The ManiaPlanet Blog announces the release of a beta demo of ShootMania Platform, a sample game mode for ShootMania, Nadeo's first-person shooter. This is to show off the power of new customization options available through ManiaPlanet 3 and to offer a single-player environment where players can verse themselves in what they need to know to compete in the the recently released Universal Demo for ShootMania. The demo is also on Steam and the source code is also offered, and word is this will be free through the summer. Thanks Frans.

Telltale Games takes to Twitter to confirm plans for The Walking Dead: Season Three, another installment in their episodic series based on the zombie franchise. Word is: "Confirmed at #SDCC! @telltalegames President @kevbru & @RobertKirkman "There WILL be a 3rd season of #TheWalkingDead" pic.twitter.com/d78HM3rm8C."

The Digital Combat Simulator E-Shop now offers pre-purchases of DCS: F-86F Sabre, the next installment in the DCS series that adds the venerable Korean War-era fighter to the aerial combat simulator, an advance commitment that includes immediate access to beta testing of the new plane and content. Here's a new trailer showing this off as a work-in-progress. Here's a rundown:

The North American F-86F Sabre was the most capable western fighter of the early- to mid-1950s. This swept wing, single engine jet was the most important western aircraft of the Korean War and often tangled with Russian-made MiG-15s over the infamous “MiG Alley”. It was a hard struggle not only for the Korean sky, but also between two excellent aircraft builders of the East and West. In addition to its primary role as an air-to-air fighter, the Sabre could also carry bombs and air-to-ground rockets to attack ground targets.

The Belsimtek simulation of the Sabre is by far the most authentic recreation of this famous warbird to date. Feel what is to fly the Sabre with a professional level flight model, an interactive cockpit, fully functional weapons, a detailed damage model and a richly detailed aircraft. Experience the strengths and weaknesses of the Sabre in combat and find out why seasoned fighter pilots often look back at the Sabre as the most enjoyable aircraft they ever flew.

As part of DCS World, fly the F-86F Sabre in a fully realized combat environment with working weapon systems and capable air and ground threats.

Continue here to read the full story.

A new If I Were a Captain trailer offers a first look at gameplay from Firefly Online, the upcoming Unity-engine MMOG based on Firefly, the cult-favorite science fiction series. The accompanying description indicates they are accepting signups for the game, but that demand overwhelmed their host, and they are in the midst of transitioning everything to Amazon, so none of the included signup links work for now. Here's the refresher they offer on plans for the game: "Players take on the role of a ship captain as they hire a crew and lead missions, while trading with and competing against millions of other players like themselves. Much like the crew of Serenity, the Firefly-class transport ship featured in the original show, players must do whatever it takes to survive in the Verse: find a crew, find a job and keep flying." Continue here to read the full story.

UbiBlog has a feature on "Animating the French Revolution" introducing a short animated clip by musician/filmmaker Rob Zombie to promote the setting of Assassin's Creed Unity, the next installment in Ubisoft's stealth/action series. Here's what this is all about:

There are few things that go better together than videogames and comic books. If you love one, chances are you love the other (we know we do). And in the case of a next-gen game like Assassin’s Creed Unity, we needed a next-gen comic. That’s where our partnership with musician and director Rob Zombie (House of 1000 Corpses, Halloween) and artist Tony Moore (The Walking Dead, Fear Agent) comes in. Together they crafted an animated short that highlights the chaos and brutality of the French Revolution. Zombie’s directorial skills and Moore’s unique art style have come together to paint Paris red with blood in this new animated short, debuted at the Assassin’s Creed Unity panel at San Diego Comic Con.

Continue here to read the full story.

The Comic-Con trailer from LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham offers a cinematic look at the next installment in the LEGO-based superhero series. Word is: "Prepare yourself for an out-of-this world adventure at San Diego Comic-Con with the action-packed LEGO® Batman™ 3: Beyond Gotham Comic-Con trailer. See Batman and your other favorite DC Comics heroes and villains like you’ve never seen them before as they blast off into space in this year’s ultimate super hero videogame for all ages." Continue here to read the full story.

