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TheMega Man Tributeart book, if youremember, is a compilation of user-submitted pieces that will be unveiled at the San Diego Comic-Con and then sold shortly thereafter. UDON has just releasedthe listof contributing artists, ranging from big names like Hitoshi Ariga to heartfelt fans like…Ashley Davis!!! You thought we’ve forgotten about her, huh? Nuh-uh! We love Blavis! I’m even a member of her fan club! I’ve got badges and everything! The image in the header is obviously not the piece she submitted (it’s from her marvelousMega Man episodeofOnce Upon a Pixel), and we’ll most likely have to sit tight until Comic-Con to see what she and the other contributors made....

We told you aboutJeanne d’Arc, a Japanese role playing game based on the real life story of story of Joan of Arc coming to the U.S. for domestic releaseyesterday. While PSP RPGs may or may not float your boat, this commercial might do the trick. This video is an extended length Japanese commercial forJeanne d’Arc. It’s a parody of the turn-based strategy game play, yanked right out of the 15th century and dropped into a current day office environment....

If you’re one of the fans prepared to take a steaming dump all overBanjo Kazooie: Nuts & Boltsbecause it dares to be such a big departure from previous games, you probably won’t like what Gregg Mayles has to say. In a chat withRare Witch Projectcommunity members,BK‘s creator suggested that the game would be “around 80% vehicles.” Banjo will get in and out of them all the time, but most of the traveling will be done by your self-built contraptions....

This weekend we talked about how the PS3 version ofBayonettawas selling better in Japan, even though it’s aslapdash portof the Xbox 360 version. Now we have an even more interesting comparison between the two games for you, this time concerning the North American versions of the game. According to GameStop, the PS3 versionwill be cheaperthan the 360 one. GameStop listsBayonettaas $54.99 on the PS3, while the Xbox 360 version costs $59....

Writing in videogames is something we’ve been discussing with industry figures for a while. Chris Avellone says it’s important,but not that important.Dragon AgewriterDavid Gaider agrees. However, fellow BioWare member Mike Laidlaw, lead designer ofDragon Age: Origins, has a different take. He believes that good writing is “essential.” “I think good writing is honestly essential, because as we see the technology curve start to slow down, we’re kind of past that exponential two-year gain that we used to have … we’re wrestling more with the uncanny valley than the number of pixels,” argues Mike....

The PC version ofBlacklight: Tango Downwas only released today but Zombie Studios has already confirmed that the sequel, tentatively (and imaginatively) calledBlacklight: Tango Down 2, is in the works. The downloadable first-person-multiplayer shooter is aiming for a Summer 2011 release. Tango Down 2will feature bigger maps and mech-like vehicles that players can get in. Maybe that will mean players can take up to FIVE bullets before they die! There are also no plans for downloadable content in the original game, despite there being a DLC option in the game’s menu....

I loveBloodRayne. The games were never the highest quality, and existed purely to satisfy the very niche “vampire girl murdering Nazis” fetish market, but it had a kind of transcendent awesomeness. News of a3DS returnfor the crimson-haired fascist-drinker was awesome, but the game’s been delayed. Yep, that’s definitely what the 3DS needs right now. Majesco has announced, by way of a quiet Facebook update, thatBloodRayne: The Shroudhas been put “on hold....

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2is not skimping on the fan service, bringing as it does a healthy dose of the Galaxy’s finest bounty hunter. Fanboy favorite Boba Fett will be an integral part ofThe Force Unleashed’s plot, and here he is receiving his commission from El Vader himself. The trailer is short, but does what it needs to do – get you excited for the guy who used to be cool until George Lucas decided he was a clone of somebody considerably less cool and that he’s got a sad in his heart because his daddy’s head got cut off after several hours of the most boring narrative of all time....

By all accounts, PAX East had a stellar first showing. For those who were able to attend, you’ll be pleased to know that Penny Arcade organizers and the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority have penned a deal: the show will take place in Boston for, at the very least, three more years. While I still say PAX Prime cannot be topped, I look forward to the “competition” between Seattle and Boston attendees as both shows continue to improve and expand each year....

Now granted, signing up for a free beta and opening up your wallet to pay for the service’s premium features are two different things. Whether or not Activision makes significant money on the venture will depend on what exactly those premium features are. We were told last month that part of the package would include all-inclusive access to paid downloadable content. Depending on the yearly cost, this could be an attractive alternative to purchasing map packs à la carte....

Oh dear. Oh dear oh dear. Despitethe Brandon Crisp thinghappening months ago, CBC has nevertheless decided tohop onto the late bandwagonand strongly implicate videogames in his death. Apparently, a 15-year-old running away from home and falling out of a tree is evidence that gaming has a “dark side,” and CBC wishes to explore it in anupcoming programme. “When Brandon Crisp’s parents took away his Xbox, they had no idea that their attempt to restrict their son’s video gaming would lead to tragedy....

As you walk the CES show floor you hear many things, but certain talked-about items are more ear-perking than others. Such was the case today as I was playing someHalo 2for Games for Windows. Here’s a rough estimate of what I heard from a mysterious Microsoft rep: “So yeah, the new 360 will have an HDMI port, a 120GB hard drive, and a cooler chip.” I heard this and thought I had missed something in the news as I was busy all day wading through the masses at CES....

The CES 2009 keynote just wrapped up where our boysNick ChesterandDale Northtweeted their brains out about all of the new Microsoft products coming out soon. Windows 7 looks pretty tempting! Anyway, Robbie Bach of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division talked about all things Xbox 360-related and dropped someHalo-related information for all youHalofans. Why yes, people actually still playHalo! In fact, the average user has played 150 hours ofHaloon Xbox LIVE! Oh snap!...