Looking to go unconventional with the narrative, the team behind Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s innards tossed around several fantastic ideas before settling on the series’ familiar and grounded reality. Aliens and zombies and outbreaks and viruses were considered as a threat at one point in the initial planning stages.

“Infinity Ward's Jason West, Steve Macuda, Todd Alderman, Mackey McCandlish and me would talk about the kinds of stories we could tell, and we didn't want to just make a straight sequel to Modern Warfare,” said Modern Warfare 2 scriptwriter Jesse Stein in a recent interview with GamePro. “We started kicking around anything and everything to weed out the bad ideas.

“In the beginning we talked about having things in Modern Warfare 2 like outbreaks, viruses, chemical warfare, and even outlandish things such as aliens and the living dead,” he said.

Stein said that after the team decided to do grounded events, they kept conjuring up situations or scenarios that had already happened in the real world. Fortunately, IW and Stein did find some stuff that hasn’t: without going into specifics, MW2 is filled with brilliant scenarios that, thankfully, haven’t happened to our knowledge.

Still, though, “No Russian” would have been awesome with zombies and ray guns.

The cure for a problematic blank screen, a messy desk, and the urge to answer a phone while it’s ringing is Peggle. I’ve been using it for years to avoid doing what I’m supposed to be doing or to procrastinate even more. It’s not quite bourbon, which does the same job I’ve discovered, but it’s good enough. And as promised, is now available on PSN for the first time ever. Hard to believe it didn’t touch the PS3 beforehand.

In addition to Peggle, the PS Store sees the release of adhocParty, the PSOne Classic Resident Evil 2, Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines, and a price reduction on Uno. It’s not quite a blockbuster week, but it’s not like you’d find the time to play a huge game with Peggle available anyway.

Check below the fold for a short list of the new releases and hit the official PS blog for the descriptions, as well as a list of wallpaper releases and other various loosely game-related things.

Late this afternoon, SCE made it possible to compete in Internet multiplayer matches while on the toilet. And it was as easy as offering US PSP owners a downloadable app that works around ad hoc functionality.

The app is called adhocParty. It may seem fresh, but it isn’t -- it has been available in Japan for some time, allowing the droves of Monster Hunter PSP players to connect without having to be near each other. Regardless of newness, adhocParty has just been released in the US as a free download via the PS Store.

As explained in a PS blog video, a PS3 is needed to make the app clap. The big black system acts as a dongle and also provides the visuals for the hoops (creating lobbies, finding players, etc.) you’ll have to jump through in order to play ad hoc games through the Internet. But before that, you’ll have to register your PSP and download the application as if you were setting up Remote Play again.

Just think of the process like adding a controller, except the PS3 actually does something this time around.

Currently, SCE is making a big deal out of Gran Turismo and Monster Hunter support, but we’re guessing adhocParty also works with other games, so give it a spin and experiment if you care. And speaking of caring, a video walkthrough courtesy of the publisher of the app is available over at the PS blog. Go learn!

The Dragon Age: Origins Twitter account doesn’t spread lies like your standard, filthy Elf commoner. Something “cool” was announced this afternoon relating to Bioware’s latest RPG: the “Return to Ostagar” downloadable expansion.

Return to Ostagar takes the player back to the place where he or she became a fabled Grey Warden and experienced just an itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny bit of turmoil as such. According to the EA press release, the DLC will allow players to “exact their revenge” for the slight at Ostagar and quest for the golden armor of King Cailan for $4.99 (or 400 Moon Bucks) across all three platforms. Nice.

So, downloadable revenge and special loot is coming to Dragon Age: Origins at an unspecified holiday date. Sounds like we need to clear a spot in our schedule whenever the release is pegged. Not that we'll be doing much other than playing through Origins stories anyway.

[Thanks, Rockatansky and Victor Stillwater!]

A new PSP firmware update is available for download. Get happy, people!

The latest update (v6.20) doesn’t snap neck ligaments with head-turning blockbuster additions, but it does add a hook for a solid new feature: the Digital Comics Reader. Accessed through the Extras panel in the XMB after a short download (of which v6.20 is required), you'll soon be able to download and view digital comic books from the PS Store at your leisure. Toilet PSP time is going to get a billion times better, we reckon.

If comics aren't your thing, perhaps this is: the latest firmware also allows you to export video and photo playlists to your PC. (This can only happen after downloading another update to Media Go, though.) Obviously, this isn't something you can use on the toilet, unlike the Comics Reader. Unless, of course, you have a PC by said toilet. If so, that means there's a chance you could be reading this post in widescreen on a toilet. I feel uneasy all of a sudden.

The other afternoon I asked myself (via the Internet of all places) why I wasn’t participating in the MAG beta. Like most of my peers with a soft spot for lead and things that fire said lead, I was blown away by the promise of the Zipper Interactive-developed title when revealed at E3 ’08. No way could a console shooter do the things uttered, support that many players, I thought. Just, no way at all.

Then came E3 ’09 and the live demo that I had an opportunity to watch while spending about fifteen minutes of appointment-free time. The piece of the demo I saw was convincing in that there were a ton of dudes playing at once and a massive amount of action was happening on-screen. Also, a good bit of fun was being had by the people participating in the little gated off area. The latter point, most of all, made me excited for the game -- objective-based stuff tends to get a bit boring.

Fast-forward to now: I’m finally participating in the MAG beta in the middle of this landslide of late-year AAA titles. The last new game I’ve sunk a substantial amount of time in has a lot in common with MAG -- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. MAG and MW2 are both semi-realistic shooters with beefed up online components that encourage teamwork and strategy and ranking up.

