This is a fantastic new developer diary for Double Fine’s upcoming downloadable title,Trenched. So often, the developers in these promotional videos are (presumably) speaking to an interviewer. Nothing wrong with that, but watching these three guys sit around a table, drinking beers and casually chatting feels so intimate in comparison. Just a bunch of dudes hanging out and talking about their game. Trenchedlooks promising. I get a realMechAssaultvibe from the gameplay footage seen thus far and pairing that up with tower defense suits me just fine....

Rockstar shipsGrand Theft Auto: Chinatown Warsfor the PlayStation Portable tomorrow, and I’m pleased as punch over it. I loved it on theNintendo DS, and look forward to seeing how Rockstar Leeds (in association with Rockstar North!) handled porting it over to the non-touch-screen Sony portable. The publisher/developer sent sent over a copy of the game today, and I’m happy to report that we haven’t had a chance to even take off the shrink wrap....

Europe is a miserable swamp full of cowards, sex pests and liars. That’s why Europeans will be pleased to hear thatonesliver of light is entering their dark and filthy lives whenDynasty Warriors 6: Empiresarrived on June 26. Finally, those in the PAL territories have a reason to put down that switchblade because the most culturally important phenomenon sinceRocko’s Modern Lifeis headed their undeserving way. DW6: Empiresfollows on from previousEmpiresgames, in that it recycles the assets from the main titles and turns them into a quasi-strategic game in which players aim to rule ancient China by seizing territories and engaging in political machinations....

Dynasty Warriors 6: Empiresreleased last month and has been releasing a decent stream of free DLC. The content isn’t exactly minblowing, consisting of new costumes and background music, but it’s still pretty cool. Japanese fans, however, are going to get something alittle more interesting, when the game unexpectedly collaborates withSouten Kouro, an anime show that I’ve never heard of because I don’t write forJapanator. Whether or not this comes to the West is anybody’s guess, but the content is supposed to hit PS3 and Xbox 360 sometime this month....

As E3 comes to a close, we present the last of our “Burch n’ Davis play…” segments. One would typically try to send such a series off with a bang, but we were too tired and had played too many high-profile games in the last several days to actually find anything bang-inducing. Instead, we playedGrand Slam Tennisfor the Wii, which will be one of the first sports games to utilize the Wii MotionPlus....

Kotaku has managed to get their hands on the very first shot of whatMetal Gear Arcadewill look like, and it looks pretty badass. Everything that was mentioned in the press conference is there: networked cabinets & big 3D goggles. To be honest, it kind of creeps me out wearing something that’s been worn by a ton of people before me, especially something I have to put on my face. I hope the game comes with a Clorox Wipe dispenser installed as well…...

King Arthur IIhas received a new trailer, and the sequel to the game that brought us a fantasy role-playing take on theTotal Warstyle of strategy looks like it’s shaping up rather nicely. Dragons, masses of soldiers, and other kinds of fantasy creatures all litter the battlefield and fight it out with some fancy new lighting. The sequel also features a darker setting as King Arthur is now apparently the Maimed King, who will try to heal himself while attempting to unite his war-torn lands....

Snatching mad loot from Dark Spawn corpses and non-infected containers can be an issue when inventory space runs out inDragon Age: Origins. When this happens, players have four options: (a) start destroying lesser baubles and lose potential profit in order to pick up more stuff, (b) exit the area and hit an item merchant to unload, (c) buy backpack extensions or (d) download the “Warden’s Keep” DLC and use the party storage container that comes with it....

We’re already into July, so EA Sports’ August 12th launch ofMadden NFL 09on every current platform known to man (and some unknown to this man) is right around the corner. Accordingly, EA announced the game’s 26-song soundtrack this morning; it is said to feature “a multi-genre roster of superstar acts and soon-to-breakthrough artists.” You’re going to have to let me know about the validity of that statement from EA’s PR people, since I’m not familiar with a single track in the game....

I absolutely adorePersona 3as well as the wholeShin Megami Tensei: Personaseries. I love it so much that I wish every JRPG fan would get the chance to play it. It got my vote forGame of the Year, though my measly vote didn’t stand up tomy co-workers’ selections. We still gave it a10/10 in our Destructoid review, head-shooting and all. Our European friends (other than importers) haven’t been able to join in the fun, but nowEurogamerbrings good news:Persona 3is on the way via Koei....

As most of you are probably aware, a couple days ago Scott Steinberg, the Sony VP of Marketing,had a few things to say about how amazingKillzone 2was. Mostly he just gushed about how it was the greatest game ever and would be a 360 killer and blah blah blah whatever. It’s PR speak and it’s what he’s paid to do, so it shouldn’t come as a huge shock. Someone on the GameFAQS message board noticed his statement, and as predicted it quickly turned from a discussion of what he actually said into an orgy of people freaking out, throwing fits, and talking about how awesomeHalo 3is....

This is the third “Pitchers vs. Hitters” promotional video for 2K Sports’Major League Baseball 2K10. It features Seattle Mariners starter Felix Hernandez and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim first baseman Kendry Morales in the first gameplay footage we’ve seen so far. Just like thefirstandsecondvignettes, this one is funny in the way it shows off the players’ competitiveness. I also like 2K’s decision to have the players speaking in their native tongue, Spanish, because it helps to illustrate and promote the diversity of baseball....

Do you have the Internet? Can you write good and explain issuesgooder? Do you like videogames with Moogles and fancy unreleased MMOs that might have them? Excellent. You’re just a few requirements shy of participating in the upcomingFinal Fantasy XIVbeta test. Neat, right? Last afternoon, Square Enix announced that it is now taking applications for possible PC beta testers via thegame’s official Web site. Possible testers are required to have a solid Internet connection, be willing to report issues, be at least the 18 years of age, and own a Square Enix ID....