This trailer wishes us all a merry Styxmas, as it comes from Styx: Master of Shadows, the stealthy infiltration game. The clip has a little irreverent fun with the holiday, but also concludes with a tip off for what sounds like a sequel or possibly an add-on, saying: "Styx will be back in a new adventure, without his Santa hat... Stay tuned!" Continue here to read the full story.

This page now offers downloads of a playable alpha version of Rise of the Tycoon, an MMO strategy game where the player seeks to climb the corporate ladder. Here's word: "As massively multiplayer online social business political strategy game ( Social Tycoon Political MMORPG ) that simulates business and political life in America, Rise of the Tycoon offers a living world, where the power of citizens matters, where big business needs the backing of politicians and those same politicians in turn need the financial benefits from business allies. Through strong networking with other players and being able to properly balance the weight of business and politics, the true tycoon can find the space to rise up and make their mark on the world."

• Games by developers in cold places on Humble Weekly Bundle.

• Street Tuning Evolution by Invictus Games & Street Legal Mods. "The only game that provides as much emphasis on building and tuning your cars, as racing your cars." Thanks CarGamingBlog.

• Looking back at the best games of the 2010’s [sic] (so far) - Ars Technica.

• Sony and Microsoft video game players hit by cyber attacks.
• Xbox, PlayStation Networks Attacked, Hackers Claim Credit.
• Far Cry 4 – PlayStation Co-op Demo.
• Countdown to 2015 Xbox Daily Deal – Day 11.
• Wheel-to-wheel racing- Ars compares Xbox One steering wheels.

• Our brains are being “continuously reshaped” by smartphone use.
• Our favorite free iOS games of 2014. Thanks Ant.
• Xiaomi has sold over 1 million Android smartphones in India.

• Japanese banks being targeted by Chinese hackers, tension growing.

• The Interview was pirated more than 750,000 times in its first day of release.

• Alienware Alpha on TechSpot.
• ARCTIC P614 BT on APH Networks.
• GIGABYTE GA-J1800N-D2H on AnandTech.
• Silicon Power Stream S06 3TB External HDD on TweakTown.

• American Truck Simulator getting weight [sic] stations. Thanks Cutter…

Happy second day of Christmas, Boxing Day, first day of Kwanzaa, St. Stephen's Day, Mummer's Day, Wren Day, and even more. Here's hoping you're having a good one, even if it's just because it's Friday.

Days of Links:	Thanks Ant and Acleacius.
Play:	Strike Force Kitty 2. Car Eats Car 3.
Story:	Navy Awards Contract to Dismantle Ranger Aircraft Carrier. For a penny. Thanks Slashdot.
Science:	When the doctor’s away, the patient is more likely to survive.
Media:	Skyrim In A Nutshell (ACCURATE). Check Out Jingle Bells. Cuba's DIY Inventions from 30 Years of Isolation.