A federal judge reluctantly threw out a creditor claim against the former board of Midway, which alleged that the debt-saddled company pursued loans it couldn't pay and arranged a sale that screwed company stakeholders while enriching a well-connected few.

"The defendants oversaw the ruin of a once highly successful company, only to hide behind the protective skirt of Delaware law, which the court is bound to apply," U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Gross wrote in his Jan. 29 ruling.

Creditors alleged that Midway's directors, majority shareholder Sumner Redstone, drove the company into deepening debt and then engaged in fraudulent sale of corporate assets when the company was sold to investor Mark Thomas in 2008. The creditors wanted that sale nullified, plus a $90 million payment.

There is a lot more legalese and finance regarding this sale in a story filed by Bloomberg, but the bottom line: Midway still belongs to Thomas.

Redstone, Board Win Dismissal of Midway Creditor Suit (Update1) [Bloomberg, thanks Mehar G.]

If you've been looking for something to spend those spare 80 MS Points on, look no longer. Your Doodles Are Bugged! is an absolute steal for $1, and deserves a place in your game library. I mean, it's Lemmings with a pen, for crying out loud, what more do you need!

Each level sports lots of little jumping bugs, random drawings all over the place and a finishing point. Your job is to draw bridges connecting a route from the bugs to the finish, so they can bounce their way to victory. Your pen doesn't have unlimited ink, however, so you need to find the shortest route possible - you might need to erase some of your past work to make room for further passage.

It's a little buggy (yeah, I went there) in places and the critters will try to venture everywhere but where you want them to actually go... but honestly, you'd be foolish like a huge fool not to check this out. Well worth the price, download it from the Xbox Marketplace.

Gametrailers put up a few exclusive videos of MLB 10 The Show, one of which is 90 seconds of gameplay featuring cover man Joe Mauer. This game looks very good.

It's a CPU-vs.-CPU sim so we don't see pitching meters or batting controls and can't tell if they've been modified for this year. But to say it's visually impressive is an understatement.

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Next up, here's another two minutes of gameplay showing something new this year - video review of a fair/foul home run call. Very strong umpire conference animation there (I never thought I'd ever find myself typing something like that) with the accurate arm signals indicating the call's reversal. In all, great clip.


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Finally, here's a two-minute interview trailer with commentary from Mauer and the devs, giving a look at how this year's game was built.

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Earlier this week, EA Sports ran its annual Madden Super Bowl simulation, predicting New Orleans to be tomorrow's winner. But there are plenty of contigencies and scenarios - some less plausible than others - that they didn't take into account.

Here then is Stick Jockey's inaugural Super Sim Spectacular, in which we start with a Super Bowl XLIV matchup of Indianapolis and New Orleans at full strength, and gradually devolve into madness, in hopes that it might tell us something beyond what the touts and pundits say will happen tomorrow.

Note: The following is for amusement purposes only. None of it constitutes a forward-looking statement. Past performance is no indicator of future success. If you are somehow stupid enough to bet on professional sports using a console video game as a mathematical model, seek professional help immediately.

Also, for purposes of these simulations, all games were played with 10 minute quarters on All-Pro difficulty with the Colts as the home team at the Super Bowl XLIV site. Accelerated clock runoff was enabled and set to 15 seconds. Weather, except where specified, was set to clear and gametime start was 8:15 p.m.

So let's get on with it:

Saints vs. Colts, Super Bowl XLIV
Two Peyton Manning touchdown passes, to Reggie Wayne and reserve tight end Tom Santi, get the Colts on top 14-3 at the half. Manning also has 202 yards passing midway through the game, while Saints quarterback Drew Brees is just 8-of-17 for 89 yards.

The Saints score on their first possession of the second half, but a failed two-point conversion sets off a chain of three of them by both teams. Brees recovers from his lackluster first half to answer Colts touchdowns with passing touchdown drives of 4-for-5, 59 yards and 5-for-6, 67 yards, respectively, and the score is 27-24 late in the fourth quarter.

Then the unimaginable happens, on seemingly every other play. Colts punter Pat McAffee falls on a ball snapped over his head, giving the Saints the ball on Indianapolis' 36 with 3:24 to go. The very next play, Saints halfback Reggie Bush fumbles and 6-2, 245-lb. defensive lineman Robert Mathis picks it up and returns it 75 yards for a touchdown.

