According to Robert Bowling, community manager for Infinity Ward (a.k.a. FourZeroTwo), Call of Duty is definitely part of the new title. How can we be sure? Well, he shared this picture with us via his Twitter account.

See, now THAT is definitive. I had thought it strange that Infinity Ward or Activision would remove the CoD title from the game, since that links it into a seriously well-known franchise. Sure, it might confuse the issue of which Call of Duty game is coming next, but I’ll bet it will be totally worth it.

I can assure you all that most of us here at Gaming Today will be available online for you to shoot at on day one of Modern Warfare 2. I know that you will all be happy about that opportunity.

Smith & Tinker has authorized the release of MechWarrior 4 as a free download on BattleTech.com. It’s not live yet, but it should be up very soon. According to the Smith and Tinker website,

In honor of BattleTech’s 25th anniversary, Smith & Tinker has authorized MekTek.net and MekTek Studios to distribute MechWarrior 4 (along with its expansion packs) completely free. For years, MekTek.net has been the central point for online distribution of MechWarrior 4 expansion packs. Now they can provide the core game free to the fans as well. Keep an eye on BattleTech.com – the free download will be available soon!

Today is just a great day for gaming. There’s this announcement, plus Daggerfall for free. Could this day get any better?

Though the game series began with the venerable Elder Scrolls Arena and gained a lot of attention with the latest iteration Oblivion, I have to admit I will never forget the time I spent playing Daggerfall and its wonderous and often humorously buggy random dungeon creation system. Each of the Elder Scrolls games are known for their expansive settings, if not for their 1st person action and RPG flavor but for some reason no other Elder Scroll game typifies the open exploration of a fantasy world quite like Daggerfall for me.

If you’re one of the players who came late to the scene, long after Daggerfall went out of print, then Bethesda has a special present for you. Today they released the game for free from their website, much as they did awhile back with the first Elder Scrolls title - Arena. I can’t recommend highly enough how foundational Daggerfall is to enjoying the modern Elder Scrolls games. Its great to watch the series evolve and see where the concept behind such a massive RPG has changed.

A word of warning for graphic purists - Daggerfall is almost 10 years old at this point and the graphics, while good then have no hope of standing next to a modern game. Additionally for XP and Vista users you will likely need Dosbox to play the game but Bethesda includes a link to a pretty thorough how-to that even neophyte gamers unused to the intricacies of classic PC game configuration can follow.

What are you waiting for? Head over to FileFront and get to downloading!

Not an RPG fan? Well check out the recently free release of MechWarrior 4…

“Command & Conquer is a powerful franchise with an amazing 15-year legacy. We are thrilled to bring the dramatic Tiberium saga to a conclusion in Command & Conquer 4. This game is designed to give fans all the answers they’ve been looking for,” said Mike Glosecki, Lead Producer of Command & Conquer 4 at EA Los Angeles. “With its objective-based multiplayer mode, persistent player progression and all-in-one mobile base, players will experience Command & Conquer like never before.”

Much of the information on C&C4 is being kept under wraps and doled out as exclusive content. For more details on Command & Conquer 4 make sure to catch BattleCast PrimeTime on the July 24th episode. They’ll be revealing exclusive information C&C4. The first glimpse of the game will be the premier cinematic trailer aired exclusively on the July 23rd episode of Gametrailers TV on SPIKE TV. The ETA for Command & Conquer 4 is sometime in 2010.

