Uber Entertainment announced today that it will soon release a major title update for their Xbox Live Summer of Arcade title Monday Night Combat. The developer also revealed the first details about the game’s three free downloadable content packs slated for release over the coming months.

The title update includes a massive number of improvements and changes ranging from class tweaks to multiplayer fixes. Here’s the complete list for you hardcore title update lovers:

Connectivity and Multiplayer:

• Reworked the way we handle parties in the pregame lobby to avoid splitting them up.
• Fixed several issues where host migration would fail immediately.
• Decreased wait time after a successful host migration.
• Lobbies will now host migrate and not kick you back to the main menu.
• If the host leaves during the end of match sequence, the host will migrate and players will return back to the lobby and not the main menu.
• Optimized the time it takes to migrate hosts, shortening the time to migrate.
• Improved weapon hit detection in high lag situations.
• Fixed endorsements being incorrect after a host migration.
• Fixed getting into private matches without an invite.

General Gameplay:

• Fixed players being able to damage the Moneyball’s shields.
• Fixed visual effects staying on the player after the effect has worn off.
• Reduced the amount of increased damage the Moneyball takes in Overtime, thus reducing the effectiveness of “Juice rushing”.
• Fixed Ringouts, Headshots and Grapple Kills not giving the proper amount of money.
• Balanced Ringout money to reflect the change. Message now displays correct total amount of money earned.
• New “You Win!”/”You Lose!” UI for the end of a match.
• Fixed juice benefits ending early if the player grapples during juice.
• Fixed juice bar getting stuck full.
• Fixed deploying on or near active jump pads.
• Fixed controller sensitivity of 10 not saving.
• Fixed messaging for kill streaks. Ultra and Uber streaks will now be named properly when popping up above your cursor.
• Fixed an instance of the player’s skill pick UI going away unexpectedly.
• Fixed an issue with bots walking by enemy turrets and bots without engaging them.
• Fixed upgrading a turret that has been hacked to the opposing team.
• Fixed turret collision not going away after being destroyed.
• Normalized time between a grapple miss and the ability to grapple again for all grapples. The biggest change is the Assassin not having as big of a penalty for a missed grapple.
• Fixed the "Team Leader" and "Team Player" highlights from being reversed.
• Fixed players being able to mute themselves.
• Fixed idle kicking when standing still but still looking around and/or shooting.
• Fixed players who cheat and hack their profiles from being able to apply multiple gold endorsements.
• Optimized main menu ticker for players with large friends lists.
• Fixed HUD showing Moneyball shields as up during over time even though they are down.
• Reduced announcer talking for kill streaks to help reduce the repetition of announcements.
• Various performance optimizations.

Support:

• Reworked Support’s bot aura so that it doesn't make the Jackbot appear overhealed.
• Fixed Support’s Firebase skill from recharging while the Support is dead but the Firebase skill exists.
• Fixed being able to use the Heal/Hurt gun while taunting.
• Fixed some instances of the Support’s Firebase not appearing when thrown.
• Fixed Heal/Hurt gun not being affected by rate of fire endorsements and reduced it’s overall healing/hurting ability to compensate for the change.
• Fixed Supports being able to use their Hack skill through walls.
• Fixed Supports being able to throw their Firebases through the wall.
• Fixed Air Strikes sometimes damaging enemies under cover.
• Supports can now only Hack enemy turrets at Hack level 3.
• Increased the time to Hack enemy turrets.
• Decreased duration of Hack on a turret for levels 1 and 2.

Assassin:

• Fixed Assassins from being able to get permanent sprint and super speed.
• Fixed Assassins getting a double smoke bomb allowing them to jump higher than intended.
• Fixed Assassins being able to cloak during a grapple.
• Fixed Assassins from being able to use her smoke bomb during a lunge.
• Retuned damage done by dagger after a lunge.

Tank:

• Tank’s Jet Gun alternate fire damage is now reduced depending on the percentage of ammo left in the clip. Increased the full clip damage to compensate.

Assault:

• Fixed an exploit involving the Assault’s Fly.
• Fixed Assault’s bomb audio lingering after bomb is gone.

Monday Night Combat Live Update System:

• Pregame Lobby is now 45 seconds.
• Min Number of Players to start Crossfire is now 6.
• Increased player bot spawing from 5 seconds to 10 seconds.

The first batch of DLC, which has yet to receive a release date, will introduce “new content, gameplay adjustments, and more bug fixes.”

If you love you some Monday Night Combat, and you’re attending PAX 2010 later this week, then you’ll want to stop by Uber Entertainment’s booth and try out the title updated version of the game.

Should the need arise, feel free to E-Mail me your tips, suggestions, and/or personal philosophies, or follow me on Twitter.

Gearbox Software plans to reward those gamers who have put off experiencing the developer’s stylish and wildly popular shooter Borderlands by releasing the definitive, Game of the Year edition October 12.

The GOTY edition will include vouchers for all four downloadable content packs, including the newly announced Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution, as well as a complete Borderlands territory map, and will retail for $59.99 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and $49.99 for PC.

