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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UK supermarket Sainsburys is offering Activision's new shooter for less than half the suggested retail price starting tomorrow. It's looking like UK console gamers are going to get a pretty substantial break tomorrow when supermarket chain Sainsburys opens for business. According to various reports (via MCVUK) the stores will be selling Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on console for less than half the suggested retail price. Originally, Activision set the pricing at a steep 55GBP (roughly $92) for the regular edition of the game. This morning however, websites based in the UK imploded with the news that Sainsburys is going to offer the regular version of Modern Warfare 2 for a skinny 26GBP (roughly $43). From midnight tonight the supermarket will offer Infinity Ward's latest shooter for an astonishing 26GBP – a price well under half the 55GBP RRP. Upon phoning a Sainsbury's store this morning, before MCV had even named the game we wanted to know the price of, we were told by a representative of a Hampshire location: "26GBP. Call of Duty, right? You're about the tenth person to call this morning. I spent all day yesterday taking these calls. "We didn't actually know the price until today – we were told it was secret. But it's advertised in the papers this morning so now we know." While some sources indicate that this price cut will only last until the first batch of stock is sold, it's going to be interesting to see if other retail outlets jump on the bandwagon and try to price match. One thing's for sure -- gamers that have pre-ordered the game at other retailers for the suggested price are not going to be happy.

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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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In little over a month, Windows 7 will officially launch starting at $120 and $200 for their respective Upgrade and Full versions. If you're a college or university student, however, Microsoft has a much sweeter deal in store. Starting today through January 3 next year, anyone with a valid .edu email address can purchase the upgrade version of either Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional for just $29.99. The operating system will be offered as a download through Digital River, a company which specializes in downloadable software, on October 22. Copies are restricted to one download per email address and you'll have to choose between the 32 OR 64-bit versions.

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Jagex CEO Mark Gerhard has indeed confirmed the cancellation of MechScape, although you wouldn't quite know it from his comments, which seem excited to be working on a different title with a new direction. This isn't the first time an in-development MMO has been rebooted in favor of a completely new direction, although Tabula Rasa at least kept its original name. Why the sudden decision? According to Gerhard, MechScape wasn't able to avoid the same pitfalls of RuneScape. Of course, making such a move is going to cost Jagex millions, but their current financial success will be shouldering the weight. The new game -- known as Stellar Dawn -- should be coming in 2010 and will be based on the MechScape graphics engine. The big changes planned for Stellar Dawn are content and combat focused, although no specifics were given by Gerhard. It's a bold move, no doubt, and sometimes this industry favors such decisions -- other times it punishes them significantly. Whether you look at this as stalled (Tabula Rasa) or prolonged (everything Blizzard) development, you have to admit it creates a notable amount of interest in Jagex's 2010 game.

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i cool link

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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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PODCASTS ABOUT THE WORLD OF AION FROM SOME EX-RAIDER VIEWPOINTS. GIVING YOU OUR FEELINGS ON THE INS AND OUTS TO AION!

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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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Doohohohoho!

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Marriage proposals via video games aren't exactly new, but they're still clever -- and usually cute. Last Thursday, Brad Smith proposed to his girlfriend of five years using a hacked version of Super Mario World, placing coins in world 1-1 to spell out, "Will you marry me?" Cute, right? But we have to question Brad's filming of the occasion, because, if we didn't know better, we'd think the couple was being watched by a serial killer hiding behind their couch. You can see what we mean after the break.

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As said by Aeria Games. October 18, 2009 Monday From 9:00pm PST October 18th to 9:00pm PST October 19th 2009 Spend 2499 AP Get a Monday Special Included in the pack are the following items: * P/T Barbarian Warrior * P/T Choice of Aries Horn (I or II or III) Female Male Aries Horn I Aries Horn II Aries Horn III Limit 2 per Account Account Name: 1st Participation Choice of Horns (I, II, III): 2nd Participation Choice of Horns (I, II, III): (READ MORE BELOW) Please make sure to purchase the correct items at the correct specified times. We will have the reward items distributed within 10 Business days of the promotion end time. Items will be delivered to both servers. We appreciate your patience.

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