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Fresh Ink Online host Blair Butler gives the rundown on this week’s latest and greatest comics, including Secret Six, Age of Reptiles, Stumptown, Cinderella, Lobo: Highway to Hell, and others. Which one will take Pick of the Week? Tune in and find out.

Plus, make sure to check out Blair’s gore-tastic and hilarious animated short series Slasher School at www.g4tv.com/slasherschool. You shall not be disappointed. We promise.

Make sure to visit us on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace.

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Yes, I know, you all missed Casey terribly. Well not to worry, this week he's back to bring you the news and comedy you've come to expect from the MMO Report.

This week we're discussing the one million characters that have been created in Champions Online since the game launched, the new "Future Past" trailer for Star Trek Online, and the lawsuit between Interplay and Bethesda over the rights to make a Fallout MMO. So prepare your eyeballs for awesome, press play, and enjoy.

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This week's Soapbox gets a little serious. First, if you want to know what Adam is talking about, search YouTube for "Call of Duty Grenade Spamming" to find the original viral video that Adam will be talking about this week.

Once you've seen it, you'll understand where The Sess is coming from in this episode of Sessler's Soapbox. Adam is not a fan of the large amount of hate speech that is thrown about on Xbox Live and the PSN during multiplayer matches, and from his perspective, that video has given those activities a somewhat passive approval from Infinity Ward. This video couldn't have come at a worse time, considering Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is coming out in less than two weeks. Do you agree with Adam on this subject? Or do you believe the developer has no responsibility towards what gamers do while playing their game? And please, keep the discussions civil.

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If you thought Abbie Heppe's Left 4 Dead 2 Realism Mode Walkthrough was stellar, you'll be stoked to know she had time to do some exclusive, direct-feed walkthroughs for both the Survival and brand new Scavenge modes as well.

First, check out the fast-paced 4 vs. 4, gas can-gathering extravaganza in the Scavenge Mode walkthrough, where you'll be tasked to run like the dickens gathering can after precious can of gasoline in the fastest time possible.

 

Then, Ms. Heppe gives you the lowdown on laying out your best chance at a time you can brag about in the returning Survival Mode. You'll have to hit the jump to see it, though!

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The great (unconfirmed) Derek “The Blizzard” Snowden came into work today flossing a plastic guitar he bought at 7-11. The whole office was obviously impressed with the bleeding-edge tech, but when Derek took a sip out of a straw protruding from his axe, a legend was born. Please enjoy Mr. Snowden’s in-depth review of 7-11’s amazing cup/guitar hybrid. Or, gup.

 THE 7-11 'ROCK THE GULP' BIG GULP GUITAR CUP REVIEW

I'll admit it. I enjoy a nice fountain drink now and then. I like guitars and things shaped like guitars.

Today, I learned that I can appreciate a soda in a guitar-shaped beverage container.  That's it, really.

PROS

Holds 54 oz. of your favorite beverage
Available in red or blue
Has an adjustable strap with metal buckle
The raised plastic strings have surprisingly nice action
Good conversation starter
Comes with rad stickers and a handy ice cone

CONS

Does not hold 64 oz. of your favorite beverage
Not available in black or Fender
Guitar-stand-slash-hot-dog-warmer not included
Lefty flip is surprisingly unsatisfying
‘Rockin’ the Coffee’ can be fatal
I don’t like stickers or ice

CONCLUSION

Mmm, tasty and refreshing.  However, do not attempt to plug into an electrical source.  Results may vary.  For those of you wondering why this is on a videogame blog, here's an HTML hyperlink to our Lego Rock Band review.

If you missed yesterday's Attack of the Show Halloween Special, you missed Kevin Pereira and Olivia Munn changing costumes more than Cher during a concert in the mid-80's. Our behind the scenes cameras were there, capturing it all, and we got to see how crazy it was backstage while they were making those changes. Our cameras were invited everywhere, including into Kevin's post-show shower, to give you a sense of what it's like during a frenetic AOTS special.

Enjoy the video below.

 

 

In this banzai episode, Fresh Ink Online host Blair Butler blasts through reviews of Detective Comics: Batwoman, Days Missing, The Web, Fantastic Four, and more. But it’s a battle between two Dark Reign The Lists over Pick of the Week that’ll really have you on the edge of your seat. Will Wolverine or Punisher take the crown? Watch and find out.

Make sure to check out Blair's animated frightfest comedy Slasher School too, as it will properly prep you for Halloween scariness. And make you laugh. Enjoy.

Make sure to visit us on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace.

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BioWare is releasing Dragon Age: Origins next week for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360, but they are also readying another epic RPG experience for release on January 26, 2010. I am talking, of course, about Mass Effect 2, the follow-up to the hugely popular RPG released almost two years ago.

While you (and we) wait for more Mass Effect 2 coverage... BioWare is currently focusing on Dragon Age: Origins, after all... hold yourself over with some beautiful exclusive combat footage featuring Shepard mowing down enemy Husks, Scions, and Abominations.

Also, catch a glimpse of what looks like achievement/medal tracking near the end of the video. I'm so glad Gears of War 2 started that trend!

 

What was your favorite part or change? I love the new minimal design of this HUD, but it's unclear if it will represent the display of the final game.

Whoa. What happened to Casey? He looks so...pretty.

That's because this week Morgan Webb is guest hosting while Casey is enjoying real fall weather on the east coast. Bring us back some leaves and hot apple cider. In the mean time, Morgan will tell you all about Champions Online's free weekend, show off the newest screenshots of Bizarro in DC Universe Online, and lament about the lack of beta invitations surrounding the newest Star Wars: The Old Republic timeline trailer. But I have a feeling your attention will be directed elsewhere this week.

