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I won’t bitch here about the way I feel about microtransactions for basic items in a game, as I think I’ve alreadyadequately covered it in the past. The most recent announcement from Square-Enix about DLC for their upcoming Wiiware titleMy Life as a Kingseemed to offer a few things I felt were worth downloading if I enjoy the original game, perhaps positioning the whole microtransactions business in a slightly rosier light....

At last, we’ve come to the fourth of fourNBA 2K9teaser trailers that 2K Sports has put out (seehere,here, andhere, respectively, for numbers one through three). Unlike its predecessors, this one isn’t 100% slow-mo — this time, there’s actually a couple of bits of real-time footage. The teaser features the Cleveland Cavaliers versus the Chicago Bulls, and it focuses on Bulls point guard Derrick Rose. Yes, I’m going to tell you what happens once again, mostly because, well, I need to fill this space with something other than the requisite final sentence....

Gaming might be a more mainstream medium these days,but according toIan Livingstone, Eidos’ creative director and head of acquisitions, it is still struggling for respect. “We’re still seen as the red-headed stepchild of the creative industries, one notch up from pornography in the eyes of most of the establishment,” Livingstone lamented toThe Guardian.“They forget that half of the world and half of the UK’s population play games. Games help define who we are as human beings – they are as important, culturally and socially, as music and films....

It’s time to return to theAge of Empiresseries.Age of Empires Onlinewas announced by Microsoft for the PC and the new game brings a bigger focus on sharing and playing with others online. We’ll see new features such as a persistent capitol that evolves even when you’re not around, co-op multiplayer quests and it’s all done on a free-to-play system now. The officialAge of Empireswebsiteis taking beta signups right now for those of you who can’t wait for the game to be released....

One of the many games being shown at gamescom is Splash Damage’sBrink. If you’re not familiar withBrink, it’s an upcoming team-based co-operative first person shooter in development for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, & PC. I was able to get about 20 minutes of playtime while I spoke to the developers, so go ahead and check below for my hands-on impressions ofBrink’smultiplayer. Brink(PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation S3)Developer: Splash DamagePublisher: Bethesda SoftworksTo be released: Spring 2011...

On-rails light gun action is what you’re getting with this PlayStation Move game calledThe Shoot. It’s calledThe Shootbecause you’ll find yourself traveling through mock movie sets. Think of an updatedVirtua Copthat takes you through generic film lots and you’ll be on the right track. We saw a science fiction-based “set,” and we were told that others are coming. In the end we’ll see a “Wild West” set and a haunted house/horror one among others....

Were your aspirations towards professional athletics deftly crushed due to injury or ineptitude? Have you ever wanted to partake in the fanciful, snowy events that are popularized when the Winter Olympics roll around ever four years? Well, thanks to 49 Games’ upcomingWinter Stars, your dreams of hibernal glory can come true. That’s right — you can be an off-the-couch-but-still-inside-where-it’s-warm Winter Champion. You might even burn a few calories with this motion peripheral-based title, so ready your Kinect, bust out your Move, or dust off your Balance Board....

Already revealed in name by theESRB not long ago,Nintendo Power(February 2009) has the first details on Activision’s upcoming Nintendo DS title,Guitar Hero Modern Hits. Beyond dropping the the “On Tour” from the name,Modern Hitslooks like it’s revamping its single-player career experience as well. Ditching the straight forward way of working down a list, it’s now a bit more open. You’ll choose to play shows in different venues, gaining fans. As your popularity grows, you’ll get more money, more fans and with them, “Fan Requests....

The space will whisk users to a tropical island, bursting with sand and gaudy logos. It will also have branded airplanes that players are welcome to pilot in a racing format. Home’s community manager wrote on thePlayStation blogthat “this is just the start” of what Sony plans to do with the space. The Red Bull area’s arrival is just one of the new things Home will be getting this week. Ligne Roset and Diesel will receive their own stores in the Mall and twoResident Evil: DegenerationT-shirts are slated to arrive as well....

If you have trouble getting the food you want at SushiStop in Los Angeles, Josh Tolentino suggests you head on over to the Best Sushi down the street instead — they’ll always have a bountiful selection! On a down note, Jonathan Ross tells me this location used to be an actual Japanese import game store. On the plus side, I sifted through the photos of the menu items, and they look friggin’ delish!...

Ignition Entertainment has today announced a brand new first-person-shooter for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network that has been billed as a “AAA quality” game, with all the trappings and features of a full retail experience. Current-gen graphics, multiplayer, and customization features. The game is calledBlacklight: Tango Downand is a sci-fi military title from Zombie Studios. Sounds like it’ll be quite extensive, and look damn good too. I like what I’ve seen so far, at any rate....

…but I already have a PSP! It’s the one you always make me shut off during take-off and landing. I don’t really shut it off, though. I just put it in stand-by and laugh at you under my breath. Also, I keep my headphones in and my iPod playing the whole time. Take that, snappy bitches! If Sony and IFE Services have their way, the next PSP you’ll play on an airplane could be part of the in-flight entertainment....

Sukeban Shachou Rena Wiihas broken a sales record, but not in any way that should be celebrated. The weird minigame compilation launched this recently in Japan and has swiftly claimed the title of worst selling Wii game in history. It soldone hundredcopies. The game is all about cats running companies, or something to that inane effect. It’s the kind of typical Japanese strangeness that you’d expect to do well in Japan, but apparently not even our friends in the East could stomach this one....