Valve offers the following list of the 10 bestselling games on Steam last week:

1. Divinity: Original Sin
2. Dark Souls II Season Pass
3. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Legendary Edition
4. DayZ
5. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
6. Planet Explorers
7. Dead Island Franchise Pack
8. Dungeon Defenders Eternity
9. The Forest
10. The Elder Scrolls Online

• Rise of Nations: Extended Edition on Steam. Save 33%.
• Selknam Defense on Steam. Save 50%.
• Ubisoft Games on Origin. Save 40%.

• Confederate Express by Maksym Pashanin » Comments — Kickstarter. "Ok guys, what's the latest deets on the drama? 10/10, would squat again." -- Maksym Pashanin. Thanks Joao.

• Doom LAN Party Held On a Mountain. Thanks HARDOCP.
• Battlefield 4 Battlefest Battleshots – Week 3.

• Update: Xbox Live Friends, Sign-In Issues Resolved.
• Microsoft: Xbox One monthly updates will keep on coming. Thanks HARDOCP.
• It Came From The Desert - Cinemaware's unreleased SEGA action version is coming.
• GameStop says less than half of its customers know they can trade in games. Industry's best-kept secret.

• Hold the Phone: A Big-Data Conundrum. Thanks j.c.f.
• Mobile phone etiquette around the world. Thanks Ant.
• Microsoft Admits to Killing the Surface Mini. Thanks HARDOCP.
• This Site Lets You Check If A Hotel’s WiFi Sucks Before It’s Too Late. Thanks HARDOCP.

Thanks Ant.

• Firefox 32 Beta and Firefox Aurora reveal minor features, tweaks and improvements.
• Spotify to appear on Vizio Smart TVs.
• UC Berkeley graduate's diploma typo goes viral on Reddit.

Thanks Ant.

• US Social Security 'wasted $300 million on an IT BOONDOGGLE'. Thanks HARDOCP.
• Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS released. Thanks Linux Today.
• VideoLAN - VLC 2.1.5 released.
• CCleaner widens cleaning to include TeamViewer and OneDrive, adds repair option.
• Microsoft wants you to forget Windows 8. Thanks HARDOCP.

• Top 10 cyber security tips. Many tips from password manager vendor will require password manager. Thanks Ant.
• Russia is offering big bucks to de-anonymize Tor. Thanks HARDOCP.

• AU Government pushes website blocks to fight piracy. Thanks Ant via Slashdot.

• OlliOlli PC on TweakTown.

• Kingston SSDNow V310 960GB SSD Upgrade Kit on Nikk Tech.
• Noctua industrialPPC Series on Vortez.

• MameUI and MAME versions 0.154 are now available. Thanks Ant…
• GTA 4 now looks as good as GTA 5 — if you have a PC. Graphics boosted to last-gen quality…
• Pong Was Never Intended For Public Release. Thanks HARDOCP…
• We Saw Mind-Blowing Orc-On-Human Violence In The First Warcraft Footage. Thanks Wallshadows…
• Cliff Bar: Gears of War creator opens watering hole…

Gearing up to throw the Gunnar-man in the tub for a bath. I know this sounds extreme, but we have a strict policy in the BlueTower that all dogs must be bathed at least once a year whether they need it or not.

Clean Links:	Thanks Ant and Acleacius.
Play:	Space101. Thanks Indie Retro News. The Cave of Atman. Soccer Physics.
Stories:	Pryce, Siddig Join HBO's "Game of Thrones". Adam Reed Talks Post 'Vice'-Era "Archer". They’re Making Another King Kong Movie. Still haven't recovered from the first.
Images:	Agent 47 movie photos. Bald? Check. Suit? Check. Guns? Check.
Media:	Dog passes out from overwhelming joy. Onions warning. Thanks MisterBenn. Video: computer hacking in 1980s movies. First Footage from the Simpsons-Family Guy Crossover. Ugh.