Whilst the argument rages as to whether we're getting value for money or getting plain screwed when it comes to DLC, it seems Tripwire have a really strange way of releasing DLC. Tripwire are of course the developers of Killing Floor (which I've talked about plenty before), the co-op zombie slaying game that's not Left 4 Dead.



Now a couple of months ago, Tripwire released a new map + weapons pack free of charge for Killing Floor. At the same time they released a DLC pack of four character skins for $2. No is it me or did they get this the wrong way round? I mean, extra levels and weapons are things I'd pay for, but character skins? Nope.....



Now, with a new "Level Up" pack, Tripewire have done it again! The pack contains 3 new levels, 7 new weapons, a new Demolition class, a new level cap (players can play up to 6 levels instead of just 5), plus 20 new achievements and an interface overhaul. All of this is free; what's not free is another 4 character skins. They're $2 again, but now I have this urge to buy both character packs just to give Tripwire some money for giving me free stuff they should have charged me for.

If that makes sense....

We're well into the silly season of gaming (as I like to call it ), too many games and probably not enough cash or time to enjoy them all (so why I'm writing this and not playing Brutal Legend is beyond me). With Borderlands and Left 4 Dead 2 already purchased via Steam, my gaming purchases are easing up a bit. Next up on my list was Dragon Age: Origins which I'm really excited about. Hell, my wife is really excited about it, because as big Baldur's Gate fan she's been looking forward to a deep, hardcore RPG.



Now, with me playing more and more titles on my PC, rather than my 360, the only problem I've got is buying the physical copy or a digital download version usually off Steam. I usually buy a physical copy of a game if it's not on Steam, I can get a good trade in price or if it comes with a really nicepre -order package that's too tempting to give up. EB game's website has got a great looking Dragon Age: Origins collectors edition that comes with 3 exclusive in-game items, steel box, cloth map, DVD and soundtrack. Now that's a nice specialedition! Let's be clear, I was always gonna buy Dragon Age because of Bioware's pedigree and I like the sound of the long termDLC and community support they have planned for the game. Thing is I do like the convenience of having all my games on Steam; digital downloads are convenient and can sometimes work out cheaper in Australia although this is probably an accident. When I bought Borderlands last week, I only paid $50AUS for it, thanks to a really favourable exchange rate. If I bought the game at retail, it would likely be between $90 and $100AUS.

So, I was really happy today when I saw Dragon Age: Origins on Steam. Right now there's no pre-purchase offer or any indication of what the game will cost. However, it will be released as a great looking "digital deluxe edition". There is a Steam exclusive item and a "pre-purchase item" available, which is cool. There's another three exclusive items, the Warden's Keep campaign, the Shale party character, Blood Armour (for Mass Effect 2 as well), plus the soundtrack and wallpapers. Wow! This is a great collection, with plenty of juicy looking in game items and cool extras.



I have to say, this is the route that I wish more developers would take with games on digital platforms. Frankly, I've said many times in the past that I wish more games came bundled with a soundtrack. I'm looking at theWitcher Enhanced Edition on my desk and the big box it's contained in. Dragon Age: Origins on Steam is offering a similar package, but alldownloadable. Excellent . I have to say, the more games that come out like this, then trinket laden special editions can tick themselves off my shopping list.

Oh and Brad Nicholson, here's your motherfucking dragon!



(Holy bollocksing shit! She turned into a fucking giant spider!!)

So, Screenwipe star and all round funny bastard Charlie Brooker made his own videogame show. It's rather funny and features some good guest spots and you should watch it now before the BBC get it yanked off Youtube!

If you don't know who Y0j1mbo is, then shame on you. He has been Destructoid's resident old git for for as long as I've been hanging out here. From organising the PS3 FNF to writing some pretty excellent blog articles. He's the founder of the Dtoid Beard club (of which, I am Deputy Vice-chancellor!), he's shown us the wisdom of gaming on the shitter, and has his own fan art gallery.



But the best thing about Jimbo (as we like to call him) is that he's shown me that getting older and becoming a father doesn't mean you stop gaming. Jimbo wrote a great article about how one day his son beat him at Samurai Showdown 2. It things like this that have made me re-evaluate my feelings on becoming a dad.

So from someone who feels he's pretty old, but still 9 years younger than you, Happy Birthday man. Hope you have a good one!

Wow. I have to be honest, cosplay has never really interested me as a part of a videogame lifestyle. But those pesky Russians sure know how to step it up a couple of notches. This website has some amazing photos of a large group of cosplayers re-enacting some scenarios in a landscape no to far from the Zone depicted in the game.



It's a shame I know no Russian, as there seems to be a weatlh of info concerning each shot. There's some makeup and SFX to depcit some of the mutated denizens of the Zone, as well as some nice touches such as the Stalkers wielding bolts to detect anomalies in the Zone.



It's interesting why S.T.A.L.K.E.R. can generate such an interest in cosplay; my perception is that the bulk of coplaying is usually attached to either manga and anime or Japanese games. It's fairly rare to see a Western game, let alone one outside of the US or UK that's go this much interest in it.



It's also a game that probably for many in Russia and former Soviet states, a lot of resonance to it; the ramshackle and devestated zone is akin to some parts of countries like Ukraine and Lithuania that have had a lot of industrial areas simply collapse. These grim modern ruins are something that people can easily go to and serve as a reminder of a not too distant past.



I can't wait for the next S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game, Call of Pripyat; neither S.T.A.L.K.E.R game was perfect but a host of mods can make them one of the most absorbing games you can get for the PC.



Link via Kotaku

I was thinking about writing an article about MDK for the current Monthly Musing, but to be honest my memory of the game is a little foggy. But hey, now's the chance to play both MDK and it's sequel! Both are available on Steam now, either seperately or for a $20 bundle deal.Sold good sirs!



Man alive I played this game a lot whe I first got into PC gaming with the first rig I saved up for an bought with my own cash. Round about that time frame I got Grim Fandango and the original Half Life; fuck those were good times. MDK was actually bought cheap on a trip to the US, along with .... ehh Riven. Hey don't judge! There wasn't a big internet community to tell me I was paying for a piece of crap! But hey, right now there's a thread on the forums about what classic games we'd like to see revived on digital distribution platforms, and MDK was mentioned quite a few times.



Anyway, MDK: an awesome sniper rifle. Infinite parachute. Loads of fun. Get it now!