When all seems lost, Bush - with kick returners Courtney Roby and Pierre Thomas both out with injuries - redeems himself with a miracle 94-yard kickoff return touchdown, bringing New Orleans back to 34-31 with 1:56 left. But Indianapolis finally finishes business when Joseph Addai sheds four tackles and charges 69 yards through the left side of a tired Saints defense - three, including starter Sedrick Ellis and his backup at left defensive tackle, left the game with injuries - for a touchdown, and the 41-31 victory.

For those keeping score, those are three plays that, by themselves, would go down in Super Bowl lore, all taking place in the final 3:30. And despite losing seven players altogether, the battered Saints still make it a fight and one of the most memorable title games ever. Brees recovers from the disastrous first half to log 285 yards passing and three TDs. Manning is 22-of-38 for 342 yards and three TDs. Wayne's 194 yards receiving is second only to Jerry Rice's 215 a decade earlier. But Addai's 183 yards rushing and two touchdowns, especially the backbreaker, earn him the Super Bowl MVP.

Colts, without Dwight Freeney, versus the Saints
Although Indianapolis head coach Jim Caldwell insists Freeney is on track to play tomorrow, the Colts' all-world defensive end has been a question mark all week with an ankle injury sustained against New York in the AFC Championship. So in this simulation, he sits out the entire game. Raheem Brock steps in for him instead. The score is 14-14 after one quarter and 21-14, New Orleans at the half. The Saints extend their lead to 31-21 after three quarters and ultimately win 49-28. Forced to throw often from behind, Manning is just 16 of 38 for 224 yards and two interceptions. Brees is a respectable 17 of 34 with 252 yards. But Bush gets 177 yards on 24 carries, three touchdowns, and the Super Bowl MVP.

Colts, without Reggie Wayne, versus the Saints
Four-time Pro Bowl wideout Reggie Wayne pulled up short on a pass route and left practice on Friday. Although the Colts' No. 1 receiver has a tender knee head coach Jim Caldwell insists he will play. What if he doesn't? Pierre Garçon and Hank Baskett fill the void in this sim, with 87 and 84 yards each, while Dallas Clark collects three huge third down conversions and a touchdown. The Colts win 30-27, largely as they were able to with Wayne taken out of the AFC title game by the Jets' Darrelle Revis.

Colts versus the Saints without Darren Sharper
New Orleans' injury situation isn't as dramatic as Indianapolis' is with Freeney or Wayne. But safety Darren Sharper is their highest-rated player still listed as questionable (knee). So for the sake of argument, out he goes. Indy wins 41-16 and Manning has three TDs - but also three picks. The story of the day is Brees' pedestrian 14-of-27, 185 yard, no touchdown performance.

Colts, without Manning, versus the Saints
Let's say Peyton goes on a Double-Stuf Racing League binge the night before and wakes up with a colossal tummyache. That puts rookie Curtis Painter in the driver's seat. Surprisingly, it's not so bad, but it is 21-14 Saints after one quarter, and they pull away for a 58-34 romp. Painter throws for 324 yards and three touchdowns - but also four interceptions, one of which Sharper returns for a touchdown.

Colts versus the Saints without Brees
Flipside of the previous proposition, how would New Orleans do without its record-setting savior? The stakes are a lot higher, because behind Brees is only Mark Brunell, while Painter at least had Jim Sorgi backing him up in case of injury. And the results are a lot worse. Brunell is intercepted five times and Indianapolis wins 68-27.

Colts, without Manning, versus the Saints without Brees
OK, let's pit Painter and Brunell against each other for the tiebreak of which team needs their starting quarterback more. And while this game is a wild 24-23 at the half, featuring a safety, eventually New Orleans pulls away with another high-scoring triumph, 44-29. Brunell is 11 of 32 for 180 yards, two TDs and a pick; Painter is 13 of 29 for 139 yards, two TDs and pick. The game is instead won on the ground, where Reggie Bush has a Super Bowl record 229 yards and two touchdowns.

Colts, with Brees, versus the Saints with Manning
A blockbuster QB swap scenario sends Peyton Manning to his hometown team, and his father's franchise. Believe me, this was hard to pull off given cap and roster restrictions, and quickly put an end to my other plan, which was to make each team face its own defense. Interestingly, the trade improves the Colts from an 81 overall to an 89, while the Saints hold steady at 87. In the end, Brees and the Colts prevail 33-28. Brees is 22 of 33 with 325 yards passing, one touchdown and two interceptions. Manning is 23 of 37 for 249 yards, two touchdowns and two picks, insinuating that as great as Manning is, his supporting cast in Indianapolis is better than his counterpart's on the Saints.

