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I am proud to be able to present to you the first episode of Bit Transmission, a new podcast featuring two of Destructoid’s most interesting editors, Jonathan Holmes and Colette Bennett. I’m also on there as well. In this episode, we spend some time talking aboutBioshock 2and a couple of the latest WiiWare releases. The second half of the episode has us discussing the changing role of mascot characters in games and how the games industry tries to build our attachment to the games we play....

Bret Hart is still wrestling — somehow — and since he’s one of the all-time WWF/WWE greats, fans are likely interested in playing as him inWWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011. In North America, Hart will be a timed exclusive pre-order bonus for Best Buy and “all major Canadian retailers,” according to THQ (he is, after all, Canadian). I imagine he’s much more happy about this news than about being in the Walls of Jericho above....

There was little doubt that Double Fine’sBrutal Legendwas going to get slapped with an “M” rating by the ESRB. This is a game based off of heavy metal culture — sex, drugs, rock n’ roll… an Iron Maiden album cover brought to life. So when the ESRB got their glimpse of the game’s juciest bits, they walked away with a lot to say. In fact, the description found on theESRB Web siteis without a doubt the longest we’ve ever read....

You know what’s better thanaccusing Haitian earthquake victims of signing a secret pact with the devil? Buying DLC forCastle CrashersandAlien Hominid HD. Not only areCastle CrashersandAlien Hominidremarkable games, but, between now and Sunday, developer Behemothis donating 100% of proceeds generated by DLC salesto the Haitian relief effort. Even better: The Behemoth will match the donation out of their own (probably limited) coffers, effectively doubling your purchasing power. For the record, there are two DLC packs available forCastle Crashers:The King Packoffers two new characters (the King and an open-visor Gray Knight), some new weapons, and a seal animal orb;The Necromantic Packalso offers two new characters (the Necromancer and the Cult Minion), new weapons, and a dragon (!...

Try saying that three times fast! We were quite pleased (and impressed!) whenEspgaluda IIhit the iPhone and iPod Touch this spring, but now bullets rain again withDoDonPachi Daifukkatsu, Cave’s follow-up. They dropped a debut trailer that doesn’t show much, but you don’t need to see much to get excited. According toAndria Sang, Cave says thatDoDonPachi Daifukkatsuwill require the faster iDevices like the iPhone 4, 3GS or 3rd generation iPod Touch....

CNET, despite firing the last personality they had (tee hee)has called for less anonymityin the games industry, infuriated that names like Will Wright are not more well known to the general public. Columnist Don Reisinger also finds it difficult to understand why game companies aren’t pushing key developers as celebrities in the same way that Wright, Kojima and Miyamoto are pushed. Let’s face it–most people care aboutSporebecause Will Wright created it....

At Comic-Con this week, co-founder of Maxis andThe Simscreator Will Wright revealed a bit aboutSpore’sdepth during a large demo of the game. According toEurogamer,Wright claimed that players would never see the entirety of the game, regardless of how long they play. Considering the nature of the title, Wright may be correct in that regard. He then went on to debut “MashOn,” which is a tool inside of Spore that will allow players to create their own comic books with both digital images and videos....

The Games Company (straightforward name) has today announced the digital debut of its third-person horror shooter series,Afterfall.Afterfall: Insanitywill be releasing for PC, Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network early next year, and it’s looking suitably f*cked up. Afterfallhas a premise very similar toMetro 2033, in that it’s a post-apocalyptic horror shooter set in spooky underground tunnels. All kinds of monstrosities lurk in the sewers and it’s up to a guy who looks a bit like a Warhammer 40K Space Marine to deal with them....

Poor Max Payne. His latest videogame romp, cleverly titledMax Payne 3, was originally scheduled to be in stores well… now. But after a severe lack of any real info, it was unsurprisingly shuffled to an early 2010 release. Hope you hadn’t planned anything around that, because that’s not happening now, either. The Rockstar Vancouver developed title is now scheduled for release during the “fourth quarter of fiscal 2010.” This is according to Take-Two’s recent financial report, and puts the game’s release anywhere between August and October of 2010....

Weta is known to make some really amazing props and there’s probably a warehouse somewhere filled with nothing but Weta made Halo props. A couple of their creations are now being giving away in a contest with Mountain Dew and Doritos. Two 420cc ATVs have been customized to look and sound like the Mongoose ATV fromHalo: Reachand you need to just purchase Mountain Dew or Doritos products in order to win....

Wordon the streetis that the PlayStation Network will be revealing a demo for the PS3’s upcoming, SixAxis-yankin’ roleplaying extravaganza,Folklorevia the PS Store today. Hurry while stocks last, however, because it’s being said that the demo is going to be available for a limited time only. Why would Sony be so restrictive? Who knows, perhaps to try and simulate a sense of hype and make everyone go crazy likethey didoverBioShock‘s demo? You know Kaz Hirai was sitting there in his Xbox 360 dashboard like everyone else, willing the download status bar to move another inch....

Developer Codemasters is dishing out moreOperation Flashpoint: Dragon Risingcontent on the morrow with the release of an expansion pack and a patch for all three platforms. The expansion, dubbed “Skirmish,” delivers four new multiplayer maps, of which includes two Infiltration mode maps — the so-called sizeable complex, Lumberyard, and White Fang — as well as two new Annihilation mode maps: the rolling green of Stomping Grounds and base-heavy Force Dispersal....

Square Enix has announced that the Obsidian-developed roleplaying sequel,Dungeon Siege III, has been given a release date of May 31 in North American. European gamers will get to sniff it early, with a May 27 launch. It seems that no release is complete without preorder bonuses, and Square has revealed those as well. Here’s the swag you can grab, and where to nab it: I’m pretty hyped for this game....