” means as it relates to a dying world. It seems that the story will play a very prominent part of the game, unlike the Serious Sam games.

Continue here to read the full story.

Devolver Digital announces Titan Souls is another new game in the works at Croteam. There are few details about this one for now, though they explain this action title from Acid Nerve was honored in the 2013 Ludum Dare game jam. The game is coming to Windows, PS4, and PS Vita. Here's what they are saying about this for now:

Indie action title Titan Souls takes players into a world between worlds, where the Titan Souls reside as the spiritual source and sum of all living things. Scattered about this dimension between dimensions are the remnants of the souls, now shattered into pieces with each piece guarded by one of the titans of legend. On a quest for truth and power, you are armed with but a single arrow and whatever courage you have left to take down the titans hidden amongst the ruins.

Indie developer Dennaton Games reveals plans for a level editor for Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, bragging this is being shown off at "the RV in the parking lot with the BBQ across the street from the Los Angeles Convention Center next door to the Hooters. Here's a trailer showing the editor, and here's word on what this will add to the serial killer sequel when it is released later this year for Windows, PS4, PS3, and PS Vita:

With the new level editor, fans will be able to meticulously design their own soul-crushing levels to die over and over again in and share with other cold-blooded strangers on the Internet.

Fans with a talent for designing potential murder scenes will be able to create a floor plan and place items within including furnishings, fashionable décor, weapons, and unforgiving enemies armed with whatever instrument of death you choose.

Continue here to read the full story.

WBIE offers a new trailer from Batman: Arkham Knight, showing off more of the Batmobile, which is seeming more and more like the costar of the upcoming Batman sequel. The clips shows off the supercar's "battle mode," though there is a bit of a delay while Bats remembers where he parked. Here's word: "Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment have just released the first Battle Mode gameplay footage for the upcoming Batman™: Arkham Knight video game. Scarecrow has returned to unite the Rogues Gallery and has enlisted the Arkham Knight and his immense military force to bring all-out War to Gotham City and destroy the Batman once and for all. The Dark Knight must utilize the Batmobile’s newly-revealed Battle Mode, as well as his full arsenal of abilities, to protect his city from complete destruction." Continue here to read the full story.

Ubisoft offers two new trailers from Far Cry 4 that they are using to show off the shooter sequel at this year's E3. There's a gameplay world premiere video as well as a Pagan Min Villain Reveal trailer that they explain like so:

Today, at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, Ubisoft® showcased Far Cry® 4, the much anticipated sequel to the #1 rated shooter of 2012. Players can now bring a friend along on their open world journey, making Far Cry 4 the ultimate Far Cry® experience.

Hidden in the towering Himalayas lies a country steeped in tradition and violence. You are Ajay Ghale, returning to the country of your birth, the lush forests and harsh snowcapped summits of Kyrat, to fulfill your mother’s dying wish of spreading her ashes. This striking and unpredictable country offers visitors opportunity and peril. You quickly find yourself caught up in a rebellion to overthrow the oppressive regime of Pagan Min, a man known as much for his sense of style and charisma as his cruelty and calculated brutality. Navigating the treacherous landscape, you find your fate increasingly determined by the choices you make because in Kyrat, every second is a story.

Continue here to read the full story.

Gearbox Software offers a video of their E3 demo of Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel from Spike's TV coverage of the trade show. Continue here to read the full story.

• Here is our E3 2014 livestream schedule- Capcom.

Consumerist - It’s Time To Start Treating Video Game Industry Like The $21 Billion Business It Is. Thanks HARDOCP.
Explains why games should be more like books. or something.

• Alien: Isolation on PC Gamer.
• FIFA 15 on CVG.

• Ubisoft holding back an unannounced, finished Wii U game until console sells more.
• PlayStation TV set to launch Fall 2014 in North America, Europe.
• News- Siegecraft Commander Revealed, E3 2014 Video and Screens Available.
• Destiny coming first to PlayStation on September 9.
• Official Destiny E3 Trailer.
• inFamous First Light PS4 Trailer.
• The Order 1886 PS4 Gameplay Demo (E3 2014).
• Uncharted 4 A Thief's End Trailer (PS4).
• Mortal Kombat 10 Gameplay (PS4).
• Uncharted 4 A Thief's End Trailer (PS4).
• Let it Die PS4 Trailer.
• LittleBigPlanet 3 Trailer (PS4) and LittleBigPlanet 3 Gameplay (PS4).
• White PS4 Trailer.

• Netflix US & Canada Blog- Netflix ISP Speed Index for May. Thanks HARDOCP.
• Remembering eWorld, Apple's forgotten online service. Thanks Ant.

• Daunting photos of a village built to handle electronic waste.

• Chinese military tied to prolific hacking group targeting US aerospace industry.

• Assetto Corsa on True PC Gaming.
• Europa Universalis IV: Wealth of Nations on Strategy Informer.
• Genius GX Gaming SW-G2.1 2000 Speaker System on Benchmark Reviews.
• Murdered: Soul Suspect on ActionTrip.
• Nancy Drew: The Shattered Medallion on Just Adventure.
• The Forest on Worth a Buy. Video.

• ADATA XPG SDXC UHS-1 U3 Card on The SSD Review.
• Akitio Palm RAID Thunderbolt 256GB Portable Storage on TweakTown.
• BeQuiet Shadow Rock 2 Heatsink on FrostyTech.com.
• Braven 570 Bluetooth Speaker on Testfreaks.
• Corsair Vengeance K70 Keyboard on AnandTech.
• Crucial M550 256GB SSD on Nikk Tech.
• Kingston HyperX Cloud Pro Gaming Headset on ThinkComputers.org.
• Logitech G502 Proteus Core Gaming Mouse on Techgage.
• MSI Radeon R9 280 GAMING OC Video Card on HARDOCP.
• NZXT Kraken X40 Liquid Cooler on FrostyTech.com.
• Thermaltake Tt eSPORTS Level 10 M Hybrid Wireless Mouse on TweakTown.
• Thermaltake Massive TM Notebook Cooler on TweakTown.
• Vantec UGT-AH100U3 10-Port USB 3.0 Hub on TweakTown.
• Zalman Reserator 3 Max Dual Ultimate Liquid CPU Cooler on Legit Reviews.
• Zelik Adventures on The Indie Mine.

• How much game can you fit in 32x32 pixels?…
• Shadows on the Vatican Act I: Greed is now also available on Steam…

You just can't predict E3... I've grown comfortable with the trend of recent years where most big announcements precede the actual show, but there's been a surprising amount of news this year. I like it better this way, as the show was seeming less like a big deal all the time. Wonder if we have any more coming?

Big Deal Links:	Thanks Ant and Acleacius.
Play:	Storm Ops 4. Cargo Shipment - San Francisco. Castle Monster.
Link:	Napoleon Dynamite Marks 10th Anniversary With Statue, Cast Reunion.
Story:	Zoo employee shot with gorilla tranq dart (updated).
Media:	Mark Hamill Performs Famous Star Wars Scene As The Joker And Luke Skywalker. Handling a drunk driver like a boss. Weezer's Drummer Catches Frisbee During Song, Keeps Playing. Shift change at a French lighthouse.
Follow-up:	No, A 'Supercomputer' Did NOT Pass The Turing Test For The First Time And Everyone Should Know Better.