Anyone think they'll finally make the leap into the highly addictive world of Borderlands thanks to the GOTY edition?

Should the need arise, feel free to E-Mail me your tips, suggestions, and/or personal philosophies, or follow me on Twitter.

Rumors of the involvement of former Doctor Who Sylvester McCoy with the delay-plagued production of The Hobbit have been swirling for some time now. While the 67 year-old Scot was initially thought to be playing title character Bilbo Baggins (to the bewilderment and dismay of fans,) it seems that a more plausible version of the rumor has surfaced. In an interview with local paper Dunoon Observer/Argyllshire Standard, McCoy's visit to his homeland proved an opportunity for what appears to be a major scoop. McCoy confirmed his role for the hopefully-upcoming film, but not as Bilbo. With this tidbit, speculation among the fan community has run rampant that McCoy may be set for a character from the Tolkien mythos that has yet to be put to the big-screen in Gandalf's wizard colleague Radagast the Brown.

According to McCoy:

"I am being cast in The Hobbit," he said. "We're currently in negotiations - there are two of us under consideration. It's not the Bilbo role, but could be bigger."

As loved as they were, Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings Trilogy left out quite a number of characters that were depicted in the original novels, for better or worse. (In the case of the musically-inclined Tom Bombadil, probably for the better.) However, in an odd dichotomy between the novels and films, the results of Radagast the Brown's actions were actually seen quite prominently in the films, despite the character not being seen or mentioned. In The Fellowship of the Ring novel, Radagast was manipulated by Saruman to lure Gandalf to the Orthanc, where the evil White Wizard would reveal his betrayal before (what was depicted in the films) as an epic battle of wizards. Later on, Radagast, whose powers give him control of the wilderness, summoned Gwahir the Eagle to relay info to Saruman, which lead to Gandalf's eventual rescue from his imprisonment at the top of the tower. Radagast is depicted as a good, but gullible wizard, who, often despite himself, manages to take actions that help the cause of good. Seeing it in that light, this would be an absolutely perfect role for the man once known as the Seventh Doctor.

According to TheOneRing, there had been "rumblings" that Radagast would not only be featured in The Hobbit film (despite only being mentioned briefly in that novel,) but would have a much bigger role. This has been the reason that McCoy's remarks have lead to this latest speculation in the rumor mills.

This may be great news to fans clamoring for a return to Middle Earth, especially when coupled with Peter Jackson's recent statement that Warner Bros was "making progress untangling the MGM situation, so we should have certainty with The Hobbit sometime soon."

Would you say this was reason to celebrate the renewed life of The Hobbit? What do you think of McCoy as Radagast? 

Source: TheOneRing

The cat in the YouTube video below plays Duck Hunt exactly like I do, from lazily taking pot-shots at the dog to missing each duck a million times and unloading the gun again and again. But the cat is cuter.  (sad face)

Ubisoft revealed its Pax 2010 lineup this morning, and it includes the first Ubisoft Kinect games that are playable by the public. Ubisoft will have three booths at the show (exhibit spaces: 632, 622 and 712) and will be showing some never-before-played Kinect titles Child of Eden and H.A.W.X 2 multiplayer, as well as giving the public a "sneak peak of Outland." Non-Kinect Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood will be on display as well.

Personally, I'm most interested in Child of Eden. I saw it demo'ed at E3, and the game was difficult-to-explain but impossible to deny. Imagine Rez, but controlled by your body movements. Abstract gaming FTW, people!

Are you going to be at Pax? If so, I'll be around. Come say hi!

What do you get when you mix Ubisoft’s upcoming flight combat sequel Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. 2 and the classic arcade title 1942? Why, a danger zone-tastic, 8-bit style, Flash game, that’s what!

Check it out here. Warning: awesomeness ahead.

Penny Arcade Expo 2010: Prime is imminently approaching, and G4 will be there. Will you? If so,come hang out with us! You'll have several opportunities to see the gang in Seattle amidst the hubbub of PAX. Just check out our schedule below, and come say hello.

FRIDAY

• Hal Halpin and Adam Sessler Talking Games! 11:30AM to 12:30PM in the Pegasus Theater:  ECA President Hal Halpin and X-Play’s The Sess discuss hot topics such as net neutrality, digital rights and the upcoming violence in videogames US Supreme Court Case.
• X-Play's Adam Sessler will be signing things! 2PM to 3PM at the Gunnar/Turtle Beach Booth:  This may or may not include body parts.
• X-Play and G4tv.com Meet-up! 7:30PM to 9PM at Shorty Dog (2222A 2nd Avenue, between Bell and Blanchard): Meet up with the X-Play and G4tv.com teams at Seattle’s best clown-themed arcade bar. Formal attire not required.

