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No one on staff is particularly interested in massively multiplayer online games; shocking, I know! Perhaps that will change withGuild Wars 2, perhaps not. A while back, executive producer Mike O’Brien posted a hype-filleddesign manifesto— maybe you skimmed it? With this new video, you don’t have to feel guilty. Essentially, it takes the concepts mentioned in the manifesto and starts running. Actually, sprinting is more like it. The bold statements being made by AreaNet combined with the fantastic art style left me feeling impressed....

After more than four years of existence,EVE Onlineis finally going to see an engine upgrade with their next patch. While facelifts often leave MMOs scarred and delirious like an aging Courtney Love, the graphics we’ve seen so far of the new build look almost exactly like the old engine — fantastic news to those who are already in love with an MMO that has aged as gracefully as Robert Redford — only with all the added bells and whistles of today’s modern technology....

In case you missed it last month, Activision is bringing the Wii version ofGoldenEye 007to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Obviously there will be a lot of improvements like the graphics. Plus you’re getting 60 frames per second, PlayStation Move compatibility, new missions and the standard multiplayer bells and whistles. So yeah, this is great except for the fact this will be completely overshadowed byModern Warfare 3andBattlefield 3. If I was Activision, I’d at least wait to release this early next year instead of in the middle of some of games biggest releases of the year....

This whole “free add-ons for those who buy our videogames new” thing isn’t going away, it would seem. Ashinted at previouslyby DICE,Battlefield: Bad Company 2will be getting two downloadable maps on launch. So long as you have one of the codes included with new copies of the game, it’ll be free. Otherwise, you better cough up some cash, son ($15). Since it’s clear this is only the beginning of the freebies, it might be wise to, I don’t know, just buyBad Company 2at full price....

Nintendo continues its streak of delivering the “one less than we’ve come to expected” two Virtual Console titles this week. But with goodies like these, I’m finding it hard to be mad at them. Natsume’sHarvest Moon(Super NES, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)comes to the Wii Shop Channel today, and we’re thrilled. Thrilled that we can fish. Thrilled that we can marry. Thrilled that we can plant turnips. Thrilled that we can get drunk on juice … because this whiskey habit is getting expensive....

I don’t tend to get interested in the “business” end of gaming — stock prices, mergers, hostlie takeovers, etc. I don’t know a lot about business or economics and I’d rather be talking about actual games. However, I’ve been trying my best to follow Midway’s downfall because I happen to have a soft spot for the much-beleaguered company. It probably stems from playing way too muchMortal Kombatas a kid, and way too muchBlitzas a bigger, college-aged kid....

Here’s another trailer for WayForward’sAliens: Infestation, which is due to to hit North America on October 11. It’s shaping up to be one of the best DS games in recent memory, but of course that won’t be known for sure until it’s finally in our hands. I’m really hoping the final product is as good asmy preview playseemed to indicate it was. A truly greatAliensgame is something I sorely need right now....

I haven’t playedTony Hawk Shredyet, but you may already know I wasn’t a big fan ofTony Hawk Ride. Shred uses the same board peripheral, but promises a better experience across the board, while tossing snowboarding into the mix. Does it deliver? Don’t know, but the soundtrack looks pretty decent. I haven’t playedTony Hawk Shredyet, but you may already know I wasn’t a big fan ofTony Hawk Ride. Shred uses the same board peripheral, but promises a better experience across the board, while tossing snowboarding into the mix....

Many an arcade-style shooter have graced Xbox Live Arcade, but nothing quite likeBangai-O HD: Missile Fury. The series is a perfect fit for the platform, even with its over-saturation of twin-stick shooting. A new batch of screenshots were handed out today, but more importantly, there’s a video. It’s the first official gameplay footage, complete with fruit, missiles, and hundreds of other tiny objects which will fill up your screen later this spring....

Halloween is knocking on the door and Game Trailers went ahead and did the cliché thing by putting together a list of the “Top ten scariest games” of all time. Well known games likeSilent HillandResident Evilare named, but also some morbid classics likeDarkseedgot their 15 seconds of fame. Any improvement suggestions?[ViaTechEBlog]

Two Worlds IIis a game with a hard job. It’s got to convince people it’s worth buying despite its status as a sequel to the worst RPG made this generation. It’s shocking to thinkTwo Worldsever got a sequel, but watching the debut trailer, we can at least say one thing… they’retrying really hardto make this one not suck. We have no way of knowing whether the effort’s paid off, but all I know is this — Destructoid is quoted in this trailer, and if the game turns out to be as crap as the last, we’re going to look really, really stupid....

As you can tell from some of our coverage today, Ubisoft has made some interesting announcements about upcoming downloadable titles coming over the next year or so. However, that’s just the beginning of a new connective method of presenting games to consumers. Ubisoft is making a major push to offer connectivity between console, handheld, FaceBook and iPhone/iPad games, where the actions in one will offer bonuses in the other. This will be applying toAssassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, as well as future games in thePetzfranchise....

This week’s UK Chart signals another victory for SPORTS, withAshes Cricket 2009remaining the most popular title despite the fact that Britain has a history of ritual humiliation in the sport … and indeedallsports. This chart isn’t quite as sport-laden as last week’s, but it’s still crammed with plenty of athletic entertainment. Not a lot of decent games have been released lately, so there’s not a lot to report this week. Of interesting note is the fact thatPrototypehas apparently climbed the chart again, managing tojustmiss a return to the top ten and ending up in eleventh place....