A tweet from the Battlefield has news that Battlefield Hardline is gold, and the completion of the law-enforcement installment in the shooter series puts it on track for its planned release on March 17th. Word is: "#BFHardline is officially Gold on all platforms & all regions! RT if you'll be joining us on the streets on Mar 17." Thanks MP1st.

Lionsgate announces an investment in Telltale Games, which will give birth to another project attempting to create some crossover videogame/television synergy. There's an interview on EW.com where Telltale CEO Kevin Bruner describes plans for The Super Show, and their ambition to "create products that have a legitimate chance of winning both a Golden Globe and a Game of the Year." Here's more on how this is to work:

Each Super Show episode [the interactive game and the scripted episode] will be released as a package designed so that you can consume the interactive portion or watch the scripted show portion in any order you’d like. For instance, if you play the interactive episode first, certain elements of the scripted episode portion will be tailored to reflect some choices made in your interactive play through. If you watch the show before playing, some elements in the interactive portions may be presented differently than if you played first. The interactive episodes will never release without a scripted episode, they will always come out together.

At some point, non-interactive episodes of the scripted content will become available as traditional TV-style episodes on streaming services and broadcast TV. While this obviously can’t deliver the interactivity, this version of the scripted episodes will still stand as completely satisfying top-quality television entertainment.

Ubiblog announces the release of Fault One Zero, the latest DLC pack for Trials Fusion, the stunt riding game. This trailer offers a look a the Megalopolis this adds, and here's an explanation:

Trials Fusion’s fifth DLC pack is now available on Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4 and PC. Fault One Zero takes you to the futuristic city of Megalopolis, where machine and man are nearly indistinguishable. Explore everything from the bright lights of the holographic cityscapes to the grim robot dumping ground as you make your way through this new location. Try out 10 new tracks, 24 challenges and a ton of new objects for the track editor. You’ll also get to add 5 new trophies to your collection. Take a look at Megalopolis in the trailer below.

In addition to Fault One Zero, a recent update added single-player tracks to Trials Fusion’s Online Multiplayer, so you can challenge your friends on even more tracks. Since the launch of Online Multiplayer, players have taken part in nearly 2.5 million races, the total distance of which is over 317,581 miles.

The Fault One Zero DLC is available as part of the Season Pass, or it can be purchased on its own for $4.99. You can still get the Season Pass for $19.99. This gives you access to Fault One Zero, Fire in the Deep, Welcome to the Abyss, Empire of the Sky and Riders of the Rustlands, as well as the sixth and final DLC pack, which will be out by May.

Continue here to read the full story.

Techland announces a "My Apocalypse" collector's edition of Dying Light, a concept based on offering a single customer a version of the zombie game that includes the tools to help survive an actual zombie apocalypse, including a fortified "zombie apocalypse-proofed" log cabin and parkour lessons, fitting with the game's concept that this will be an actual zombie counter-measure. The price tag for all this turns out to be £250,000.00 (around $386K), which seems to be satire (not sure if they are lampooning publisher greed, customer gullibility, or both), though they say this will go up for preorder on GAME tomorrow. Here's word:

When your life is on the line in an apocalypse, it’s best to come prepared. The Dying Light “My Apocalypse” Collectors Edition lets you do just that. The centerpiece of this one-of-a-kind edition is a that will be built to order by UK-based Tiger Log Cabins. The house comes fully equipped with all live-in amenities and also includes an upper deck with vantage points and an escape hatch, arsenal storage for weaponry, and of course a living area with TV, Xbox One, and the latest sound system to play Dying Light on.

The “My Apocalypse” Collectors Edition will also include zombie survival-focused parkour lessons from Ampisound, custom merchandise and additional in-game perks that will let you kill time while the world around you mercilessly falls into zombie anarchy.

The Dying Light “My Apocalypse” Collectors Edition contains:

• Custom built Dying Light Zombie Home by Tiger Log Cabins
• Zombie avoidance parkour lessons with Ampisound, the team behind the internet smash Dying Light Parkour POV video.
• Be The Zombie match with devs where you win so you can brag to your friends how “leet” you are
• Trip to Techland in Wroclaw, Poland, to meet the dev team and party with Steve the Zombie Consultant.
• Your face skinned onto your Night Hunter character model
• Dying Light branded night vision goggles + adult diapers for the night portions of the game
• x4 signed Steelbox editions of Dying Light
• x2 Top of the line Razer Tiamat headphones
• Human sized Volatile figurine to use as a deterrent on human raiders

