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It used to be that the only thing you had to be afraid of in Azeroth was the endless supply of animals, monsters, and opposing faction members roaming the virtual plains. Now, it looks like you will have to defend against real-life party poopers as well. For the past couple of years, players had to deal with the constant spamming of gold sites and in-game whispers that claim you have "won a prize" or your account has been compromised. This week, a new trojan reared its ugly head that intercepts the annoying (but obviously necessary) authenticator code Blizzard requires you to use to access your account [via Technabob]:

This nasty worm not only keeps you from accessing your account, it also kills the authenticator code itself! Lia, from a site called Forever Geek, advises WoW players on Windows-based computers to look for a file named emcor.dll which will “probably” be found at C:\Users\(Your user name)\AppData\Temp -- although, if you know anything about computers, it's never that simple. A good antivirus program will probably be a better way to solve your problem. That is, unless you want to be like this guy.

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Editor's Note: Frank again reminds us that video games can have a positive influence on the world. I agree with him, and I hope he continues this series. - Jay

If you asked most people to write down their opinions of the average gamer, the word charitable would probably not be on that list. However, this perception may soon change. Video-game  charities pop up every day, and the amount of money they donate is far from insignificant.

For an idea of how widespread video-game charities are becoming, all you need to do is head towards Google. A search for the phrase 'video game charity' currently shows 19,100,000 results. While many of these hits point to articles such as this one, you don't need to look much further than this very site to see solid evidence that game charities have become pervasive.

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Anyone with any geek cred can quote the Aliens and Predator films (but not Aliens vs. Predator -- that'd be embarrassing). But it takes a special kind of nerd to answer our alien-related questions. Can Rebellion's Tim Jones, project lead on the recently released shooter Aliens vs. Predator, tackle our 5 Hit Points quiz -- and survive?

(Edit: Forgot to mention...special thanks to our own Michael Donahoe for coming up with the questions for this edition of 5HP!)

1. Bill Paxton is no stranger to Aliens or Predators -- and fan-made arcade games. What type of arcade game did a fan build to celebrate the actor's cinematic career?

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Editor's note: When I first heard of Greed Corp I assumed it was a Mafia Wars clone. Nope. Over to Toby Davis, with the interview....

The land you see here is Mistbound, a universe created by under-the-radar developer W!Games, and the setting of Greed Corp, which just hit Xbox Live and PlayStation Network at the end of February. If you're a strategy-game lover and on the fence about this one -- or have never even heard of it -- read on for an interview with Game Designer Nikki Kuppens.

Toby Davis: Tell me a little about the game and the role you played in development.

Nikki Kuppens: Greed Corp is a turn-based strategy game with hexagonal tiles. Four factions fight over land and harvest resources to build their armies, but harvesting eventually destroys the playing field. It’s a constant balance between earning money and having something to stand on, with the goal of being the last player standing. I was one of the game’s designers, responsible for the main mechanics, level design, campaign, writing, and Achievements/Trophies.

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Editor's note: Daniel's walk down memory lane is a brilliant beginning to a new meme on Bitmob. To join in the fun, write about your own gaming decade and tag it "My Gaming Decade." I'll collect them all in a future post. -Brett 

If you’ll forgive me for saying so, I had a great decade. Each year of the 2000s ended better than the last. I was reminded of this when I read Stephen Totilo’s brief recap of his “gaming decade” on Kotaku. Inspired, I present to you a summary of my gaming decade:

2000: I discovered the magic of console modding. My modded NeoGeo was largely a novelty, allowing me to access the DIP switches and uncensor certain fighting games, but my modded Dreamcast became my gateway to imported games from Japan. I’m certain this prolonged exposure to a language I couldn’t understand piqued my interest in Japanese, convincing me to take a night class that fall.

2001: Those lessons inspired me to visit Japan for the first time, where I fell in love with...a Golgo 13 sniper arcade game. Whereas most gun games cast you as a cop, giving you an implicit mandate that your on-screen targets are dangerous criminals, Golgo 13 -- Japan’s favorite professional hitman -- has no such ethical considerations. When the game asked me to snipe a woman’s high-heeled shoe so she’d fall down a stairway to her death, I didn’t even blink. I had never played such an amoral game before.

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Gaijin Games should sponsor a marathon to promote Bit.Trip Runner...and put all sorts of obstacles on the course for people avoid.

Video Blips:

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Editor's note: Phew! Just made it.... What's the point in having a monthly breakdown of a laundry list of releases if we don't post it until the second week in? Anyway, Jeremy takes the mounds of press and hype surrounding March's RPG releases and cuts them down to easily digestible -- and informational -- morsels. -James

Role-playing-game fans live in a wealth of riches these days. The genre receives entries from all corners of the world and with different styles. This can make it hard for gamers to makes sense of the multitude of releases. But take heart! This monthly column breaks down each month's RPG releases, including gameplay descriptions and word on the street about a game's quality.

It seems March is the new November, especially for RPGs. A ton of significant releases are hitting store shelves this month, not the least of which are new entries into two long-running franchises. It certainly is an exciting time to be an RPG fan, so let’s have at it!