Behold disciples of Nod, the end is soon upon us. Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced that, after almost 15 years and 30 million games sold, EALA is bringing the award-winning Tiberium series to an epic conclusion with Command & Conquer™ 4. Shipping in 2010, Command & Conquer 4 will introduce a multitude of innovations to the to the classic fast and fluid Command & Conquer gameplay while retaining the core compulsions that fans have come to love over the series’ history. Introducing new class-based gameplay, mobile bases and persistent player progression throughout all game modes, Command & Conquer 4 offers players new, innovative and compelling strategic depth. The story of Command & Conquer 4 takes place after the events of the critically acclaimed Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars™. The year is 2062 and humanity is at the brink of extinction. With only six years left until the mysterious crystalline structure Tiberium renders the earth entirely uninhabitable, the two opposing factions – Global Defense Initiative (GDI) and the Brotherhood of Nod – inevitably find themselves in desperation for the same cause: to stop Tiberium from extinguishing mankind. The unthinkable becomes reality and Nod’s enigmatic leader Kane takes off for GDI headquarters. What is Kane planning in the heart of his enemies’ base? Command & Conquer 4 draws the epic conclusion to the beloved Tiberium universe, where fans will learn the fate of Earth, Nod, Tiberium, GDI and most importantly, Kane’s motivations behind his decade-long plan. In addition to the two campaigns on the epic battles of GDI and Nod, which players will get to conquer alone or in a cooperative mode, Command & Conquer 4 will also feature a new 5v5 objective-based multiplayer mode, promoting teamwork and cooperation and delivering a social real-time-strategy experience never seen before in a Command & Conquer game. Command & Conquer 4 is being developed at EA Los Angeles and will ship to retailers in 2010 for the PC. The game has not yet been rated by the ESRB or PEGI. For more information about the game, please visit www.commandandconquer.com or follow the community and development team on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ea_apoc.

Gaming is a great hobby, one I’ve spent most of my life enjoying as a whole while moving from system to system, player group to player group but in reflection I find that I can illustrate my past with RPGs in one basic role – Storyteller.

I’m one of the lucky few out there who seems always consigned to the role of preacher, and never groom or groomsman. What do I mean by this? Well its simple. In over 20 years of playing pen-and-paper RPGs I have almost always been the DM. Sure I’ve gotten to play in more than a few campaigns over the years, but by and large if someone gets excited about a new setting or rule system and wants to have adventures in it (including myself I might add) for whatever reason I end up the one tasked with learning the rules, building the world and running the adventure.

I guess it’s rewarding to be in this position of trust and pseudo-respect. (pseudo because players tend to only respect you insomuch as it benefits them over the long term – which is painful to admit but true). I’ve been at it long enough that regardless of the actual system I find it easy to weave together a story. I also  learned long ago that too much preparation is not only unnecessary to the fun, but can be detrimental to your mental health as a storyteller.

This month, Wizard’s of the Coast is really pushing the concept of Dungeon Master Appreciation month. A concept introduced within the monthly column by staffer/blogger/sorcerer Shelly Mazzanoble, the self-appointed D&D Player-in-Chief. Shelly’s column in last month’s Dragon Magazine discussed her realization that the DM in her colorfully discussed tales often goes unappreciated by his players, and from time to time it’s a good idea to thank the person facilitating the game you enjoy playing.

I see any role playing game as a collaborative effort. While I may frame and adjudicate story and rule points, I try and make sure my players are the real decision makers and storytellers in my weekly games. That said, sometimes being the DM gets tiring too. Being the one expected to judge and respond to the actions of the players, to play the roles of the various denizens of the fictional worlds not controlled by the players directly, and to help ensure that the needs of your friends are met during the campaign or session is a big responsibility for those of us who cherish it.

Players who really enjoy the game can easily forget that there is an element of work, logistics and planning to running a game and assuming the role of storyteller, and while the DM is a player, like the others, the nature of the role makes it a schizophrenic experience to say the least.

My suggestion is to keep this in mind as you play. Not everyone is a great storyteller or would want to assume the role of DM. Many players recognize their limits and also that they are not interested in the project management aspects that running a collaborative RPG require. The DM usually started out as a player in some game before they stepped up or were in some cases thrust into the role.

Let the DM play from time to time and you’ll find most of us are happier and better DMs.

Aside from giving your DM a break, consider how often you reward them for their good work. DM is by no means a thankless job. Most of us do it to gain the reward of being a part of a memorable campaign or to weave an interesting tale with our gaming buddies. Work with your fellow players to share your enjoyment of specific actions, remind the DM of a choice or twist or story detail that really grabbed or excited you. Tell them you enjoy their work.

Wizard’s of the Coast’s “DM Appreciation Month” activities center around using their excellent Twitter and Facebook team. @emilrodriguez and @betterwithmayo will be Tweeting using some new tags to draw attention to DM related celebrations. These tags include: #dnddm #worldbuilderdm #storytellerdm #actionmoviedm so do a search and keep out an eye for announcements alongside the normal #dnd tag.