Colts versus Saints, coaches swapped
A great coach can take his and beat yours, then take yours and beat his. While you can't literally trade coaches in Madden, I swapped the playbooks and strategies of Indianapolis' Jim Caldwell and New Orleans' Sean Payton. The result was the first overtime game in the history of the Super Bowl. The Caldwell-led Saints prevail 41-38 although, to be fair, somehow this game generated a 97-yard touchdown run for Drew Brees with 1:43 left in regulation to tie the game, so the result is hardly conclusive. Manning does worse against his own defensive scheme, throwing three interceptions while Brees tosses three touchdowns and 322 yards.

Colts versus Saints, in a downpour
Since both teams play in a dome, I figured, why not drop them into some extreme weather? After all, the Colts won Super Bowl XLI in a monsoon, the first time the game was played in the rain. In my game, nobody important gets hurt and turnovers don't get out of hand, but passing offense takes a dent - Manning completes 25 passes for 227 yards, Brees 18 for 202, both intercepted once with one touchdown pass. The game is instead won on special teams, with an 88-yard punt return by Reggie Bush in the second quarter, and a 96 yard kickoff return by Courtney Roby in the third to deliver New Orleans a 35-21 victory.

Colts versus Saints, in a blizzard
Sure, this year's game is being played in Miami. But have you seen that nasty-ass weather that just moved through the mid-Atlantic this weekend? Lets say it took a hard right turn and parked over Florida, with some apocalyptically low temperatures to boot. In this affair, again the Saints win, and again the difference is special teams. Roby returns a kickoff 96 yards as time expires in the first half to make it 28-21 Colts, and then Lance Moore houses a punt return in quarter three to get the Saints on top 30-28. He then catches the game winning score with 2:01 left for the 37-34 win.

Colts' second team versus Saints' first team
Everyone knows this will be a disaster for Indianapolis, but how bad? Try 48-7 bad, with the closest the Colts getting is 14-7 midway through the second quarter. New Orleans churns out 259 yards rushing, nearly all of that coming from Reggie Bush (234 yards, a Super Bowl record.) Having such an easy time at the line of scrimmage, the Saints reduce their passing game, with Brees completing just 18 passes for 207 yards. Curtis Painter is sacked five times and intercepted four times. Donald Brown as the lead rusher gets 69 yards on 16 attempts. Austin Collie leads all receivers with four catches for 38 yards and Indianapolis' lone touchdown.

Colts' first team versus Saints' second team
Another blowout, this one 44-13 highlighted by Indianapolis' 13 (!!!) sacks against Mark Brunell and the Saints' second-team offensive line. Manning barely breaks a sweat, tossing 290 yards and three touchdowns. The Saints' defense surrenders 639 yards altogether.

Colts' second team versus Saints' second team
One thing I noticed in doing this is the Saints' depth at skill positions and along the offensive line, the previous result notwithstanding. And with that, the Saints in fact romp in this matchup, 40-26, with 259 return yards and enough passing protection to give Mark Brunell 320 yards passing, a figure he hasn't reached since Oct. 1, 2006.

Colts versus Saints, centers and quarterbacks swapped
I don't mean Jeff Saturday goes to New Orleans; I mean Manning snaps the ball to Saturday, and Jonathan Goodwin has his hands up under Brees' butt. What's the over/under on completions? Which golden boy do you think gets plowed first? All four players instantly become the worst on their teams. Saturday is a 12-rated quarterback; Manning's a 22-rated center. Goodwin is likewise a 12 at QB, but Brees is a 21-rated center, probably because he's 6-0 to Manning's 6-5.

You should have seen the pregame animations. My screen went blank for at least five seconds while the game chugged along, clearly wondering why it was rendering Saturday in a passing animation. He did have pretty nice form. Looked like a fatter Dan Fouts actually.

The first play is a four yard rush by Saturday. Then he throws an interception. Goodwin likewise rushes on his first play, for three yards. Goodwin is then sacked but the Saints get a field goal on their first drive. And then on first and 10 from Indy's 46, Goodwin tosses a 46-yard touchdown pass to Moore for the 10-0 lead.

