Star Trek Online officially beams into retail on February 2, 2010, keeping in line with what an unearthed Atari financial document expected last May. Players will boldly enter 2409 and continue "the story of the latest film installment," according to the press release. Huh, and here we thought it took place after the poorly-received Nemesis and not the "latest" Star Trek movie, which was actually the acclaimed reboot. We contacted Atari to find out which layer of the sci-fi series' multiverse we'll be playing in and a representative apologized for the confusion, saying , "Events in the movie that happened in the prime timeline -- the destruction of Romulus, and the disappearance of Spock and Nero -- have affected STO. You can learn more about the aftermath of these events in the Path to 2409 and in STO itself."

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With the launch of the 360, I made the transition from PC gamer to console gamer, and I haven't looked back. While there are definite advantages to PC gaming in terms of graphics and customizablity, to me, the ease and consistency of console gaming is much more important than the benefits PC gaming offers. I'm glad to be able to just play without having to think about the difference between system requirements and system recommendations, whether my graphics card is compatible, whether the install will screw up my system registry, etc. But, on the negative side of the ledger, I miss mods a lot. So Valve's plan/vision to bring user-created levels and mission to the 360 version of Left 4 Dead is tantalizing to me. It's the best of both zombie-filled-worlds. "Just put all the PC mods up on Live!" I've thought to myself (I have a rich inner life.) Apparently, it isn't that simple. According to Valve's Chet Faliszek, mods currently aren't "standard" enough to run consistently on the 360, or even lower-end PC. "One of the problems now when you look at a lot of the mods that are made is they can't run on low-end PCs, they can't even run on mid-end PCs often - they can only run on high-end PCs. They can't run on Xbox 360," Faliszek said. This doesn't mean it's not going to happen, of course. Bringing mods to the 360 is still in Valve's sights. Faliszek says the company is planning to work with the mod community, maybe at some point after Left 4 Dead 2 comes out on November 17th. "The coolest thing we could ever do would be to take something that was made by the community and share it with everybody - including Xbox 360 owners," Faliszek said. "How that happens and what work needs to be done is a little bit complicated."

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In an effort to gain traction in the growing social gaming and digital spaces, Electronic Arts announced today a $300 million dollar deal to acquire developer Playfish, a company that focuses on creating games for the Facebook, iPhone and Android platforms, among many others. "Social gaming, with its emphasis on friends and community, is seeing tremendous growth and this is the right time to invest to strengthen our participation in this space," said Barry Cottle, Senior Vice President and General Manager of EA Interactive. "EAi has been successfully leading the charge for EA, and with the addition of proven expertise from Playfish, their broad consumer base and strong game brands, we're moving ahead aggressively in our plans to lead in the category of cross-platform social entertainment." Playfish currently has over 150 million games installed and played worldwide, and has over 60 million monthly active players across ten of its biggest titles, including: Pet Society, Restaurant City, and Country Story available on Facebook. "The industry is undergoing dramatic transformation and joining EA is the ideal opportunity for us to push forward our goals to lead in the social entertainment evolution on a faster and much larger scale," said Kristian Segerstrale, CEO and Co-founder of Playfish. "EAi's vision and entrepreneurial culture are consistent with our own, and together, we are in position to be the company that defines new and innovative connected experiences that will change the way people play games."

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A video game company is donating $1 million on Tuesday to set up a foundation to help [American] veterans find employment, organizers announced. Activision Blizzard, which produces the popular Guitar Hero and Tony Hawk franchises, said its Call of Duty Endowment (CODE) will support other groups that assist veterans with their careers. Unemployment may have hit double digits in the nation last week, but for veterans, finding a job has always had its challenges. The unemployment rate among people who served in the military since 2001 was 11.6 percent in October, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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GameSpot reports that a man has sued Sony, Sony Online Entertainment and Sony Computer Entertainment of America, contending the company violates the Americans with Disabilities Act for not making its virtual worlds more easily navigable by the visually impaired. The nature of Alexander Stern's visual impairment isn't clear from the report, whether that is total blindness or partial blindness, or some other form of sight disability. But his suit, filed in federal court in California, claims that Sony has ignored repeated requests to modify its games - the suit seems to focus on SOE's MMOs - and that the realms Sony maintains here are essentially public accommodations as defined by the ADA. Stern repeatedly asked Sony for the addition of visual cues to point out destinations for gamers with "disability impaired visual processing." The suit mentions World of Warcraft and another game that, through the allowance of third-party modifications or other features, make their games more accessible to the visually impaired.