The fat cats at Fatshark announce Bloodsports.TV, a five-player co-op game they are calling a "post-apocalyptic gladiator show" coming to Windows via Steam on April 8th. This is in development at Toadman Interactive and it is set in the third millennium as a direct spin-off of Krater: Shadows Over Solside. The Bloodsports.TV website is online with details, beta signups, and an announcement trailer. "Finally we are excited to announce this bloody little darling of ours! Bloodsports.TV started off as a crazy attempt to create the co-op experience we had always wanted to experience, but couldn't find," said Rasmus Davidsson, Lead Designer at Toadman Interactive. "Bloodsports.TV is truly the most fun game we've ever worked on and we can't wait to share it with the rest of the world. See you on the scoreboards." Here's word on the game:

Bloodsports.TV takes place in a Gladiator style arena set in a ravaged post-apocalyptic Stockholm, that’s been feeling the effects of nuclear detonations, kinectic impacts, bio-weapon plagues and all-consuming nano storms. Combatants battle an endless onslaught of angry villagers, mutants and animals to the sound of a quirky commentator, who provides a minute by minute commentary to the vicious, bloody entertainment, in this fast-paced approach to strategic co-op games.

Team up with your friends to form a murderous crew and choose from a wide variety of deadly Gladiators, each with their own unique abilities and play style. Work together to shoot, smash, stomp, electrocute, drain, and melt your enemies. Or support your fellow Gladiators through healing and buffing up their skills! Find your own strategies in the Bloodsports arena to become an increasingly infamous and prestigious Gladiator in the world of Krater. Achieve higher scores and climb global leaderboards with your friends to become the greatest crew of Gladiators in the world.

Progress through the Path to Glory to achieve personal bonuses and master all classes and reach the top to receive the Grandmaster title, a title sought by all but achieved by few.

Continue here to read the full story.

Indie developer Blazing Badger announces AIPD, a co-op twin stick shooter coming to Windows, Xbox One, and PlayStation 3 in May, saying they will be showing this next week at the Game Developers Conference in the Unreal Engine booth. Word is this game is 20,000 times better than a game that comes with just five gameplay modes, as it boasts 100,000 of them. Here's a GDC 2015 trailer, and here's word:

Indie game development outfit Blazing Badger have announced their debut title AIPD. It’s a top-down co-op twin-stick shooter with a visual identity that is an homage to the 80s’ neon art styles, pioneered by games like Minestorm on the Vectrex console system or feature films like Tron. Blazing Badger aims for a unique gameplay experience, enabling the player to design her preferred game modes out of 100,000 possible combinations.

The game is set for a release on Steam, Xbox One and PS4 in May 2015, but visitors of the GDC in San Francisco next week can play a prototype already as AIPD is showcased at the Unreal Engine Booth.

Core Features:

• Design your own game modes out of 100.000 potential combinations
• Adjust your ship’s equipment to your custom built challenges
• Team up with friends for local coop play
• Compete in online leaderboards
• Participate in limited time challenges, where the game mode is randomized every week
• Timeless 80’s neon art style brought to the next generation, powered by Unreal Engine 4
• Soon available on PC and new gen consoles

Continue here to read the full story.

The Gearbox Software website continues its recent outpouring of media for the Homeworld Remastered Collection with the launch trailer for the space strategy remake. They also offer a new post on the mod tools for the game and how they will provide full Steam Workshop support to help mod authors distribute their work after the collection's imminent release. Continue here to read the full story.

A new video developer diary from Europa Universalis IV: El Dorado puts the spotlight on features in the strategy expansion that's coming on Thursday. Here's word on what the video offers: "In this seven minute video, Project Lead Martin Anward describes the new mechanics for Central and South American native states, including three new religions that promise to challenge even the most experienced desktop monarchs. Anward also goes into great detail on the Nation Designer and alternate starting maps that will be available for the first time in Europa Universalis IV: El Dorado." Continue here to read the full story.

• TERA Fate of Arun February Patch Notes.
• World of Warcraft 6.1 Patch Notes.

• Hexcells on Steam. Save 70%.
• The Long Dark on Steam. Save 40%.
• Risen 3 - Titan Lords on Steam. Save 50%.
• Startopia and Lara Croft & The Guardian of Light join Humble Square Enix Bundle 2.
• There Came an Echo on Steam. Save 10%.

• Into the Stars Interview with Fugitive Games - IncGamers.
• Pillars of Eternity Interview - GameWatcher.