The Colts manage to tie it at 17-17 in the fourth quarter, but New Orleans pulls away to win 27-17. The damage report: Saturday is 6-for-29, 59 yards and three interceptions. Goodwin is an insane 8-for-36 for 142 yards and two TDs, but four interceptions. The Saints are 3-for-16 on third downs to the Colts' 3-for-17, but incredibly, both teams are 100 percent in the red zone. Saturday is sacked eight times to Goodwin's six. Three Saints starters are knocked out of the game, but not Brees. Manning likewise survives, likely owing to high durability ratings for both.

• • •

So what did we learn? Well, broadly speaking, for game expected to be a shootout, Indianapolis has stronger game management but New Orleans has a deeper offensive talent pool and better special teams threats. And where the Colts have been coldly efficient with the time given on offense, skill players like Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas, Marques Colston, Lance Moore and Courtney Roby give the Saints plenty of ways to climb back into a game.

That's no small consideration given the questions about Freeney's ankle and the new concern over Wayne. But It's hard for me to say how realistic the simulation is at presenting the kind of matchup advantages created by Sean Payton and defensive coordinator Greg RobinsonWilliams's game plan

Maybe EA Sports' sim has it right - they've only been wrong once - and the Saints do in fact win tomorrow. Maybe my sim is right and the Colts fend off an explosive and inspired team. Maybe it all lies somewhere in the middle. Just so long as Peyton Manning isn't playing center.

Stick Jockey is Kotaku's column on sports video games. It appears Saturdays at 2 p.m. U.S. Mountain time.

The newly published ESRB ratings certificate for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 mentions that "players conduct missions on an unnamed Japanese island during World War II and then move into the modern day."

Earlier, we mentioned that Battlefield: Bad Company 2 would support weapons from last spring's Battlefield: 1943 (pictured above). It sounds like this could be a beginning mission establishing the BFBC2 continuity, not a flashback level. But it could be that DICE is testing community reaction to the World War II genre, which of course many have complained is played out within FPSes. That said EA's ramping up a competitor to Modern Warfare, and this might tip off ideas of going after World at War.

No surprises in the rest of the certificate. "Characters use profanity (e.g., "f**k," "sh*t," and "a*shole") during cutscenes and in the heat of battle." As I said, no surprises.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 [ESRB via Connected Consoles]

Though Super Mario coin boxes do make that sound, A.B. Frazier at The Koalition reminds us that hip-hop retired that term. But hip-hop producer Pharrell is very much active with this Super Mario jewelry.

A.B. also boasts of a owning an "oversized diamond studded Metal Gear Solid exclamation mark," whose existence may be theoretical but whose description is hilarious.

Me, I'd get of those Microsoft Point dealies. You know the ones that look kind of like a top-down view of a dralthi from Wing Commander. What about you?

Pharrell Shows His Love For Super Mario In New Jewelry [The Koalition]

My lord, they've already started preorder bonuses on Madden NFL 11. And of course, Tuesday's big releases also get inducements. Clear your throats and hit the jump for Weekend Coupons. RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-COLA!

Software
• Amazon offers $10 credits with pre-orders of two games launching this Tuesday: Dante's Inferno (PS3/360 $57) and Bioshock 2, which is $5, $4, and $3 off for 360, PS3, and PC, respectively. [Dealzon]

• Amazon and Walmart.com have kicked off six months of pre-order Maddeness, offering $20 credits with Madden NFL 11. And the shelf-clearing begins with a Madden NFL 10 + NCAA Football 10 360 combo, $65 shipped from the Microsoft Store. Best prices elsewhere are $45 and $47, $92 for the both. [Dealzon]

• Here's a post-order, but a good deal if you've yet to grab Mass Effect 2 for the PC. GoGamer has it for $39.90, use coupon SHIPFREE25 to get free shipping [TechDealDigger]

• GamersGate says it's added servers and quadrupled download speeds. Further, it's offering Bioshock half off through Sunday in anticipation of BioShock 2's release on Tuesday. They've also got a new sales partner, Telltale Games, and so have 10 percent discounts on Tales of Monkey Island, Sam & Max Season 1 and 2, and Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People. Also, tomorrow only, Red Faction 1 and 2 will be half off. [GamersGate]

