In a move that could only have been sparked by the Spore DRM backlash, EA has kindly decided to forego the Nazi-like DRM found in so many PC games today. We're all for protecting your rights - but the methods employed in Spore were grossly excessive by any standards.

The game will have disc-based copy protection – there is a Serial Code just like The Sims 2. To play the game there will not be any online authentication needed.

Smart move, EA. We applaud the effort and look forward to the game!

On the surface, this might sound like a generous, kind-hearted gesture. Develop a game for the PSN, and you'll get back all the money you spent developing, PLUS you get to set the retail price of your game. Sweet, right? Not so fast. 

First of all, your game has to be a PSN exclusive. This means you can't run to Microsoft and woo XBL users as well. Second, you are acting as your own publisher, which means you may be subject to the DLC bandwidth fees.  Suddenly, their offer doesn't look so good, does it?

Damn that iPhone and all its great software. I won't be buying one until Verizon supports them, because AT&T service in my area sucks.

iPhone owners can now enjoy the classic game Mega Man 2, available for purchase for a mere $5. Apple certainly knows how to please consumers - keeping game prices low, original content, tons of variety, and a huge library.  Sony can certainly take a thing or two from Apple's strategy, as can Nintendo. It's pretty obvious that the big N has already taken a few pointers from Apple's marketing - the DS Lite is a complete rip-off of the iPod's design. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, no?

Ah, Left 4 Dead. The most over-rated game of 2008 has some bragging rights, having sold over 2.5 million copies since its November 2008 launch. Not bad, Valve!  However, the game is too short. On top of that, zombie games are just being over-done. But consumers disagree with us and keep buying copies, which is a good thing for the gaming industry as a whole. Quality games (short or not) are hard to come by, so we congratulate Valve on a game we wish had been longer.

Left 4 Dead Hits 2.5 Million Sold at Retail

Fire up your copies of Saints Row 2, sign in to Xbox Live, and you'll get the new patch. It's about damn time. I was beginning to think we may never see a patch, especially after all the layoffs at Volition. 

So, what do you think? Has the patch solved all those glitches and bugs? I still had many texture pop-ins when I played; disappearing cars, people, you name it. I'll be testing out the multiplayer this weekend and update with my findings.

Yesterday we told you about the plight of the PSP, quickly falling to the superior iPhone as a mobile gaming platform. Well, consider today's news to be another nail in the PSP's coffin. 

EA has announced that a solid lineup of triple-A titles will be joining the iPhone's already stellar library - Madden 10, SSX, Red Alert, Spore Creatures, FIFA 10, NBA Live 10, Wolfenstein RPG, American Idol, and a plethora of others. I can almost hear the collective voices of Sony crying at this announcement. After all, not only is the iPhone a viable gaming platform, but it's a God damned phone, too!  That's less crap to carry around in your pockets. Sorry, PSP.

iPhone users aren't the only ones who will be enjoying the classic shooter Wolfenstein 3D.  According to a listing on the ESRB's rating page, Wolfenstein 3D is headed for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, likely via their respective online marketplaces. 

Do. Want.

No word yet on a release date or pricing, but we're expecting this to fall into the $5 range - anything more than that could be considered a rip-off. Still, I'll be one of the first ones to download this gem when it hits the XBLM.

Wolfenstein 3D Listing on ESRB

Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction was one of the PlayStation 3's only bright spots in 2007. It's great to see that the next Ratchet & Clank will follow in that game's footsteps, delivering more fun and awesome graphics to Sony's flagship console.

A Crack in Time  is expected this fall, for a holiday shopping season that is going to be nothing short of spectacular. Despite the poor economy, gamers will be emptying their wallets for hits such as Ratchet & Clank, Bioshock 2, Call of Duty 6, and many more must-have titles scheduled for 2009.