Stop staring. It's rude.

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Madison tries to get Paco to notice her at the Blue Lagoon, a dance club. To do so, she turns on the sexy and dances provocatively.

Attempting to sell a game with no shooting or jumping is going to be a tall order for David Cage, co-CEO of Quantic Dream and writer/director of the forthcoming Heavy Rain. In an industry ruled by modified rifles, plastic instruments, and -- increasingly -- zombies, a dark investigation into a serial killer and interpersonal relationships doesn't make for good back-of-the-box marketing material. But that seems to be a secondary concern to Cage, who is far more interested in how we feel as human beings while playing his game, beyond the instant gratification of eliminating foes...morals, instead of morters. We asked him about Heavy Rain's marketability, sexuality, and the proper balance of interaction and cinematics. (Questions by Patrick Klepek and Sterling McGarvey)

*  *  *

G4: What's the development team feeling as Heavy Rain quickly moves from an in-house baby to purchasable product?

David Cage: We don’t really have time to elaborate about how we feel at the moment. There is still a lot of work to be done and we try to deliver the best game we can. When you work on a game, you never see it as a purchasable product, you only see it as a mass of unperfect things full of bugs you need to fix.

Personally, I feel terrified. I only see the problems, nothing seems good enough to me to be released and I would love to spend the next ten years making every detail perfect. But there is a moment when you have to let your baby go, I guess. It is also the moment that will bring answers about what I believe in and my ability to deliver it. The kind of moments you expect with a mix of hope and fear.

G4: How do you market a game like Heavy Rain? As a video game? As a movie? As both?

DC: We are going to market Heavy Rain as a video game because this is what it is. It is definitely an experience that you play, not a nice cut-scene that you watch. Our goal is to convince players that it is possible to tell a story though game play and not through cut-scenes.

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Earlier this week the brilliant Dana Vinson posted a very interesting article listing 5 reasons why we don't need a new console generation anytime soon. Check out the original post right here.

Now that you've covered your required reading for the week, check out what Adam has to say on the subject in this week's Soapbox. Is a graphical upgrade really required? Do we need a whole new console in order to experience next-gen games? Watch Sessler's Soapbox and let us know what you think.

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Valve's Left 4 Dead redefined co-operative gameplay when it released last year and the sequel is set to re-re-define (is that possible?) the genre. X-Play's editorial manager and resident zombie-killing expert Abbie Heppe visited Valve Software to bring you interviews and exclusive gameplay footage of Left 4 Dead 2.

First up, Abbie speaks with Chet Faliszek, writer for Left 4 Dead 2, about the game's newly revealed "Realism Mode" and what it brings to the table. Practice your aim... headshots are very important in this mode.

For an extended look at Realism Mode, Abbie was kind enough to narrate some gameplay footage of her and the Valve team playing through "Hard Rain". There is a corn field and a lot of witches. It's a must-see video. 

Click through for two more interviews on Left 4 Dead 2's Scavenge Mode, Survival Mode, and level design. All of these interviews include more juicy exclusive gameplay footage!

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Unless you've been living under a rock or are currently participating in a PC version boycott, Infinity Ward's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 should be furiously blipping on your assault rifle-mounted hype sensor.

Adam Sessler, lucky devil that he is, recently traveled to Infinity Ward's studios to talk with the brains behind the game. Up first, he talks with Joel Emslie, lead character artist, about the co-operative Spec-Ops mode and we've got an exclusive reveal on one of the game's missions. Hint: it involves an AC-130 gunship, laser targeting, and epic badassness.

If you want to see the raw gameplay footage of that awesome Spec-Ops mission, all you need to do is click this internet hyperlink to watch the Exclusive Modern Warfare 2 Spec-Ops AC-130 Mission Gameplay.

Be sure to click through for an interview with Todd Alderman, lead multiplayer designer, and two exclusive trailer walkthroughs where Todd gives you a behind-the-scenes look at what went into the AC-130 and Flag Runner trailers.

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While Adam Sessler was conducting interviews at Infinity Ward for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 he, in his own Spec-Ops mission, got details on one of the game's co-op scenarios, named "Overwatch".

In it, one player is on foot, making their way through hordes of enemy soldiers. The other, high above in an AC-130 gunship rains down fiery death upon the enemies the lone solider paints with his laser-sight.

I predict many a fight over who gets to operate the AC-130... Here now, two minutes of gameplay footage from that mission. 

 

Morgan Webb recently traveled to Italy to get her hands-on with Assassin's Creed II and interview the makers of Ubisoft's new game.

First, Morgan talks with Patrice Desilets, the game's creative director, about the character of Ezio, the challenges in recreating real world cities like Florence and Venice, and how the team wants different players to experience Assassin's Creed II in their own way. Patrice also drops hints about some of the secrets that Ubisoft has included in the game.

If you haven't been following the development of Assassin's Creed II thus far, Morgan sums the sequel up nicely in her preview:

"While the first game took place during the time of the Crusades, this time it’s the Renaissance, and while there’s still no penicillin, life has certainly improved. Ezio is the son of a rich nobleman, and most of his attention is wasted on the exploits of young men with too much money and too little responsibility: booze, boobs and brawls. Everything changes one day when his family is double crossed, and he dons the assassin’s hood to get his revenge. While Altair from the first Assassin's Creed always seemed a bit of a cipher, Ezio feels like a living breathing human you relate to immediately. He doesn’t start out as an assassin, he becomes one because of the hand that life has dealt him, and you are happy to follow him on this 30-year journey."

Click through for two more video interviews with Benoit Lambert, the game's director, and Casey May, the game's writer.

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