Tales of Monkey Island draws to a close this December with the release of the final episodic chapter on the 8th of next month. Dubbed “Rise of the Pirate God,” Telltale Games has said via a recent press release that the this last chapter will answer “many vexing questions,” foremost of which we hope is an answer as to the real fate of the mightiest pirate ever to wear a hook for a hand, Guybrush Threepwood.

The latest press release plays off of his “purported demise,” and even carries a quote from THE David Grossman:  “[Guybrush Threepwood] wanted what every young man wants -- to loot, pillage, and sail the high seas in search of further looting and pillaging opportunities,” Grossman said.

“It’s a great tragedy to see such a productive life seemingly cut off prematurely. And I’m just saying that because he owes me money.”

It’s a bummer to watch the recent MI explosion come to an end, but we’re guessing this won’t be the last we’ll see of the property. Regardless, look out for the fifth and last chapter of Tales of MI in early December.

Something Dragon Age: Origins-related is going down soon.

One of the most recent tweets from the official Origins Twitter account is teasing that something “cool” is happening on the morrow: “If I was a fan of Dragon Age: Origins,” the tweet reads, “I’d be keeping my eye open for something cool coming tomorrow. Just saying.”

The tantalizing tweet comes from Bioware community manager Chris Priestly (according to Cinema Blend), a man who is probably in the know about any potential announcements, reveals, or whatever may come tomorrow. His knowledge is the exact opposite of ours right now -- we haven’t the slightest idea what this is about, but if it’s an announcement of another downloadable golem who hates birds then Bioware may as well pencil us in for a day-one purchase.

If I was a bad dude, the last damsel I would choose to distress is one who pals around with a large guy named Dante, who just happens to carry around a scythe composed of bone and sinew all hours of the afternoon. But bad guys rarely make reasonable decisions, it seems, and that holds true in Dante's Inferno.

After watching the above, it’s plain to me now that I’m now made of the same stuff that a villain is, but that lesson wasn’t really the point. Rather, the video is supposed to give the viewer a sense of the game’s story elements. And I think I got it: girl - life + Hell = Dante searching in Hell for life of girl.

I’m not sure where boss battles factor into that equation. I’m still working out the kinks in my grand formula.

Mad Catz’ Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2-themed PS3 communicator doesn’t harness the power of the throat like its Xbox 360 counterpart does. This one is just a light, wireless Bluetooth device with a cool coat of paint. No frills or oddities; just boring ol' microphone here.

If you’re an asshole who talks on the cell-phone while driving (note: hands-free doesn’t make me feel different about you), you’ve no doubt used a communicator like this before. Its setup with the PS3 isn’t much different than what you would do with most phones, either -- you have the PS3 (or phone) find the device, you enter in a code to activate the signal or whatever, and you’re in business.

So there’s nothing remarkable about the PS3 wireless communicator, which is fine by me -- I don't mind traditional and usable design. One problem though: I can’t seem to get it to operate at a level I'm comfortable with.

The next big PS3 firmware update -- v3.10 -- is today’s big firmware update.

In a recent interview with 1UP, SCEA’s Eric Lempel apparently revealed that the teased 3.10 update launches at some point today. He also mentioned that the nerds who create these updates have been working on this latest for a bit of time.

“I’ll just say that it’s been in the works for quite some time,” Lempel said before adding, “It’s never been easy to integrate new content into the PlayStation Network. We’ve had this planned for a while now.”

Sony dished out the details on the 3.10 update just a few days ago. Adding real Facebook integration, 3.10 will allow PS3 owners to stream their Trophy and PS Store information into their Facebook accounts. The update also provides a hook to developers to add their own unique Facebook feed support into their games.

For more information hit this post for a video walkthrough that shows off some of the other much-needed tweaks being added, or just wait until the update hits this morning or afternoon. Your call.

If I was a game I wouldn’t dream of debuting on the same morning two mass marketed follow-ups to unique and successful IPs did. But I’m pretty sure if I was game, I wouldn’t have huge muscles. Or a brain. And I would be much less smudge resistant. So, I probably wouldn’t know any better than to launch alongside Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed 2 and Valve’s Left 4 Dead 2 like Tony Hawk: RIDE did yesterday morning.

And if you didn’t know RIDE launched, now you do. (The trailer above trailer should help).

I was totally unaware of RIDE’s launch until this afternoon after spotting #tonyhawktuesday on Twitter. In addition to revealing a game, though, I’m pretty sure the discussion through the hash tag has helped find a way to end world hunger among other problems. Go Tony Hawk Tuesday!

Word on the street is that a little game called Assassin’s Creed 2 snuck onto retail shelves this morning alongside Left 4 Dead 2. A quick look at the launch teaser for the successor to the original Assassin’s Creed confirms said word on the street.

Most critics have been talking up the latest Ubisoft title, stating that it offers more complex and differentiated content than its predecessor. I find that to be a soothing point. I became mad bored and frustrated with the original’s cycle of missions.

Yet, while I trust my bros, I still haven’t played the game. But you guys have, right? What do think about this latest title? Is it better than the original? Worth that coin? Discuss this thing. Tell us what you think of it.

Take a gander at the worst cover art this side of the galaxy.

Just kidding. I’ve long believed that excellence in cover art wretchedness belongs to whoever was doing the stuff for fantasy author R.A. Salvatore’s earlier fiction, and to some degree the wizard who scribbled on the front of John Marco’s stuff, but Mass Effect 2’s new cover is no good either. It just isn’t Siege of Darkness-level bad.

This is indeed the new cover art for Mass Effect 2 -- a not-so-subtle difference from what was revealed moons ago. As you’ll notice, the Krogan is no longer featured and Shepard looks like he’s been hitting the gym instead of doing that whole suicide mission thing.

Not that I would complain about someone going to the gym. Good for you, Shepard.

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