I had planned to discuss the newly revealed Psion class for D&D 4.0 this week but at the risk of diluting the DM love I’ll leave you with a challenge dear readers.

Thank your DM, no matter what game you play in, no matter how long they toil and try to make the game fun. Then, if you have the inclination or interest – give them some time off. Pick up the cowl of Dungeon Master and try to tell the next story yourself. You might see your weekly or monthly game sessions just a bit differently from the other side of the dungeon.

Tracks:

Dixie Chicks                                           “Sin Wagon”
GLaDOS and Jonathan Coulton                  “Still Alive”
The Pixies                                             “Here Comes Your Man”
R.E.M.                                                 “Losing My Religion”
Stevie Ray Vaughan                               “Pride and Joy”

All tracks, except for “Still Alive” which is free, are available for purchase for $1.99 each on the in-game Rock Band Unplugged music store.

As an aside, if you like “Still Alive” I highly recommend checking out Jonathan Coulton’s website. He specializes in comedic songs based on videogames and gaming culture. Some of our family favorite are “Re: Your Brains“, “Creepy Doll” and “Code Monkey“. A dedicated fan and World of Warcraft player, Mike Spiff Booth has made a whole series of very funny and well done WoW machinima to Coulton’s songs.

Although I may not always agree with his opinion, I always enjoy it. Yahtzee isn’t afraid to cut anyone down to size including himself.

You can view the Zero punctuation videogame review archives on The Escapist.

Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires is offering players free armor upgrades and bonus music tracks. These new armor sets are available in edit mode for the tactical action game.

This week’s downloadable content sets include:

• Kempo Armor Set (for men)
• Artemis Armor Set (for women)
• Royal Armor Set (for men)
• Queen Armor Set (for women)
• Additional BGM Track Pack #1

You can grab these free content packs form the PlayStation Network Store and Xbox Live Marketplace.

Fans debated the type of mechs, armament of mechs, and what the videos actually meant. Well, the speculation can all come to a screeching halt now.

According to IGN AU, Jordan Weisman is behind the revival of the franchise. If don’t remember Weisman, he was the co-founder of FASA, the company that created the BattleTech universe. He also founded Smith and Tinker, the company that acquired the rights to MechWarrior from Microsoft in 2007.

You’ll find more details on the next MechWarrior after the break.

This revival of the MechWarrior series takes place on the planet Deshler around 3015. Players play Adria Khol, who specializes in goofing off and partying. This has me excited, because I finally have a protagonist I can identify with. Of course, something happens to motivate him. His family is killed during an assault, and he decides to rouse himself to action.

Plans are in place for this MechWarrior to include a full single-player campaign, a four player coop campaign, and multiplayer as well. There’s no word yet on how many mechs will be included, but at least four have been confirmed. There’s the light-class Jenner, the heavy class Warhammer and Rifleman, and an assault-class Atlas Prime.

Personally, I can’t wait to see where this goes. MechWarrior is one of my all time favorite franchises, and I look forward to stomping around in a massive machine once again. What would you like to see this MechWarrior include? Any particular mechs you miss the most?

I recently had the pleasure of going on an expedition to Shavarath lead by Kate Paiz, Senior Producer of Dungeons & Dragons Online. As we fought our way across the blasted battlegrounds, she revealed a wealth of information about the future of DDO: Ebberon Unleashed. Prepare for a divination on the Ebberon setting, the DDO store, the free-to-play model and why keeping your subscription and becoming a VIP member is an awesome deal.

The Infernal forces have breached the borders of the planes. The destruction has even struck at the heart of Stormreach itself. Soon stalwart heroes will step up to strike back, taking the fight to these devils, tieflings and other dread minions. From the rise where you teleport in, you can see the Infernal abode of the devils, as well as the Abyssal lair of the demons and the Celestial fortress of the archons giving you a glimpse into future content releases. You will not fight alone in this desolate place. A warforged titan stands ready to battle beside you. This immense construct is awe inspiring in itself. You’ll be grateful its your ally.

The design of Shavarath is a tribute too just how good graphics and effects can be done not only in DirectX 10, but in DirectX 9 as well. The menu options allow you to choose how you view your world and the effects and animations. As you prepare for battle remember to select your favorite key mapping option from the menu. You can choose between the classic DDO setup, the more common MMO key mapping or a setting geared towards FPS fans.

