Kids around the universe (excluding the US) can now access all the new premium Xbox LIVE Dashboard applications — with parental approval, that is. According toMajor Nelson, Microsoft launched an update earlier this afternoon allowing baby LIVE account owners access to Twitter, Facebook and Last.FM. Neat. This update won’t be launching in the US until December 15th. Nelson points out that the apps will appear on the dashboard on the magical, mid-December date....

If you haven’t playedJumperby Matt Thorson, I’d highly recommend it — partially because it’ll make you more excited about today’sSuper Meat Boynews, and partially because it’s a spectacularly well-designed platformer. Ogmo,Jumper‘s perpetually-perplexed protagonist, has joined the ranks of Commander Video, Flywrench, and Tim fromBraid, according toan officialSMBblog post. Of course, the postdidgo up on April Fool’s Day, but this seems too believable and humdrum to be a hoax. According to theSuper Meat Boyblog, Ogmo comes equipped with a double-jump and his ownJumper-themed warp zone....

In all my excitement aboutgiant dicks and boobsinSaints Row: The Third, I totally forgot that there’s a story. I mean, I knew there was going to be something but I just forgot that it will actuallymatter. The latest trailer for one ofthe funnest games everfocuses on Killbane and the Luchadores gang of Steelport. They work for the Syndicate doing all kinds of bad stuff and will stand in your way of trying to do bad stuff....

Here’s yet another treat to come out of Sony Gamer’s Day, a few screenshots ofPatapon 2. The first few images are for the single player mode, while the last two are from themultiplayer. Unlike some members of the staff who seem to adore the little hapless buggers, I have yet to really have the opportunity to sink my teeth into thePataponseries. With its visual style and gameplay mechanics, it seems like a perfect fit for me but every time I start to thinking about buying a PSP,another freaking versionof the hardware seems to beon the horizonand I hold out....

The long-awaited Xbox Live Arcade remake ofPerfect Darkhas finally been given a release date, with Microsoft confirming that fans can step back into the boots of Joanna Dark on March 17. This will pave the way for Xbox Live’s Game Room, which will launch on March 24. Both of these items are part of Microsoft’s “House Party” promotion, which will run all throughout March. The offer includes one download for each of the month’s four weeks and stars withToy Soldiers, followed byScrap Metal,Perfect Darkand then the Game Room....

It is officially the first day of a brand new year, and you know what that means. Very soon, the game industry will set the hype wheels into motion for another twelve months of disappointment and despair! Hooray! In all seriousness, 2009 is a rather exciting year, as it represents an unknown quantity. While wedoknow of a handful of very high profile games coming out this year, very few publishers have beentoorevealing about what’s in store....

Tons of info was just revealed at theNintendo Fall Press Conferenceheld in Japan and one of the highlights wasthe announcement of the new“Wii de Asobu Selection”, which translates to Play on Wii Selection. Nintendo will be re-releasing classic GameCube games for the Wii starting with the originalPikmin. It’s rather odd that that Nintendo is focusing on porting old GameCube games since, you know, the thing actually plays GameCube games. But hey, Capcom seems to be having a successful run with theResident Evil 0, 1, and4remakes with waggle controls so I guess it just boils down to whatever prints them money....

This week’s episode is aboutthis video, which is about how we’re all wasting our lives, andthis video, which is about how our lives are all gonna be meaningless in a few years.

Yes, I know it’s not as exciting asThe Conduit(first “party,” haha Cammie) or the newMario & Luigi(yay!), but some of us weren’t around to get the good stuff so we’re left with the rest of it. Here we are then. Just me andPokémonRanger: Shadows of Almia, taking place in a brand new region called — you guessed it — Almia. How many bloody Regions has this game got, anyway? Anyway, you’re a Pokémon Ranger who goes around helping people and nature — the kind of thing atosserdoes....

It was almost two years agowhen League of Legends was first releasedand since then the game has received a cult-like following.League of Legendshas helped cement the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) genre into videogaming. Now developer Riot Games is ready to introduce a new gameplay mode that hasn’t been seen in a MOBA before. The new mode is calledDominionand will see you defending and capturing points to defeat the opposing team....

“Be both lion and fox.” This was the advice given by Kieran Brigden, Studio Communications Manager for The Creative Assembly, during a preview ofTotal War: Shogun 2. We discussed tactics like these and gameplay for the upcoming sequel to one of the most renown strategy games of its era. During our recent visit to SEGA of America, we previewed this Feudal Japan-themed real time strategy/turn based game, discovering some new leaks and information along the way....

It hasn’t been averygoodweekfor the Sony, and let’s face it, it rarely has been so far this year. That isn’t stopping Sony from setting sales standards around the globe though. Since the March launch of the PS3 in Europe, Sony has managed to sell over a million PAL territory PS3s in just under ten weeks. The PlayStation 2 dominated global sales years ago after its launch, but in comparison, the PS3 has already managed to surpass the sales pace of its PS2 and PSone predecessors....

Price is an issue when it comes to music game bundles, but Amazon is easing to the financial burn on one particular set —The Beatles: Rock BandLimited Edition. As part ofits special Deal of the Day promotion, both console versions of the bundle are priced at 170 bucks instead of the usual 250 bones. Nice, right? I just finished reading about The Beatles in Malcolm Gladwell’s “Outliers: The Story of Success....