• Steam's Weekend Deal: Far Cry is $4.99, Far Cry 2: Fortune's Edition is $9.99. [Steam]

• GameFly subscribers can take advantage of some rockbottom used game prices with free shipping. Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood, Ghostbusters and X-Men Origins: Wolverine - Uncaged Edition are each $9.99, Call of Duty: World at War is $14.99 and Prototype is $17.99. All games are Xbox 360. [Cheap Ass Gamer]

Hardware
• Xbox 360 consoles continue 360-deals-a-year pace as PS3s continue to command MSRP. The Xbox 360 Arcade with a $25 Gift Card deal ends at Amazon today. Then on Sunday Best Buy will take the torch (plus tax) for the coming week. Elite is $294 + free extra controller at Amazon today and Dell has the Elite for $269.99 + tax. [Dealzon]

• The 11-inch Alienware M11x gaming laptop that we said is "worth looking into once it hits the market" has hit the market. Starts at $799 + some nickel-and-dime $1.95 shipping [Dealzon]

• Deanbmmv points out an interesting sale that I guess qualifies as hardware. The Valve Store - this is their merch shop, t-shits and stuff, not games, features a 10 to 50 percent of sale on all Valve branded items until Feb. 14. Left 4 Dead hats, Aperture Labs parking passes, headcrabs, go for it. [Valve Store]

As always, smart gamers can find values any day of the week, so if you've run across a deal, share it with us in the comments.

Mass Effect 2's tamer (and sideboobless) sex scenes led some to believe that BioWare held something back, after the 2008 uproar over Mass Effect started by the Network That Must Not Be Named. But a dev sternly denies that charge.

User Menelaos1971 opened a forum thread on the subject, calling the sex scene in Mass Effect 1 "a step in the right direction for Rated M games," but implied that the uninformed uproar over it chilled BioWare's intent to extend the theme in the sequel. He also alleged that BioWare was given orders from EA that an M for violence was OK, but not nudity, because it might affect sales. "Or was it just EA lawyers," Menelaos1972 wrote.

Stanley Woo, a member of the QA story team for the game, replied forcefully:

It's kinda funny that this topic keeps coming up over and over again. People who claim to be old enough and mature enough to handle sex and nudity in a game seem to believe that any lack of sex and nudity in the game is a sign of self-censorship. They generally don't believe that a game can be called "mature" without explicit sex and/or nudity.

Let me tell you, folks, that as a developer full of mature individuals, we are also free to not have explicit sex and/or nudity in our games, no matter what you, Fox News, the government, or Bunky the Wonder Clown has to say about it. We have never considered it a "problem," it is simply a choice we have made and we have every right to make that choice.

Later on, answering another forum poster who dragged parenting into the discuss, Woo continues:

You are absolutely correct. It is not our job to parent the child or determine what content is acceptable or unacceptable for our players. But on the other hand, it is not your job to dictate what content we include or don't include in our games. Game development is not a collaborative effort between developers and gamers; it is a dictatorship, where we alone determine what content goes into our game. You the player make the choice whether that content is acceptable to you (and/or your family) or not.

I agree, but I think forum user Gorn Kregore put it a little more succinctly.

"Two words: Get laid."

Sex and Nudity [BioWare Social Network, via Cinemablend. There are no spoilers in this thread]

In our latest employment-specific round-up, we highlight some of the notable jobs posted in big sister site Gamasutra's industry-leading game jobs section this week, including positions from Black Rock Studio, Blizzard and more.

Each position posted by employers will appear on the main Gamasutra job board, and appear in the site's daily and weekly newsletters, reaching our readers directly.

It will also be cross-posted for free across its network of submarket sites, which includes content sites focused on online worlds, cellphone games, 'serious games', independent games and more.

Some of the notable jobs posted this week include:

Black Rock Studio: Lead Vehicle Artist
"When a company the size of Disney steps into European development, it's pretty big news. Disney employs over 100,000 staff. It’s one of the biggest Entertainment companies in the world and it's getting serious about original games. We're a strong studio of just over a hundred people, based at the heart of beautiful and cosmopolitan Brighton, UK. Just a quick train ride away from London in an office where pretty much everyone gets a sea view. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly but focussed and our role is to create original racing game franchises."

CCP China: Senior Programmer
"CCP, makers of the largest game universe in existence, is looking for a Senior Engineer to be a part of the creative team that brought the world the groundbreaking MMO title, EVE Online. Successful applicants will join a seasoned team based in Shanghai, China where they will work on original games for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3."