The Shavarath raid is just one of several new adventure modules for DDO Ebberon Unlimited. Players will also battle in Gianthold and Sorrowdusk. The Drow Crime wave premium adventure is also on the horizon for excitement and intrigue that doesn’t require as great an investment of time. There are two new adventures set in the Cerulean Hills as well for everyone to enjoy. One of the features of DDO that makes it ideal for a free-to-play model is that when you don’t have the time to log in for hours to complete a module, you can find quick adventures close at hand to play on a 15 minute break.

The new challenge scaling system tailors adventures to each player or party based on what types of characters and how many party members are adventuring together. The initial assessment is made when instance starts, but will change on the fly as hirelings are brought in or players have to drop out. This should really take the pressure off players who find it hard to schedule in their fun. Life happens and DDO is prepared to roll with it.

As in the pen and paper DnD, your characters progress slowly through levels. However you earn action points along the way that allow you to upgrade your characters abilities as you progress. This also gives you the chance to tailor your character to your personal gameplay style. You could have 3 clerics in your party that are very different in how they play.

The DDO store allows players to purchase premium items, modules and other fun stuff like. There are several handy features you should check out. Everyone should take a look at the list of popular items to see what other players have found useful. The store has a cart to help you work within your budget and prioritize purchases. You can add items that you shop for regularly like healing potions, buffs and hireling contracts to your Favorites list for easy grab and go. You can’t sell, trade or auction DDO store premium items. However DDO points are shared across servers. You can use them to purchase a shared bank tab, at the bank or in the DDO store, which will allow all characters on a server to use your premium content.

You can purchase Turbine points to spend at the DDO shop, but you’ll also earn them as Favor Awards as you play. Each of your characters will be awarded these at certain milestones. This allows those who have the time to invest, but not money to farm points for premium items. The popular Drow race and the Favored Soul, a clerical version of the sorcerer, are unlockable as well as available for purchase.

Players whose time is more valuable than their money can purchase experience buffs and other convenience items like magic armor and weapons with up to a +2 bonus. However, you’ll find that the best items are still the ones given as quest rewards, found as drops or in chests. Of course if you’re deep in the heart of a dungeon and a rust monster just ate your favorite flail or you’ve run out of spell components, you can hit the store and make a purchase right then and there and have it waiting for you in your inventory without having to leave the instance.

DDO Ebberon Unlimited may be free-to-play, but Turbine is making current subscribers quite a deal. These players will transition to VIP accounts. Those fortunate few will receive a generous monthly stipend of Turbine points to spend at the DDO shop. They’ll automatically have access to premium modules and content such as the monk and warforged classes as well as a gratis shared bank. VIP players embark on adventures in Ebberon with a 2 day head start beginning August 4th. The Bazaar tent will be raised once more as DDO: Ebberon Unlimited goes free-to-play for everyone August 6th. I recommend you check it out. After all the price is right.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but the announcement that LucasArts was reviving some of their back catalog got me excited. After all, who didn’t love games like Star Wars Republic Commando and Battlefront II? In addition, there’s Tales of Monkey Island as a brand new title from Telltale Games.

If reading Eva’s impressions of Monkey Island got your interest up, I’ve got some good news for you.

FileFront now has the playable demo of Guybrush Threepwood’s triumphant return for you to download and try out. Simply click this link to head over and download the demo from FileFront’s fast, free servers.

I fully expect you all to come back here and tell us what you think of the demo. After all, that’s why we have the comments section.

Telltale is bringing a new generation of gamers fresh Tales of Monkey Island. The new episodic adventure games plays like Sam & Max or Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People. That is to say it plays like the original classic point-and-click adventure game, the Secret of Monkey Island. For the maiden voyage of Tales of Monkey Island, Telltale presents the first of five monthly episodes, Launch of the Screaming Narwhal available today for the PC or as WiiWare..

I’m a veteran of the Monkey Island series. Although I’m really looking forward to the re-imagined Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition coming out later this summer, I was very excited about new stories featuring Guybrush Threepwood, and those mysterious monkeys. I can honestly tell you that Telltale has done an excellent job retaining the bumbling, yet witty and sarcastic Guybrush Threepwood and the ensemble of characters that keep this setting fresh almost 20 years after the first game launched.