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A New York company named Virtusphere, Inc. has created a virtual reality experience they call the Virtusphere. The Virtusphere is a 10-foot hollow sphere - big enough to contain a person. Virtusphere, Inc. calls the large sphere a locomotion platform that allows users to be completely immersed into their interactive virtual experience. The person wears a wireless, head-mounted display. The person feels as if they are moving in the virtual reality world as they walk inside the sphere. The company believes its device would work great in theme parks. They are also marketing it to the U.S. Department of Defense.

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Nearly every one of Bayonetta's attacks involves her getting half-naked. That's a pretty good deal right there. Platinum Games didn't want to stop though. So they introduced outfits that Bayonetta can change into. We've seen the witch skirt, the schoolgirl gym uniform, now we see more. Today we have more skimpy wear for Bayonetta. That includes a two-piece swimsuit, a cheerleading outfit and even traditional Japanese woman's clothing. Looks like Kamiya has made it so anyone can live out their fantasy through Bayonetta. Screenshots are available at ScrawlFX.com.

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Are there Zombies in Iowa?! On Sunday, a patron of Panchero's Restaurant in Iowa City apparently thought as much when he saw another patron. He was so sure about it, that he felt the need to take matters into his own hands and physically assault the individual right in the middle of restaurant, while yelling "zombie." (Yes, this is a REAL story.) The impromptu vigilante, described as a "dark-complected white male with short brown hair, about 20 years old, between 6-feet and 6-feet-2 and weighing between 200 and 230 pounds" decided to stand up for the rights of the living, when the accused "zombie" had the audacity to walk into the restaurant, sit down, and order food! The vigilante then proceeded to his punch the victim in the eye. After the accused undead patron attempted to call the Police (or possibly the "Zombie Police?,") the vigilante proceeded to hit him again, this time breaking his nose. The vigilante (can we call him "The Zombie Whacker?" ) immediately slipped out of a back door and (as of now,) is still at large.

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Kotaku reader Greg says that while he slept his year-old Lab/Hound mix, Oscar, attacked his Xbox 360 controller managing to both turn on the console and purchase 5,000 Microsoft Points as he gnawed the hard plastic controller. "I realized it when I checked my phone to see what time it was (I had to be at work soon) and saw the e-mail from Microsoft confirming the purchase for $62.50," he told Kotaku via email. "At that point it was a little after 5 a.m.... not something you want to wake up to." Greg's not mad about it, he's already spent the points on a slew of download games, just bemused. "Chances are this is the first time an animal has managed to purchase Microsoft points on an Xbox 360," Greg writes. "What are the odds that he chews on the right buttons, in the right order and moves the stick in the right directions to navigate and purchase points. 1 in a billion? More? Now, I can't call Microsoft and say 'My dog chewed my controller'. That excuse never worked in school for homework, what makes me think that a multi-billion dollar corporation is going to believe it?"

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It's a free Killing Floor weekend on Steam, as Tripwire celebrates the release of the free Level Up content pack, adding new creatures, classes, weapons, maps, and perk levels to the co-op mutant survivor game. Killing Floor is incredibly fun, and now it's even more so. The free Level Up content pack punctuates Tripwire Interactive's dedication to providing lasting value to their fans, keeping the game fresh with a healthy injection of new content. There are three new maps, including one set during the aftermath of a Halloween rave in an abandoned lunatic asylum, which would probably be more enjoyable if you arrived while the rave was going on. They're introducing The Husk, a new specimen with a fireball launcher grafted to its arm, which sounds uncomfortable, along with a demolitions perk for those who like blowing up the crazed mutants. All perks now have an additional level, hence the Level Up moniker, and several new weapons are introduced, including a medic gun that shoots healing darts from afar. All of this new content is free to everyone who has purchased the game, as well as those who take part in the free Steam weekend, going on until Sunday, October 25. As an added bonus, those who opt to purchase the full game this weekend get it for 25% the normal price. $14.99 for Killing Floor is an absolute steal.

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Ian wants your permission to keep the Xbox 360 Best Buy gave him by accident. He doesn't spell out his request in his message, but you can tell he's struggling with a moral dilemma. The devil on his shoulder tells him that the extended warranty he bought when he purchased his destined-to-break Xbox 360 entitles him to whatever results from the process when he makes Best Buy live up to its end of the bargain. The angel says, "Be better than Best Buy." Click the title to see what Ian says happened.

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During the fall harvest, from time immemorial, the people of Atreia have celebrated the bounty of the land. Years ago, the joy of the annual revels was troubled by an eclipse - a peculiar and magical eclipse that brought darkness to Asmodae and Elysea. Ever since, for days during Harvest Revel, the sky goes dark and the peoples of Atreia join the hunt. Asmodians find soothing peace during the dark days of the Harvest Revel. They celebrate by racing after the Wild Kurthanir hunt leader during the Wild Hunt and cooking special traditional dishes. Elyos endure the dark days because during them the dead of Elysea are restless. Undead creatures rise from the grave every few hours, pulled back into a semblance of life by the power of the eclipse. Elyos must join roving Dark Night bands to hunt and destroy the undead before they invade Elyos villages. Log in each day during Harvest Revel.