• Announcing a US$1 million prize pool for the ESL One Dota 2 series.
• Design the QuakeCon BYOC T-Shirt & Win.

• Pebble Announces the Pebble Time.

• Mozilla Firefox version 36.0. Thanks Ant.
• Mozilla Thunderbird version 31.5.0.
• Detroit Business Owner Unhappy To Be Featured In “Bullsh-t Comcast-Powered Sh-tfest” Video. Thanks HARDOCP.
• Google's banning sexually explicit content from its blogging platform. Thanks HARDOCP.

Thanks Ant.

• Facebook AI Director Yann LeCun on His Quest to Unleash Deep Learning and Make Machines Smarter. Thanks Slashdot.
• Apple to overhaul Genius Bar, changing appointments and using phones as pagers. Genius. Thanks HARDOCP.
• Diginets Are Gaining Market Share and Top Advertisers.
• CCleaner Version 5.03.5128.

Thanks j.c.f.

• TurboTax’s Anti-Fraud Efforts Under Scrutiny. Thanks Linux Security via Ant.
• Cisco IPv6 processing bug can cause DoS attacks.
• Superfish SSL Interception Library Found in Several Applications: Researchers.

• Net neutrality order could get last-minute change on peering disputes.
• Pakistanis face a deadline: Surrender fingerprints or give up cellphone. Thanks Slashdot via Ant.

• Grimrock 2 Mac Steam Beta…
• Craziest GTA V Mount Chiliad Mystery theories. Thanks Slashdot via Ant…
• How Video Game Breasts Are Made (And Why They Can Go Wrong)…

Link of the Day: Photographer Documents Secret Life Of Superhero Toys.

The Rockstar Games Newswire has word that online heists are coming to Grand Theft Auto V on March 10th, just two weeks before the release of the Windows edition of the open-world action game, except the same announcement includes word that the PC port is delayed another three weeks, and is now due on April 14th. They copy-and-paste the apology from the previous delay and are throwing another 200K in spacebux into their preorder bonus as hush money. They say the extra time is needed to "ensure that the game is as polished as possible," though they admit they are not really sure how much actual polish this will represent, asking PC gamers for "understanding and assistance" with "those inevitable initial teething issues" upon launch. Here's word:

GTAV for PC
GTAV for PC will be arriving on April 14th at retail and as a digital download. Our apologies to PC gamers worldwide who have been counting down the days until the launch of the game, but a bit more time is needed to ensure that the game is as polished as possible, and to make certain that both Heists and the GTA Online experience are ready to roll out on day one for PC. As a gesture of thanks for your understanding, we will grant anyone who has pre-ordered the game an additional $200,000 in-game cash for use in GTA Online.

As always, we ask for the GTA PC community’s understanding and assistance in helping to report any concerns during the early days of launch when those inevitable initial teething issues arise on the new platform. If you do experience issues please visit Rockstar Games Support and send feedback to GTAOnline@rockstargames.com – we’ll be closely monitoring the situation and addressing any hitches as quickly as we can.

The PC version of Grand Theft Auto V is our most graphically and technically advanced version yet, fully optimized to support a broad range of current hardware (system specifications) and features a host of PC-specific enhancements including greater levels of detail, deep configuration options and ultra-high-definition support – as well as the powerful new Rockstar Editor for recording, staging and editing original custom videos.

We thank GTA players worldwide for their patience in awaiting these big game updates and we are excited to bring both Heists and GTAV for PC to you very soon. Please stay tuned for lots more information in the weeks ahead and for now, check out some new screens showing action from Heists.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announces the release of The Bright Lord, a new DLC pack for Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, adding story missions to the Tolkien-inspired action/RPG. This is available to Season Pass holders or as an a la carte purchase. This page has details what this adds and we also have a trailer showing things off. On a related note, Shadow Of Mordor Players Have Killed 5.65 Billion Uruks is an infographic on the game, since a picture says a billion words, or something like that (thanks nin). Here's word on the add-on:

Today Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment released The Bright Lord DLC, a new Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor story mission expansion pack, along with a new trailer and screenshot showcasing the content. In The Bright Lord, players become Celebrimbor and face the Dark Lord himself. Celebrimbor will use his new abilities to dominate Sauron and retrieve the One Ring in order to take control of Middle-earth. The Bright Lord DLC is available today for purchase and to Season Pass holders for download for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. The Bright Lord DLC includes the following features:

• Play as Celebrimbor, the Bright Lord, wielding a Ring of Power to challenge Sauron for domination
  • Wield the Power of the One Ring to dominate and defeat your enemies. Activate the ring to become invisible and tear through your enemies from the shadows
  • Deadly new Elven Archery abilities with a rapid fire bow
  • New ways to dominate your enemies and build your Army including Shadow Brand
• New Story Campaign, including 10 new Missions
• Face the power of the Dark Lord and his armies at the height of their power
  • An epic boss fight against the Dark Lord Sauron himself for domination of Mordor
  • Face a more powerful Uruk Army with Elite Nemesis Enemies and Warchiefs up to level 25 and deadly new abilities
• New Celebrimbor Skin
  • Play as Celebrimbor in the main Campaign
• New “Test of the Ring” Challenge Mode
  • Play with the new Celebrimbor abilities
  • Higher level enemies (i.e., only way to get Level 30 Runes to take back to the Main Story Campaign) with the goal to Dominate rather than kill the hierarchy

Continue here to read the full story.

The QuakeCon 2015 website outlines plans to offer several rounds of pre-purchases of BYOC packages for those interested in bringing a computer to QuakeCon 20 this summer and participating in the various LAN tournaments. In addition to the ability to participate in the games, these packages also offer different levels of access to the presentations as well as QuakeCon merchandise (including the "your design here" t-shirt). Things kick off next week with the sale of 32 $500.00 premium packages, and there will be different tiers offered every week, culminating with the April 1st release of a $125.00 Swag Pack which has all the merchandise, but does not include access to the event itself. Thanks LoneStar.

The Salamanders expansion is now available for Space Hulk: Ascension, adding 20 new story missions and 20 new flash missions to the turn-based strategy game for Windows, Linux, and OS X. Here's the news:

Independent developer Full Control today announced that the second expansion for Space Hulk: Ascension is available now for Windows PC, Mac and Linux on Steam. The Salamanders Expansion unlocks the Salamander Chapter and brings 20 new unique story missions and 20 flash missions for players to conquer in Space Hulk: Ascension.

Based on the best-selling board game set within the Warhammer 40,000 universe, Space Hulk: Ascension, is a 3D digital turn based strategy game, that features reworked mechanics and a host of new features, including RPG progression mechanics, new Genestealer variations, new rules, and mission structures.

“Players are going to love the new options afforded to them by the Salamanders chapter.” said Thomas Hentschel Lund, CEO of Full Control. “Their lethal Heavy Flamers and resistance to fire are a deadly combination for the Genestealers to contend with!”

Featuring over 30 hours content, Space Hulk: Ascension - Salamanders is turn-based strategy at its finest. The Salamanders board the Space Hulk - Virtue of Hatred - to find priceless pages from the Tome of Fire... or wreak revenge on any who have dared despoil them. Featuring new gameplay hooks to the story missions, in the Salamanders Expansion players will face environmental challenges as well as an onslaught of hordes of predatory, alien Genestealers.

The Salamanders bring new abilities to the table, as players can now have two Heavy Class Terminators in a squad, each with the option of having a Heavy Flamer to boot. The Salamanders also have an extra Flamer pattern too, and can walk unharmed through flames, as well as some new ferocious pyromantic psychic powers.

Matrix Games announces the release of Breaking the Deadlock, the first expansion for To End All Wars, the World War I turn-based strategy game. This can be ordered from the game's official product section along with details and screenshots. Here's word on how after six months of conflict the deadlock gets broken, leading to the war's speedy conclusion just three-plus years later:

Early 1915 – After a massive initial push from the Central Powers on the Western Front, the war is bogged down. Commanders from both sides protect their positions with strong defensive structures and fail to find breaches in the enemy lines. Artillery and barbed wire make the assaults deadly and wasteful. But in Breaking the Deadlock, the first expansion of Ageod’s World War 1 wargame To End All Wars, players can develop new tactics to outsmart their opponent and break the stalemate once and for all!

Releasing today, Breaking the Deadlock is an expansion that focuses on key moments of the Great War. It provides a series of short, intense and very detailed scenarios in which every single turn has decisive consequences on the final outcome of the battle!

This trailer offers a look at Tormentum - Dark Sorrow, a Giger-inspired point-and-click adventure coming to Steam next month after running a successful Indigogo campaign last year to complete its development. Here's a rundown on the game: "A dark hopeless world, inhabited by grim characters and hideous creatures. The player takes control over a nameless protagonist who wakes up one day only to discover he has been locked in a metal cage attached by chains to a large flying machine. The only vague memory he manages to recollect, with great difficulty, is a faint image of a statue of a woman surrounded by a forest of stone hands. Our hero, in search for truth about himself, travels through three lands composed of nearly 80 locations. The dark illustrations are perfected with an exquisite grim soundtrack." Continue here to read the full story.