The Main Event:
Final Fantasy 13 (PS3/360)
Release Date: March 9

Let’s face it: The release of a new mainline Final Fantasy is essentially a national holiday for JRPG fans. North America’s most beloved and progressive franchise in the genre always attempts to be at the forefront of narrative and gameplay trends, and this entry is no different. Fans are already hotly debating the way the title streamlines many RPG tropes. The game is extremely linear both figuratively and literally. Square has scrapped traditional towns for the most part and have completely excised seemly sacred elements that don’t fit in to the game. While many see this shakeup of traditional JRPG values as blasphemous, it also illustrates how stuck in a rut the genre is. Besides, streamlining worked wonders for Mass Effect 2, so why not here? Add that to what is said to be the most exciting Final Fantasy battle system yet, and we have may have yet another fresh take on the genre from the industry leader. That said, fans haven’t historically taken to drastic changes in the franchise. Final Fantasy 12 was another fresh take on the formula, and that installment polarized fans. Will 13 do the same?

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Editor's note: Inspired by used books, Chase has an interesting idea on his hands. But I fear that it's implementation wouldn't unfold exactly as he imagines. The hint system of Demon's Souls generally works because all available messages consist of preset text. Left to their own devices, I think too many players would succumb to the Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory. Despite Demon's Souls safeguard, the misuse of "sticky white stuff" is evidence enough for me. -Rob

I like to read books. I don’t do it often enough -- as evidenced by Atlas Shrugged, a collection of Edgar Allan Poe short stories, The Basic Kafka, and plenty more titles all gathering dust on my shelf -- but I try.

My favorite things about books -- that are, sadly, fading away due to devices like the Apple iPhone and Amazon Kindle -- are the abilities to write in the margins and look through the footnotes.

I love to pick up an old, dusty book and see into someone else’s mind by reading his comments. It’s like a mini time capsule. Unfortunately, this is a feature games haven’t really incorporated.

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The media is abuzz with the Infinity Ward & Activision spat -- but let's not forget about more serious issues to address.

News Blips:

Former Infinity Ward (Modern Warfare 2) heads Jason West and Vince Zampella have filed a lawsuit against Activision. The lawsuit states that both individuals were terminated from employment before they were supposed to be paid significant royalties earned while under the Modern Warfare 2 contract. West said that he and Zampella were "shocked" by Activision's actions over the past days. I think Zampella put it best when he said, "After all we have given to Activision, we shouldn't have to sue to get paid." [PR Newswire]

Sony is developing a new smart phone capable of downloading and playing PlayStation games. The new device is one of many in Sony's upcoming line of portable gadgets -- including an iPad-like multifunction device -- that aims to challenge Apple's kung-fu grip on the handheld market. Let's hope that Sony doesn't follow Apple's aesthetic principles by releasing an oversized PSP. [Wall Street Journal]

Ubisoft has quashed rumors that its new DRM system has already been cracked. Reports of the just-released Silent Hunter 5 appearing on torrent websites without the now infamous always-online requirement are "false" according to the publisher, who added that "while a pirated version may seem to be complete at start up, any gamer who downloads and plays a cracked version will find that their version is not complete." But the real humor lies within the instructions for the cracked game: "Install game and copy crack, it's that simple!"  [CVG]

Zipper Interactive is developing SOCOM 4 after re-acquiring the rights to the franchise.  The new entry into the series will boast 32-player online battles. As for their recently released MAG, Senior Community Manager Jeremy Dunham assures gamers that Zipper is still "fully committed" to supporting its PS3 audience. As if we weren't already under a huge glut of military shooters. [PlayStation Blog]

Got any hot news tips? Send 'em over to tips@bitmob.com.

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Full disclosure: Activision provided me with roundtrip airfare and three days of hotel accommodations in Liverpool to attend a media event for Blur. They also paid for one of my meals along with the other attendees at the hotel restaurant. I wasn't asked to make an agreement on the amount of coverage I would provide, and I didn't receive any restrictions on what I can or can't say about the game.

One of the reasons why Activision had Blur’s recent press event in Liverpool, England, is because it’s where game’s developer, Bizarre Creations, is located. As part of the event, we went on a tour of the BC studios to get a firsthand look at what goes on behind the scenes.

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If Uncharted 2's Nathan Drake joined forces with Just Cause's Rico Rodriguez, the resulting high five could be heard from miles away.

Video Blips:

• The water is very pretty in this tech demo of Just Cause 2 for the PC. Wait a minute...am I judging games purely on the quality of their water effects now? [GameTrailers]

Continue after the break for a colorful trailer of Blur's upcoming multiplayer beta, a look into the lopsided battles in Fist of the North Star, some good old alien beatdowns in the debut trailer for Abducted!, and an abominable coupling of grunge metal and ice skating.

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Editor's note: Too many titles are content rest on their laurels when it comes to character development. Daniel argues that instead of constantly shuffling us from action scene to action scene, developers should spend more time giving us intimate depictions of the characters they present. -James

I opened my Heavy Rain review by noting that one of my favorite parts of the game is something that would be completely boring under normal circumstances. Despite that (or maybe because of it), it’s a thing that is sorely missing in games.

The scene in question occurs right after the prologue. In it, the main character, Ethan Mars, spends an evening with his son. You can let him sit there and watch TV while you have a beer, or you can look at a schedule of tasks and set him to dinner, homework, and bed.

This is exactly the kind of situation that I’ve heard a lot of people say they don’t want to see in games, but I think it’s necessary -- when it's done right.

One of Heavy Rain’s biggest assets over the usual game narrative is how it doesn’t hesitate to put players through the mundane parts of everyday life. While an NPC washes up in your apartment, you might fry her some eggs. Maybe mother is resting in bed for a minute, so you put the baby to sleep.

None of this stuff actually adds to the gameplay or the major parts of the storyline. All it does is help better illustrate the characters and their world. By spending a day in his home with his family, you get a better picture of who Ethan is, which hopefully makes it easier for you to connect with him. Try to count how many video games you can name that have protagonists you actually empathized with. Probably not too many.

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