Since I know all of you will be getting the PlayStation 3 on Day One, I thought you’d like to see how the uber console will start up and work once you unpack its greatness. What? You won’t be getting a PS3 on launch day? Pfft. Blasphemy. You will. Well, just in case you don’t, look at what you’ll be missing. PSM3MAG.com put together a couple PS3 start-up vids featuring joypads (tee-hee British speak) above and the orchestral start-up and menu system in the video below....

Would you be willing to pay $13.60 forBatman: Arkham Asylumon Steam? Well, you can, and not only is it that cheap, it’s the Game of the Year edition, too. Enough people bought this game initially that they decided it was a wise idea to makeArkham City, so I don’t know how many of you are going to get good use out of this promo. That said, it wouldn’t be hard to justify double dipping at such a low price....

Fairly nice set of sales going on over at Steam, if you missed out (i.e., ran out of cash) during the grand holiday discounts. There’s the always-funBatman: Arkham Asylum(Game of the Year Edition) for $7.50, theGothicComplete bundlefor $18.75, andThe Witcher: Enhanced Edition Director’s Cutfor $9.99. None of theGothicgames have ever grabbed me, so I can’t really speak to them, but the other two titles are worth getting. I will say, though, thatThe Witcherdid a good job of making me just want to playThe Witcher 2, and not necessarilyThe Witcher....

Alert: Nintendo hardware rocked December, just likeits software did, according to the NPD Group. Glaucoma or not, Grandma honed in on the Wii with her deal-seeking vision during the month of December. Nintendo’s little white casual console sold 3.81M units, while the publisher’s handheld did a ridiculous 3.31M units — a point punctuated by its domination of the PSP, which sold 654.7K units. Sony probably has something to boast about: the PS3 sold around 1....

Even though Jonathan visitedBlizzardHQ twice over the summerand brought back a few photos, Blizzard has always been a rather secretive company. In an industry full of leaks and rumors, Blizzard keeps most of its info and inner-workings under wraps, managing Azeroth from afar from what is surely a tower made of fetal bones and teeth. Even the name of the company evokes something remote, barren, and off-limits. Well,Entertainment Web has blown their cover: they’ve collected over a hundred photos that reveal that not only is Blizzard staffed by humans (as opposed to warlocks and doom-virgins, like I thought), but that their offices are swanky as hell....

The remake has been serving videogame companies very well indeed for the past few years. Such successes asPrince of PersiaandNinja Gaidenhave shown that an old IP can be given a fresh coat of paint and entertain a new generation of fans, as well as make nostalgic retroheads beam with delight at seeing their old heroes return. Then something like theAltered Beastremake happens. Still, regardless of the few sore points, the glorious returns of long dead videogame characters won’t end any time soon....

In addition toSengoku BASARA, which Hamza told you about earlier today, Capcom announced another new game at TGS, which is tentatively being calledGhost Trick. It’s a new DS title, in which you play as a Detective named Sissel. Now, I know what you’re thinking. DS, detective game, been there. The difference here? Sissel’s a ghost. The recently deceased, amnesiac investigator will use his spooky ghost powers to safeguard the living, and in the meantime, hopefully uncover the secrets of his own death so he can find peace....

Back during E3 when Microsoft introduced Project Natal, one of their tech demos was a version ofBurnout Paradisefit to work with the motion detecting hardware. For Tokyo Game Show, Microsoft brought along two other demos for the Japanese market — theXbox LIVEArcade titleSpace Invaders Extremeand Namco Bandai’sBeautiful Katamari. When I asked Microsoft Games’ Kudo Tsunoda if it would be possible to “patch” existing games to work with Natal, his answer was clear — it’s not likely....

So, a game usually needs to turn a profit to warrant a sequel, right guys?Mushroom Men 2andDark Void 2will likely never be created, but we’ll definitely be seeingJust Dance 2andAssassin’s Creed 3in the next few years. Sell over a million copies, and you’re a success, sell less than half a million, and you’re flop. That’s what the gaming industry tells us, so it must be true. So what’s the deal with this rumor about a sequel toThe Conduit?...

Girl, how you fit in them straps!? Jim talks about art games and innovation, Dale reviewedWhite Knight Chronicles,I checked outDragon Age: Origins — Awakening, we’re giving away aMuscle March-themed Wii, Ben played someAlan Wake, GDC Europe is right alongside Gamescom and more happened on 02/18/10. Destructoid Originals:Rev Rant: Epic FailArt games aren’t innovative and innovation isn’t goodCommunity:My expertise: Being a Smash Bros. JediCommunity blogs of 02/18/10Forum of the day:We love Niero threadReviews:White Knight Chronicles (International Edition)Previews:Shining a light on Remedy’s Alan WakeDarkness continues to terrorize in Dragon Age ‘Awakening’I want 3D Dot Game Heroes even more nowContests:Strike a pose, win rare Muscle March-themed WiiWin an-all-expense paid trip to PAX East thanks to Two World IIEvents:GDC Europe 2010 to kick off alongside GamescomNews:Infinite Space taking to the stars March 26thWarner Bros....

Resident Evil 4 I love to be scared. I don’t know why — me being scared usually involves a lot of running around like an idiot with my arms flailing — but I love the feeling of shock and subsequent nervous laughter that goes along with being genuinely frightened. It’s a sick pleasure, I suppose. While there are quite a few videogame moments that have scared me, there are only a few that are trulyterrifying....

Electronic Arts has announced two new games in its gazillion-sellingThe Simsfranchise. The first,The Sims 2: Apartment Life, is an expansion that sees Sims moving away from dull suburbia and beginning the hip lifestyle that only an apartment building can provide. There will also be a happenin’ new neighborhood for your Sims to explore. Exciting new locations like “coffee shops” and “playgrounds” are just waiting to providehoursof entertainment. Apartment Lifealso adds the ability to control multiple Sim households, new character types, and a reputation meter....

The newest MMO crazy to be tearing its way across the planet is a little lessWoW, and a little moreBAM. As you can see from the video above,Audition Onlinelooks like the same kind of exciting, often-times ridiculous experience you have come to love in games likeParappa,DDR, and theBust-a-Grooveseries, only with an online multiplayer spin. It’s available now viaNexon’s U.S. Web sitefor FREE, and you can find the official grand opening announcement after the jump....