• Seventeen Uncles- A Pug's Life by Seventeen Uncles — Kickstarter. "A Point n Click Adventure Game following our hero Kirk the pug and his quest with dozens of exotic and surreal locations and characters." Also on Steam Greenlight. A PC demo is available.

• PS3 Firmware 4.70 has gone live, offers minor updates only.
• -More Realistic- Guitar Hero In Development for Xbox One, PS4 - Report.
• DYNASTY WARRIORS 8 Empires Now Available for Xbox One.
• The Order: 1886 sequel to focus on gameplay system, says insider.
• Forza Motorsport 6 Holiday 2015 Release Date Confirmed.
• Perfect World Details Contents Of Neverwinter On Xbox One.
• Classic Midfield Raceway Track Coming To Gran Turismo 6 In Free Update.
• This Week’s Xbox Deals with Gold.

• Rooftop Frenzy on Google Play and iTunes.
• Star Drift on the App Store on iTunes.
• Tap Heroes! on Google Play and iTunes.

• The next Linux kernel is Linux v4.0, codename 'Hurr durr I'ma sheep.' Thanks Ant.

Thanks Ant.

• Norton Internet Security antivirus update 'borked Internet Explorer.' Thanks DSLReports Forums.
• Research: 84 percent more concerned about security and privacy in 2015. Also, 75% of statistics 38% more confusing.

• The billion dollar Carbanak bank heist could have been easily avoided. Thanks Ant.

• ASUSTOR AS7010T NAS Server on Nikk Tech.
• BitFenix Alchemy Connect LED Strips on APH Networks.
• Corsair Carbide Series AIR 240 Compact PC Case on HARDOCP.
• Corsair H110i GT on ThinkComputers.org.
• Cougar 500K KBC500-WRNSB Gaming Keyboard on Benchmark Reviews.
• Cougar 600K Mechanical Keyboard on Futurelooks.
• Cougar 700K Mechanical Keyboard & 700M Gaming Mouse on AnandTech.
• Crucial BX100 SSD on HardwareHeaven.com.
• Crucial MX200 and BX100 Series SSD on Legit Reviews.
• Element Gaming Neon 250 Headset on pcGameware.
• GIGABYTE GA-X99M-Gaming 5 on Vortez.
• Intel NUC NUC5i5RYK on Legit Reviews and PC Perspective.
• Kingston HyperX Cloud II Pro Gaming Headset on TweakTown.
• NZXT H440 Special Edition on Technic3D. German.
• Reeven Justice (RC-1204) CPU Cooler on eTeknix.
• Thermalright Silver Arrow ITX on techPowerUp.
• Xiaomi Mi4 64GB Smartphone on Mad Shrimps.
• Xigmatek Nebula on ocaholic.

• Good Game - Series 11 Episode 2. Thanks Ant…
• GamerGate figurehead turns out to be satirist, becomes harassment target…

In a thoroughly modern problem, an alarm started up this morning from somewhere in the BlueTower that wasn't related to anyone's wake-up plans. I tracked this down to a small bag I had just earmarked for recycling, as it was one of those you come home with when you get a new phone, carrying the old phone and boxes and stuff. I guess moving the bag managed to press the power button, so it went off when the alarm came up. The thing of it is, this is not from the last time I got a phone, it was from the time before that, which was from September 2012, and it surely didn't have even close to a full charge when it went into the bag. It has not been plugged in since then, a tribute to the upsides of that dumb phone technology we eagerly abandoned. The thing may not have been great for web-surfing, but hard to argue with the battery life... over two years? Man!

Links:	Thanks Ant and Acleacius.
Play:	Epic Boss Fighter 2. Shift It Et. Pixel Warfare 2.
Link:	Unified Weapons Master: Gladiator duels with carbon-fiber suits.
Stories:	Harrison Ford -- Screw the Oscars ... I'd Rather Watch Crappy Lakers. Disneyland raises ticket prices to just short of $100.
Science:	Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say. Thanks Slashdot.
Images:	Well, now I know who took my portal gun. The best description of a film ever.
Media:	Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Elected Judges. First Microwave Upgrade in Forever: Infrared Heat Sensor. Cutting A Carrot Into A Net.