The Monkey Island series is steeped in pirates, voodoo, mystical monkeys, insult sword fighting, jaunty Caribbean reggae and grog; lots of grog. The secret of Monkey Island’s popularity, as if you couldn’t tell by the title, is the wry sense of humor that runs rampant through the series. Launch of the Screaming Narwhal has a good mix of in jokes and running gags from previous games while subjecting a new generation of players to fresh forms of pop culture punishment. Telltale also makes use of describing a scene to you and letting your imagination run wild rather than showing you.

Launch of the Screaming Narwhal plunges you right into the thick of things as Guybrush. As you struggle on the high seas to save your lovely wife Elaine from the clutches of the dead pirate LeChuck, things go suddenly wrong and you’re forced to improvise. After disaster ala Army of Darkness strikes, your epic adventure begins with a whole new set of challenges. You’ll face the daunting task of halting the spread of a malignant evil, saving Elaine and defeating LeChuck, but first you have to find a way to get off Flotsam Island.

Your first challenge comes in getting the cooperation of a journalist for the island’s shady newspaper. You’ll have to drum up some excitement before he’ll give you his secret source. Gameplay moves forward as you keep a sharp eye out for objects to pick up or interact with. Guybrush will talk you through everything, giving you hints on whether you’re close to solving the puzzle or way off base. He also guides your hand as you solve puzzles by combining objects in your inventory and use them with others you find around you.

The local color marooned on Flotsam with you will patiently deal out advice for a small fee. You’ll have a list of snarky comments and questions to choose from although Guybrush tends to deliver your lines more diplomatically. At other times you’ll have to follow maps through Flotsam’s jungle that seem to make no obvious sense. This is where creative thinking and turning up environmental sounds come in. Fortunately, if you falter you can start over again, and again if necessary. It’s very easy to start back at the beginning and once you’ve discovered any important landmark or destination, it will appear on your map as a fast travel option.

Just a word of warning. The Tales of Monkey Island series will teach you about persistence and kleptomania. You will swipe everything that isn’t nailed down to be neatly deposited in the portable hole in your pocket. You’ll rarely find anything that you won’t need at some point. You should also make sure to back track when you’re stumped. Often you’ll find that things you’ve already done will turn out differently after you’ve changed something else in the game. People you’ve already interrogated will have new information for you too.

Launch of the Screaming Narwhal is definitely a game I can recommend for purchase. It’s entertaining for both kids and adults with creativity, imagination and a sense of humor. I declare it mother tested and kid approved.  Experience it for yourself by taking on the Launch of the Screaming Narwhal Playable Demo. You can order the full Tales of Monkey Island series from the Telltale website. This week they’re sweetening the deal by throwing in an episode from one of their other games. Now I have to go pick that deal up before my kids force me to walk the plank.

But enough on that, this news post is supposed to tell you, dear readers, about the expansion of classes for Frogster’s Runes of Magic MMO. Thanks to an upcoming expansion titled, oddly enough, ‘The Elven Prophesy’ two new Elf classes will become playable for the first time. We realize that you’ve likely never seen any creatures similar to the Elven Race but for those looking for a completely new and original character option in Runes of Magic, well here you go..

The two Elf classes are the warden and druid. Characters in each of these Elf exclusive classes are surprisingly linked to nature and the forest. (One day we’ll get a true Urban Druid option in a video game and we will know the end days are upon us)

From the press release:

Both classes are defined by their close connection with nature, which in turn has a direct influence on the Elves’ special abilities. Thus, the Wardens have the ability to call upon the power of nature spirits and can connect with woodland plants which strengthen them with the power of the forest. They therefore always fight side by side with a companion of plant origin which supports the Warden. Thanks to his companion, the Warden is highly adaptable in the most diverse of combat situations.

In contrast, the Druid’s abilities are at first glance, similar to those of the human Mage, but they are, however, not restricted to just destructive magical powers. They possess a multitude of attack methods and healing spells. A particularly unique strength they have is the ability to harness ‘Nature’s Power.’ The Druid collects power in his body during combat and this then brings about special effects which cause many abilities to be strengthened. Furthermore, Druids have versatile healing, support and combat a magic as well as the ability to manipulate various elements.

