Minutes before Steve Jobs resigned as CEO of Apple, my dog began whimpering and clawing at my iPad. Either that sixth sense stuff is true or I need to stop cutting my steaks with the edge of this tablet.

News Blips:

GameStop admits that they are removing the coupon for a free OnLive version of Deus Ex: Human Revolution from the PC packaging. Square Enix announced, just before Deus Ex: Human Revolution was released, that the PC variant would include a pack-in slip which would provide free access to the same game via OnLive’s cloud service. GameStop didn’t like that and sent out a company-wide memo ordering managers to remove said slip from each and every copy. The brick-and-mortar retailer claims that OnLive directly competes with its still-in-development Spawn Labs Cloud Gaming Division; and therefore, it won’t be a willing accomplice in advertising a rival. Sounds a lot like anti-trust to me, but IndustryGamers spoke with attorney Mark Methenitis -- author of Law of the Game -- who said that it’s “probably legal.” Legal or not, it’s uncool. Hey, GameStop? Bring customers to Spawn Labs by building a better product and not by removing $49.99 worth of inserts from a fairly purchased game.

Users of Origin have given EA the right to track, keep, and use their personal information to facilitate software updates…and marketing opportunities. It isn’t new for online services to collect customer data, but it’s typically an option that must be approved. A slightly slimier practice is to automatically enroll all users into sharing information but provide the ability to opt out buried under several layers of menus. EA is taking the slimiest path of all by forcing Origin users to share their information without providing any way to opt out. These corporations these days...they have no respect. [MTV Multiplayer]

Bethesda releases the preset faces for each race in Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. I spent so long staring at the homely facades in Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion that when I went back into the real world, I found myself stimulated by people I normally would’ve described as “homely.” For a while, we’ve been reading that Skyrim’s character models would be less appalling, but now Bethesda’s provided solid proof. I normally roll a Nord, but the Argonians are looking beastly. I wonder how many gamers are going to play as “High” Elfs named “KinbudBlazzzer420”? Check out all the presets at the publisher's blog.

Ingest Mountain Dew Game Fuel and earn double-XP time for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. That sweet nectar will not only provide players with the energy they need for 32-hour marathons of team deathmatch, but “DEW fans” -- as they’re known on the streets -- will be able to earn twice the XP for every assist, challenge, and headshot they perform in Infinity Ward’s latest first-person shooter. This promotion begins in October, which gives fans weeks to hoard up bottle caps before the November 8 release date.

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