Ubisoft San Francisco: Lead Artist
"Ubisoft Entertainment, a global leader in the video games and entertainment software industry, is currently seeking a full-time Lead Artist. We are looking for a talented, motivated and experienced person to create and manage art development on an exciting next-generation cross platform project. Qualified individuals are expected to be organized, with excellent communication skills, and have a proven track record in management and art direction for both internal and external outsourcing studios."

Blizzard: Senior Exterior Level Designer
"Blizzard Entertainment is looking for a senior exterior level designer with experience building outdoor levels similar to those of World of Warcraft. The ideal candidate has industry experience on a shipping game or has created and distributed levels in the fan/mod community. Level designers need to be able to create fun and interesting environments that look and play great. Game design experience and skills in general 3D modeling/texturing are preferred. The senior level designer must have experience leading a team but also works well in an environment of peers who are passionate about making great games."

Monolith: Staff Software Engineer, Engine
"Over the past 10 years, Monolith has risen to critical acclaim with products such as the FEAR franchise, the Condemned series, the No One Lives Forever franchise, Aliens vs. Predator 2; and Shogo: Mobile Armor Division. Monolith has focused primarily on first person action games with a strong emphasis on storytelling and atmosphere. In addition, Monolith has extensive internal expertise creating cutting edge tools and technology to support our products. The company’s number one goal is to create fun, compelling games to excite the imaginations of gamers everywhere."

Sony Computer Entertainment America: Senior Developer Support Engineer, Audio
"Be a part of the most exciting and innovating computer entertainment in North America. Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) markets the PlayStation® family of products and develops, publishes, markets, and distributes software for the PS one™ console, the PlayStation®2 and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment systems and the PlayStation Portable (PSP™)."

To browse hundreds of similar jobs, and for more information on searching, responding to, or posting game industry-relevant jobs to the top source for jobs in the business, please visit Gamasutra's job board now.

Impertinent remarks - calling Sony's motion controller "Arc" and the ESRB's bluntly accurate description of the activities in Dead or Alive: Paradise - highlighted our front page this week. Dante's Inferno sneaked in underneath it. Our original news coverage:

K Monthly - January 2010

Kotaku Talk Radio

Top Stories
We Shall Mourn The Following Xbox Live Originals
Want The Heavy Rain Demo Right Now? Here's How...
Sony Cools "Arc" Name Motion Controller Talk
Analyzing The Fallout: New Vegas Trailer
The Games You Won't Sell, The Games You Can't Sell
Latest Dante Stunt Buries ASCII Art In Our Source Code
ESRB Explains "Creepy" Dead Or Alive Paradise Re-Rating; Tecmo Responds
What's Happened To Nintendo's "New Play Control"?

Reviews, Previews, Hands-On and Impressions
Doodle Jump Micro-Review: Boing!
Tournament of Legends Preview: Two-Fisted Combat
Trenches Micro-Review: An Interesting Take on Tower Defense
Starship Defense Micro-Review: The Most HD DS Game
Crush The Castle Micro-Review: Fun With Trebuchets
KrissX Micro-Review: Fun With a Purpose
Blood Bowl Review: No Fun League
Glory of Heracles Review: A Forgetful Adventure
Brothers In Arms 2: Global Front Preview: Back To FPS
MAG Review: World of Shadow Warcraft
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle Review: Repetitious Rebel

Columns
Speak-Up On Kotaku: Press Start, Men Of Repo, Game Prices, And Avatar Effect 2

Features
Romance With Disabled Girls: How (And Maybe Why) An Unusual Video Game Came To Be