Both Elf classes have numerous skills which define them not only as dangerous adversaries, but also as useful group members. For example, the Warden can cast thorny vines around opponents, which deliver physical damage each second. The Druid in a group situation can raise the speed of attack for group members for a given period of time.

Humor aside, Runes of Magic is a free-to-play fantasy MMO RPG that launched on March 19, 2009. Runes of Magic claims 1.4 million registered users in North America and Europe.  You can find out more about the game at its website: Runes of Magic.com you can also directly download the client on FileFront.

Well, scouring the world for interesting news led me to an obscure and not well covered announcement for an upcoming expansion for the PC. It seems that Sacred 2: Ice & Blood will continue the adventures in the world of Ancaria with some new settings and most importantly a new character class - the Dragonmage.

There are not a lot of details coming out of the publishers at this point, including if the release will be seen in America as well as Europe this fall, but frankly I’m still interested. Sacred 2 was one of the best Diablo 2 clones I’ve played in years next to Iron Lore’s Titan Quest games. More details as they become available, check out the preview screens after the jump.

John Harris, a writer over on the industry news site/blog Gamasutra,  writes a regular series of articles entitled Game Design Essentials. These long and exhaustively researched story discusses his position on many topics important to modern game design and the lessons learned along the way.

His latest installment discusses 20 RPGs that all designers should be familiar with and why. The feature article is interesting from the perspective of someone who has studied game design and as someone who has been using RPGs for storytelling and  enjoyment over the years. Aspiring designers could do far worse than to dig through this fairly dense statement of information covering RPGs from the classic pen-and-paper Dungeons & Dragons through the evolution of Wizardry, Ultima, Wasteland and more contemporary games like World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy and the Elder Scrolls titles.

You can check out the entire article here.

It seems that the upcoming demo of the game will be available to players who pre-order the title before it hits general outlets. The details are sparse at the moment but this early access will likely be to the same content the rest of the world will get when the multiplayer demo hits Steam and Xbox Live, just a teensy bit earlier.

I understand Valve wanting to feed the L4D 2 hype, but as far as pre-order incentives go this one just seems to be a bit too lame duck to me. Offer an exclusive level or weapon or heck, maybe give us access to a member of the original game in our L4D 2 play, but giving out the same demo just earlier seems like an epic undersell of a much anticipated/debated sequel.

According to the specs, the HAF 922 provides 2 USB 2.0 ports as well as eSATA. It also supports HD / AC97 audio. Check out the full list of HAF 922 specifications and accessories at the Cooler Master website.

You may recall that in the Zero Punctuation: inFamous vs. Prototype video review, Yahtzee said he couldn’t honestly choose a winner because they were equally fun. Then he issued a challenge to the developers saying he’d base which game was best on whichever studio submitted “the best picture of the other game’s main character wearing women’s bra.”

To everyone’s surprise and delight, both Radical and Sucker Punch took up the gauntlet. The die is cast, the submissions weighed and a winner has been declared.

Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw wrote an article for The Escapist detailing his decision. It must have been difficult choosing between Radical’s eye searing vision of InFamous Cole McGrath and Sucker Punch’s maiden vision of Protoype Alex Mercer. Here are the submissions.

And the winner is:

It’s a close call, but I’m going to declare Sucker Punch the winner by one lovingly-rendered pair of breasts. Also their unicorn is a much prouder, mightier steed, and Alex’s expression is delightfully coquettish. Therefore InFamous must be the better game. Buy InFamous. Prototype’s still good, though. Buy it as well.

Beginning this week (July 8th) in Japan the software giant will be releasing 4 of the available creatures/levels at a bargain price of 200 Nintendo DSi points. The plan reportedly is to expand the offering to include all 10 creatures, which even at 2000 points is a bit of a bargain since the game, now out of print in the US, Europe and Japan is going for a fairly high price on eBay. No word on if the downloads are guaranteed for the US DSiWare store yet.

One complaint I always had during the limited time I spent playing the game before the next shiny bauble or explosion caught my jaded eye was that I could not save the music I created while “playing” with my plankton. I’ve been unable to confirm if this feature is included in the new download capable handheld.