SATURDAY

• Autographs! 3PM to 4PM in the Queue Room:  X-Play's Adam Sessler, Morgan Webb, and Blair Herter will be signing autopgraphs.
• Feedback Live!  5PM to 6PM in the Pegasus Theater (in the Sheraton Hotel): Join Adam Sessler, Abbie Heppe, Matt Keil and Kevin Kelly for a special LIVE version of G4tv.com’s award winning videogame discussion show Feedback! It’ll be great.  
• Insomniac Games: Behind-the-Scenes: 6:30PM to 7:30PM in the Serpent Theater:  Insomniac Games on their next PlayStation 3 Project. Moderated by X-Play’s cable TV darling Adam Sessler.

SUNDAY

• X-Play LIVE: A Show on Television: 12:30PM to 1PM in the Main Theater : The big one! Check out a very LIVE version of X-Play with Adam Sessler, Morgan Webb, Blair Herter and Abbie Heppe as they discuss the most watched videogame show on television. Expect surprises, tears and at least three separate restraining orders.

Not going to PAX? Not to worry. We'll be bringing you all the surprises, coverage, sneak peeks, and more as we check out the innards of all things PAX. Keep it tuned right here for all your breaking news, PAX and otherwise.

Halo: Reach, you're prepared for it ... right? If not, then you need to settle back and watch the first half of our developer preview with the game. Adam Sessler and Marcus Lehto sit down and delve deep inside, plumbing the depths of Reach for everything you need to know about Bungie's upcoming swan song to the world of Spartans vs. The Covenant.

Watch Larger Version | Watch HD Version

Continue what you learned in Part One of our insider look at Halo: Reach with Bungie developer Marcus Lehto. Last time they talked about the campaign side of things, and this time the focus is on the multiplayer experience. Which is the main reason many of you are planning on picking this up. Got a Halo itch to scratch? This is exactly what you need.

Watch Larger Version | Watch HD Version

After a long period of silence regarding any news, we suddenly find ourselves floating in casting rumors for the upcoming reboot of the Fantastic Four film franchise. After learning last week, who may be up in contention to play 3/4 of of iconic irradiated super-team, the weekend brought some revelations about the CGI represented character in The Thing, along with our first possible candidate for the team's ultimate villain in Doctor Doom. The sudden explosion of these rumors may be an indication that Fox has kicked things into high gear to assure that the film meets its projected release for the comic book film-heavy Summer of 2012 movie season. While deciding to go up against Sony's Spider-Man reboot and Marvel's ambitious mega-film The Avengers may seem like someone at Fox didn't get a critical memo about the competition, it seems that the plan to counter these surefire hits may be pure, unadulterated star power.

The decision to go with an all CGI version of The Thing, instead of something similar to the version portrayed by the rubber-suit-donning Michael Chiklis in the previous films is the first clear strategy to differentiate this film from its predecessor's non-comic-friendly silliness. For the first time, we'll be getting the massive, menacing version of the character, with rocks violently jutting out of his body. That, however, leaves us with the question of who should voice the role of this monstrous yellow monolith and play his human counterpart in Ben Grimm? Well, how does either Bruce Willis or Kiefer Sutherland sound? Because their names have popped-up!

According to ComicBookMovie:

"Though an offer has yet to be put out, Fox is very interested in pursuing Bruce Willis to provide the voice of their completely CG Thing; as well as stand in for few, brief scenes the character appears in human form during the opening credits."

Screenrant would then add fuel to the fire by dropping Sutherland's name as the one the studio is interested in bringing aboard. Neither rumor has been confirmed, obviously, but given the otherwise inconceivable strategy being illustrated for this film's release, having a the name of a BIG star in that marquee may just be the thing this film needs to separate itself from the bigger, more anticipated comic properties that it will likely share theaters with. While both choices would be excellent, Willis, I believe would be perfect for the role. Besides being more known as a draw at the box-office (whereas Sutherland's biggest success has been in television,) he could more easily carry that " Tough Guy From the Streets of Long Island" vibe a lot more naturally. 

It will be interesting to see how things get re-worked, especially since it seems they'll likely be forced to commit a cardinal sin of starting a reboot with the same villain as the previous version started with in Doctor Doom. However, this version of the character also has the potential to be the game-changer. True Blood fans may also be inclined to check the film out should rumors of the show's star Stephen Moyer being pursued for the role prove true. It's an intriguing possibility, especially, if the role will be played differently than Julian McMahon's version, who was more like a weird amalgam of a debonair playboy and Mortal Kombat's Raiden. Playing the tortured tough guy romantic vampire Bill Compton may have prepared Moyer for a deeper version of Doom. Hopefully we'll get the vain, arrogant, and power-hungry aristocrat, who was left bitter by his scarred face and became the sadist (albeit brilliant sadist) that we all know and love from the comics. Will he get the opportunity to lovingly twist Sue's head right out from under Reed's stretchy nose? 

One thing is for sure; with directors Joe Carnahan, David Yates, and James McTeigue named as possibilities to take the helm, it's clear that this film is set to take a completely different stylistic turn.

What do you think? This reboot is obviously not something that people were knocking down doors demanding. Yet, some star power could prove a crtitical factor. Would you be more inclined to see it with maybe Bruce Willis or Kiefer Sutherland?

Source: ComicBookMovie