News
I Will Now Attempt To Explain A Battle System
Mario Vs Mario: How Three Wii Sequels Are Chasing Their Predecessors
Capcom Kicks Out New Super Street Fighter IV Screens
Better Scores: Musical Selections For Your Next Game Video
Megadeth's "Rust In Peace" Hits Rock Band Store Next Week
Sega Offers Reasons Iron Man 2 Won't Be Dreadful
More Fist of the North Star Screens, Yes Already Dead
Dead Space PS3 Is A Very Limited Edition
NSFW: Behold! The Underboob Gladiator Lady Body Pillow
What Happens On Xbox LIVE When You Press A+A+A
How Does Konami Do Without Metal Gear Solid?
Sony: PS3 Sales Up, PSP Sales Down
You Should Relax About BioShock 2, No Freak Outs!
So, How Did Mass Effect 2 End For You?
Red Faction Guerrilla Sequel At E3 2010, Arrives By April '11
A Peek Inside Mass Effect Redemption #2
The 10 Most Avidly-Played Wii Games In America (As Of Feb 1)
Will There Be A Last Guardian Announcement At E3 Or TGS?
This Is Exactly Why I Hate Peripherals
EB Games Pushing For Changes To Aussie Game Ratings
After Mario, The Next Nintendo Wii Game With Depth
Yup, Final Fantasy XIII Is Coming On Three Discs
This Game Guide Cover Gets To The Points
Namco Bandai To Cut Over 600 Jobs
Nier Dated For Japan
The Cutest PSP Bundle Of 2010
Quantum Theory Delayed To "Improve Quality"
On The iPhone, GT May Not Stand For Gran Turismo
Raven (and I) Need You!
iPhone Chart Toppers: X Games and Spore Creatures Hit
Xbox 360 Controller/Game Bundle, 250GB Drive Hit Japan

Star Trek Week
Why There Hasn't Been A Truly Great Star Trek Game
The Star Trek Influence In Your Games
Phasers Set to Fun
Star Trek MMO Log, Stardate 2010.02
As The World Becomes Star Trek ...
Building The Perfect Star Trek Frankengame
Memories of Strange New Worlds, Strange New Ideas

Sports
2K's NBA Team Steals Key Player Back from EA
UFC Undisputed Sells 3.5 Million
Stick Jockey: The Replacements, Still Replaced in Video Games

Art and Video Games
John Romero Bows Before Gaming's Masters
Finding The Art In Video Games

LOL
Commander Shepard's Toughest Choice Yet

Nobody Noticed DJ Ravidrums in this Pic
Death of A Wii

Outreach
2010 Life Love Game Design Challenge Offers $2.5K Prize

Remember, everyone, our rules here are standard 12 point type - and definitely no Comic Sans or Papyrus typefaces - in Kotaku's official open thread.

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Heather Logas only has through tomorrow to make the crowdsourced funding goal for her indie storygame — or all the funding pledged so far is lost. Heather describes the game by saying: Remember those Choose your own Adventure books you used to love as a kid? The game is a bit like that, if it [...]

At UC Santa Cruz, the Digital Arts and New Media MFA program is organized around collaborative research groups. For those applying this year (deadline February 15th) I’ll be leading a group on the theme “Playable Fictions.” This is a great way for writers, game designers, and related sorts of digital media artists to get an [...]

EIS PhD student Teale Fristoe spent last summer at Microsoft Research working on Kodu, the exciting new platform for game creation. Now we’re developing a proposal to extend Kodu with support for deeper characters, social situations, and dynamic stories — providing the first high-level computational support for the kinds of games that research shows [...]

The second annual global game jam at UCSC is coming up, kicking off on Friday, January 29th. But even if you aren’t participating in the jam, you should still come by the Simularium at 4:00 pm on Friday to check out the great speakers we have lined up. This year, you’ll get to hear from: Edmund [...]

The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) is a prestigious professional society serving the interests of academics and professionals with interest in computing, broadly viewed. Within the ACM, Special Interest Groups (SIGs) serve the needs of specific communities of interest by operating conferences, fostering publications, and generally promoting the creation and spread of knowledge about the [...]

I attended Super Happy Dev House 36 and presented a lightening talk about the upcoming AIIDE 2010 StarCraft AI Competition. The competition is interesting to the hacker community at Super Happy Dev House, because the Broodwar API enabling the competition is a reverse engineering project providing direct access to game state and units in StarCraft. [...]

Forza Motorsport 3 is, as described by one of the designers, “car porn.” And, well, that beauty above? That delicious, glistening, throbbing piece of machinery? That’s a Nissan Datsun 510 from 1970. You’re free to take a moment right now, if you need one… imagining yourself astride the seat, hand gripped on the gear shift, [...]

The design of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves should make integrating gameplay and fiction easier in two particular ways. First, it’s linear, so there’s no need to worry about unexpected traversals of the fictional space. Second, it’s almost entirely scripted — a matter of how adeptly things are accomplished, rather than what approach is taken or [...]