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Numerous people are reporting freezing issues with Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Early reports are indicating that PS3s of all makes and models are being affected by this issue. The timing of the freeze seems to be different in most cases, though. Several people are reporting the game freezes towards the ending of the game, while some are reporting freezing issues right at the start. Whether the system is the cause of the problem, the game, or a possible firmware glitch is the root of the problem hasn’t been deciphered, yet. Unfortunately for those who are being affected by the freezing issue, there isn’t a sure way to fix it at the given time. If you are experiencing this problem, you may want to exchange your current copy for a new copy at your local retailer. Hopefully, that will fix the problem for you. The problem doesn’t seem to be too massive, but it’s certainly affecting enough people to cause some minor concern. If you haven't experienced this problem, yet, though, you're probably in the clear. Some believe it has to do with the firmware of the system, so be sure to update your system to the latest firmware available. Let's hope for an answer or patch in the near future to fix this issue.

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When Preview Program members start receiving the Xbox 360 system update next week, one of the changes is that unauthorized Memory Units will no longer work with the Xbox 360. If you’ve moved your profile or saved games onto one to “back it up,” you’d better move it back onto an authorized Xbox 360 storage device prior to taking the update. If you continue to use an unauthorized Memory Unit after the update, you will not be able to access your stored profile or saved games. If you need help identifying officially licensed Xbox 360 storage devices or accessories you can read more about the licensed accessories program on Xbox.com.

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Both GameFly and Netflix package their by-mail rentals in bright, obvious envelopes, and a Philadelphia mail handler took advantage, stealing 2,200 GameFly games in just six months. When he was caught, he had 81 games on him. 81! Reginald Johnson, a mail processing clerk in Germantown, Philadelphia, apparently stole every GameFly envelope that came his way, selling them back to GameStop for quick cash. The Post Service began to get suspicious when, we imagine, nobody in the greater Philadelphia area received GameFly rentals for six whole months, and an investigation led them to Johnson. Johnson, in turn, led the police on a chase, until he crashed his SUV, at which point he made a break for it, carrying 81 stolen games in a duffel bag. Johnson is likely to receive 12-18 months jail time for his crimes. He didn't break the record 3200 Netflix DVDs stolen earlier this year, but remember: Games are worth more. So Reginald Johnson can feel like a winner, in jail, where he'll be for the next year or two.

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You know that sweeping feeling of guilt that comes over you every time you're pulled over as part of a "standard traffic stop?" Yeah, those natural emotions are about to make you look incredibly suspicious on the way to your next flight -- or it will if the FAST project is ever turned into reality. The Homeland Security-funded Future Attribute Screening Technology effort, which has already ate away at $20 million in taxpayer dollars, essentially hopes to let flyers keep all of their clothes on while forcing them to stand on a Wii balance board (or similar) and have an array of sensors watch their every reaction to a battery of questions. The problem? Every innocent person on the planet's going to start sweating and shaking just being in that kind of scenario, and only the trained terrorists of the world are apt to be able to put truth aside and fake the machine into thinking everything is cool. Oh sure, we're being a little dramatic here, but seriously -- maybe the TSA should just require a complete life history as a prerequisite to boarding.

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Adobe has made available the highly famous photo editing software - Photoshop, to the iPhone for completely free. This will make the iPhone a bit more perfect. One of the things it lacked until this announcement was the ability to edit photos and since it's free, it will catch the attention of many users. The program normally costs a heavy price - The CS4 extended version has been priced at $999! The iPhone version of Photoshop will work with a Photoshop.com account, which is completely free and allows users to sync up to 2 gigs of photos with the Photoshop.com website. Users will also now have the ability to access their photo library online from their iPhone. Features offered by the software include "cropping, rotating and flipping; ways to alter color exposure, saturation, tin, white and black; filters that apply sketching or soft focus; as well as effects such as vignetting, borders white glow and so on."

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Richard 'Arcee' Cardenas explains how Facebook was responsible for the capture of a careless burgular.

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Online retailers have been slowly altering the release date for Alpha Protocol -- which should have arrived on store shelves this month -- into 2010. Sega has kept completely silent on the issue, however, preferring to let gamers speculate and wonder what's going on with their pre-orders. But Sega's own website has confirmed Alpha Protocol's shift, now listing the game as a spring 2010 release.

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