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Bethesda Softworks has officially announcedPrey 2today, followingword this weekendthat details were coming. The shooter sequel will arrive in 2012 and is being developed for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The first details are scheduled to appear in the May issues ofOfficial Xbox MagazineandPlayStation: The Official Magazine, alongside various European publications. Human Head Studios,Prey‘s original developer, is making the sequel using id Software’s id tech engine. Preywas pretty cool for an early generation title, so I’m pretty eager to see this....

PlayStation 3 owners will tell you that you don’t really have a choice when it comes to firmware updates for the system — users are prompted to update as soon as the system is switched on. Because of this, by now, all PS3 owners should have downloaded and installed the version2.00 firmware update. New news of system issues stemming from this update may have users cursing the forced firmware. We’ve received word via the Destructophone that some users are experiencing system issues post 2....

As a black gay Irish albino, I know the sting of prejudice, the invisible walls of racial stereotyping that isolate me from my fellow men. I hate it. I hate and I hate and I hate, even going so far as to declare myself Imperial Wizard of my own secret society for the Advancement in America of Black Gay Irish Albinos. I have not attracted any other members yet, but if you’re white, and if you’ve ever woken up in the dead of night to find a stuffed Pillsbury Doughboy Doll, crucified upside down and burning on your front lawn, I’m sorry to say that was me....

In the latest episode of theInsomniac Full Moon podcast, October 23 was revealed as the release date for their upcoming PlayStation 3 title,Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction. I don’t know anything else about the game, I promise. But, you know, check by tomorrow about … let’s say, 9 AM EST. Maybe I might know more about the game then. But right now, I don’t know anything. No, sir....

Red Faction: Battlegroundsfeels like it came out of nowhere, but it’s here nonetheless. The new downloadable game is all about 4-player vehicular combat with “fast attack vehicles,” tanks, and walkers who fight it out in combat arenas. Of course Danny Bilson has something to say about it: “For hardcore Red Faction fans to casual racers that just want to blow stuff up,Red Faction: Battlegroundsprovides a completely new way to experience theRed Factionuniverse....

Got an account at Capcom-Unity? Good. You canuse it to voteon whether the upcomingResident Evil 5: Alternate Editioncontent should be available as a digital download, or if Capcom should instead opt for an all-new retail package with theextra missionslovingly burned to the disc. The company is already set on putting out a new physical product for Japan, but as for the United States and Europe? Your guess (or vote, rather) is as good as mine....

Before the Wii, Sony brought casual motion-controlled gaming to the masses withEyeToy. Unfortunately, Sony never really capitalized on it and is onlynowscrabbling to make use of its camera peripheral in the face of ever-growing fascination with “casual gamers” and the belief that motion control is the only way to appeal to them. EnterEyePet, Sony’s newest family-friendly endeavor. Using the PlayStation Eye to transform your living room into a virtual playpen,EyePetputs you in charge of a cuddly, cute, and multi-talented fantasy mammal and interact with it using your own two hands....

The second episode in theWallace and Gromitseries of adventure games from Telltale released this week. When Anthony and I looked at the first episode,Fright of the Bumblebees, he was willing to forgive some technical issues for the charm and humor residing in the game. I was less forgiving. Aconversationwith Telltale at GDC, with assurances that issues would be fixed and a little experience using the game’s intended control scheme softened my stance some....

Call of Juarez: Bound in Bloodwon’t be light on grit and story if we take the lastfewteaser trailersreleased by Ubisoft at face value. However, if we did take the teasers literally, we wouldn’t have much of a game to anticipate — snappy Wild West one-liners, hard-boiled vixens, and icy stares don’t combine to make a great title. There simply needs to be something else that ties the aforementioned elements together....

Spy thriller RPGAlpha Protocolwas supposed to be shipping to stores in the last week of October. We were all going to get our hands on the exciting action of the spy world and see if their whole “branching conversation” thing was as revolutionary as they touted it to be. However, plans might have changed. Like the spy world the game takes place in, nothing is for certain, but two separate retailers are now listing the game as coming out in June of next year....

Dan Fornace’s Game Boy-styleSuper Smash Bros.demake has gotten another playable demo. This second installment ofSuper Smash Land, as it’s been so appropriately titled, adds Link and Pikachu to the roster and new stages. That makes four characters in total, since Mario and Kirby were already in the first demo. It may not seem like much, but there’s a surprisingly amount of detail and thought put into this free game. I could pictureSuper Smash Landas a real cartridge game had the original Game Boy not predated the Nintendo 64....

It’s a damn good time to be a fan of digital distribution. Immediately following the “Summer of Arcade” line-up for Xbox LIVE Arcade,Shankis getting its release on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. August 24 and 25 for PlayStation Network and XBLA, respectively, is when we’ll get our hands on this gorgeous beat-’em-up. Klei Entertainment has also announcedShank‘s price: $15. Everyone who is legitimately shocked by this, please leave, and don’t come back anytime soon....

Some things just aren’t really worth of the weekday spotlight, but are slightly interesting enough to warrant some weekend love. EA’sSims 3good luck wishes to Susan Boyle, theBritain’s Got Talentlady who warmed everyone’s hearts, just barely make it into that category too. I’m not sure why EA decided to do this or what effect they are hoping it will have, but the video really does nothing. I suppose it is interesting to watch one major pop culture phenomenon get sucked into another major pop culture phenomenon....