Looks like Activision isn’t the only company that can enjoyabsurd exclusive preorder bonuses. It would appear that Fallout: New Vegas is following in the footsteps ofWar for Cybertron, offering as it does not one, not two, not three, but four pre-order bonuses, all available exclusively through different retailers. Classy. A pick n’ mix of DLC will be available, and the actual content will depend on whether you order from GameStop, Amazon, Best Buy or Walmart/Steam....

Mega Man games seem to go over better when they stick to their 8-bit roots, but there’s no reason why they can’t be 8-bit-ish while operating on all three axes. Just take a look atMega Man 8-bit Deathmatch, a game that takes the sprites from the original Mega Man games and pastes them onto aDoom-like engine. It may be a little hard on the eyes for those who prefer the “realistic” look utilized in most FPSs, but I bet Mega Man fans of old would rather play this thanCall of Duty....

After fifteen billion years of nothing, Square Enix has seen fit to finally shed some light onFinal Fantasy Versus XIII, the game Sony fans have been touting as the best game ever, simply because it’s exclusive to the PS3. Seriously though, it seems like it will be better thanFinal Fantasy XIII, and here are some new details. The big news, and most crucial toFinal Fantasyfans, is thatVersuswill have a huge open field....

Earlier this month, Joe started a campaign to fly Gabe Newell and Erik Johnson out to Australia to take a look at his upcomingLeft 4 Deadcampaign after Gabe jokingly told Joe he was boycotting his mod. Joe quickly started fundraising, and as of yesterday managed to raise $3,121.27 — more than enough to cover two round-trip flights from the US to Australia. It’s happening. Valve let us know today that Gabe and Erik are, in fact, traveling to Sydney, and will be meeting with Joe on October 7th....

The Games on Demand selection grows even more this week with someSmackdownaction for your Xbox 360. BothSmackDown vs RAW 2008andSmackDown vs RAW 2009join the full-game downloadable line-up, though I’m not quite sure why someone would want the 2008 version. I mean, wouldn’t everyone want the more current one? I guess if you were looking to get something under $20, then the ’08 version would fit the bill ($19.99, 6GB download).SmackDown vs....

You got your GameStop Edge card, right? Mine just kind of rots in the back of my wallet. Maybe if there were some new loyalty perks it would see the light of day more. A new survey to members points to some new possible features in the works. It seems that they’re throwing some ideas out to users to get a feel for what people would like and would be willing to pay for....

Bioware has delivered new information onMass Effect 2at today’s EA Gamescom press conference. The first information of note is the inclusion of recruitment and loyalty systems to the game. Players will be able to choose which of the game’s NPC characters can be added to their party. Once they’re in, you’ll have to maintain their loyalty in order for them to operate effectively. According to Bioware CEO, Ray Muzyka, “The characters Commander Shepard recruits are not only pivotal to the storyline but essential to the players overall success....

Despite my dislike ofAlpha Protocol, I am still looking forward to checking out Obsidian’s slightly less spy-flavored RPG,Dungeon Siege 3. These new pre-release screenshots actually look better than the “finished” Alpha Protocol did, so that’s a great sign! Seriously, the game’s looking pretty damn good. Check out the gallery and see if it tickles your fancy. My only concern is the studio spreading itself thin between this andFallout: New Vegas, so hopefullyDungeon Siegedoesn’t suffer a lack of due love....

It’s not hard to describe what Arrow Head Games downloadablemagic-spewing action titleMagickais all about: it’s an isometric hack-and-slash fest minus the swords and the RPG elements. Giving you the perfect picture of what the chaotic game looks like in motion, on the other hand, is something altogether different. I thought this embedded debut trailer might help in that respect. My understanding is that Sweden-based Arrow Head has takenMagickaon several European press rounds, so the above might be “ancient” by Internet standards....

The word is that Activision’sGuitar Hero: Van Halenhas been demo-rized and is now available for download over Xbox LIVE. One problem: where is it? We’ve been probing the Marketplace like Dick Tracy would whenever he’s not occupied with beating his wife or scoring some smack. Sure, there’s an alleged demo dubbed “Guitar Hero: Van Halen” listed in the Game Demos menu, but this “demo” has a mere two Van Halen songs in it — “Eruption” and “Panama....

Nobody could have expected this one, but it turns out thatHalo 3has actually become quite a popular release. I know, I couldn’t quite believe it myself, but our news contributor Joe Burling and regular tipster TheGoldenDonut wiped the haughty smirk off my face with the power of evidence. Come with me as we look at all of today’s announced successes in theHalo 3camp. It should come as no surprise thatHalo 3has stormed onto Xbox Livelike a hungry Nazi, claiming the number one spot fromGears of War....

Regardless of your opinion of Green Day’s music, I think it’s safe to say that their songs (especially, say,Dookie-era stuff) would be pretty damn fun to play inRock Band. Personally, I’m a huge fan, and the growing chatter regarding theirappearance in the game(or perhaps even astandalone Green Day title) has now reached fever pitch. Yesterday, fresh off of their coming-out party at E3, Harmonix brought outThe Beatles: Rock Bandat MTV HQ in Times Square, New York....

Hey Ash, Whatcha Playin’ is a surreal web series about videogames and cupcakes. You might like it, you might not. Our midseason break is finally over, and I’m pleased to announce that the second season of Hey Ash, Whatcha Playin’ is now officiallygo. This season will proceed in much the same format as the previous one: an episode every two weeks for a year, a (hopefully epic) finale, and a short break before we do the whole dance over again....