So, theLeft 4 Dead“Survival Pack”is available and free on PC and Xbox LIVE Marketplace, but you really want to give Valve some coin. Here’s your chance. We’re told that theL4DStore has been updatedwith new merchandise — namely that Horde t-shirt, Zombie Skull hoodie, Ceda mug, and “Last Stand” movie poster plastered on the front page. And really, what better way can you possibly show Valve your undying love forL4D? You’re dishing out dough and bearing your fandom for all to see....

[Editor’s note: The C Blog recaps are run by a handful of Community members every single night that recap all of the Community Blogs from the day. It’s the front page version of The Daily Hotness, basically. They do it for the love of the community and nothing more. Since a lot of birthday blogs have gone up on the Community Blogs today, I wanted to point them out to the people who may have missed it all go down....

Descending on a warehouse outside downtown Chicago was an innumerable hoard ofMarvel vs Capcom 3fans, chomping at the bit to get a taste of the game’s new build, fresh from the Tokyo Game Show. It was quite a surprise for the Capcom team to have the event here in Chicago, one I wholeheartedly appreciate. The Midwest doesn’t get enough gaming love. How did it fare, you ask? Well, considering fans started lining up just 8 hours prior to the event’s start, it seemed Capcom’s presence in the Windy City was not ill received....

When thefirst detailsofCall of Duty 5: World at Warwere revealed, there was much talk of the unique new features that were promised (flamethrowers for the win) and just as much chat about the World War II setting. Treyarch is not deaf to concerns about returning to WWII, and aims tosmash any doubtsabout the decision. “Modern Warfareopened the door to so many people new toCall of Duty,” stated Senior Producer Noah Heller....

[Update: Now with more official box art! Straight from THQ, we’ve updated the gallery (and the header image) to reflect the official box art.] Like death and taxes, a newWWE Smackdown vs. Rawtitle from THQ is a given. This fall is no different, asSmackdown vs. Raw 2011is set to hit shelves on October 26. Today, the publisher has revealed the cover athletes for the game, so you know what you should be looking for when you head to the store… you know, outside of the fact that it will say “2011” on the box....

By the bulging blisters of Baldur’s blue bumhole, we’ve got ourselves twenty lucky Destructoid members who have won themselves aDarksiderscloth map, courtesy of the fine folks at THQ! As you may recall, readers werecharged with the taskof creating their own horrific vision of the apocalypse using any artistic methods at their disposal. Now the fruits of their labor are being rewarded in cartographic form! Our grand prize winner was AHB, whose chilling vision of a world ruled byVelvet Assassinmade me laugh and earned him a map signed by artist Joe Madureira....

What we have here is a first look at Sniper Studios’ upcoming and yet-untitled Wii game. The trailer recently appeared without much fanfare on Gametrailers, and is also viewable at Sniper Studios’official Web site.What’s it about? Who knows. Like the headline of this post says, it looks like a cross between Frank Miller’sSin Cityand the Discovery Channel’sDeadliest Catch. At some point, there’s hints ofThe Bourne Identity. No, I haven’t a clue as to what’s going on here....

Now usually,with our reviews, we like to have at least three of our writers contribute their thoughts. But, with the PC gamePenumbra: Overture Episode One, we were a little short, but still wanted to let you know about this title. Because, let’s be honest, the chances you’ve actually heard of it are slim at best. So, hit the jump for the review ofPenumbra: Overture Episode Oneand see what you think....

I like it when a small amount of bullets kill an enemy. Any game that markets itself as realistic must have this essential property. I’m often surprised that the majority of games don’t do this. TakeFar Cry 2for example. The game is built around the realistic portrayals and features some pretty lifelike things, including its landscape, gun degradation, and inherent violence of civil conflict. But why in the hell does it take 14 bullets to kill a dude in a wife beater?...

I love vikings. Ever since I was a child, I had an illustrated book of Norse mythology which I would happily read with great interest. The best thing about Norse mythology is how everyone, even the good guys, are bad tempered, violent bastards with very little in the way of scruples. Vikings are simply awesome. If there’s one thing I love just as much as vikings, it’s brutal, bloody action gameplay....

We’ve all heard the legends, the hushed whispers emanating from herds of awestruck, greased con-goers, and the awe-inspiring tales of heroism at the hands of a mythic creature: the girl gamer. And while my feigned shock and awe simply serves as a sarcastic device, sadly, game developers and gamers themselves seem to hold a similar opinion; a point Professor Celia Pearce makes well (in spite of some questionably factual statements) in a recent(ish)article....

Even though any form of DRM will result in cries of agony, I find the copy protection attached toBattlefield: Bad Company 2to be quite reasonable. you may read thisofficial blog poston the anti-piracy measures, or watch as I attempt to cram a good chunk of juicy info into four brief paragraphs. The .exe will be wrapped with SecuROM that only runs when the game is running. Authentication is handled one of two ways: either you have the game disc in the DVD drive, or you go online just once....

Remember thatcrappy Ubisoft DRMthat required PC games to maintain an Internet connection in order to work? It’s back, baby!Driver: San Franciscowill use the controversial DRM method, because constantly checking in with a publisher like some registered sex offender is theFUTURE! If your game goes offline, you’ll be allowed to play for a brief period of time before it pauses. It’ll then unpause only when the connection is re-established. Ubisoft offered a justification for the DRM, saying: “Bear in mind though that the PC version ofDRVSFis released simultaneously to consoles....