Notch's New Game Provoking Another "Scrolls" Fiasco

So, Notch has a new game in the works - this time it's set in space. No word yet on if it's space made up of like, 2x2 blocks. The interesting part is the name: Mars Effect. Apparently, Notch has learned nothing from his legal tussle with Bethesda over his previous title, Scrolls. 

Alternatively, he's learned that messing with corporate publishers is fun, albeit a little risky. But if I had to choose to meet Bethesda or EA in court, I think I'd pick Bethesda. 

Details on Mass Effect Mine Effect Mars Effect after the jump...

[READ] Jaime Lannister vs. Cthulhu

Winds of Winter, the latest novel in critically acclaimed author George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, must not keep the ol' boy too busy - he apparently has time to pit the love-to-hate Jaime Lannister against arcane demigods from beyond the brink of madness in a one-off battle scene.

But that's exactly what Martin's done, in repsonse to Suvudu's Cage Match Series, which pits fictional characters against each other, crossover deathmatch-style. io9 dug up one of Martin's LiveJournal entries from 2010 and apparently, he wasn't pleased with the ancient Cthulhu of Ry'leh besting his pretty-boy Kingslayer.

Excerpt from Martin's version of the battle after the break...

MW3 Players Stage April 20 Blackout

The Call of Duty community is not happy. Gamers fed up with the lack of post-launch support for the blockbuster FPS have organized a blackout on April 20, 2012. The dissidents released a YouTube video with a storied list of complaints that Infinity Ward must appease.

Hit the jump for the full list demands and aforementioned video.

Sony Shutters Zipper Interactive

Confirming rumors heard late last week, Sony has decided to close Zipper Interactive, the studio responsible for the PS2's SOCOM: U.S. Navy Seals and the PS3's MAG.

In a statement released to Game Informer today, Sony stated that the closing was "a result of a normal cycle of resource re-alignment within SCE WWS."

SOCOM, MAG, and Zipper's Vita offering, Unit 13, will continue to enjoy PSN support - Unit 13's Daily Challenges will also be updated.

At closing, Game Informer reports Zipper had around 80 employees.

VIA: Joystiq
SOURCE: Game Informer

[RUMOR] PS4 Snubs Used Games, Backwards Compatibility

A trusted source has tipped Kotaku that the next iteration of Sony's PlayStation will lock out used titles - a feature that seems to be catching on as of late. Kotaku says the source is "reliable" but "not authorized to talk publicly about next-gen hardware..."

Oh, and there's a name: "Orbis."

Read on for a bevy of unconfirmed details...

[WATCH] The "Heavy Hitters" of Bioshock Infinite in action

The last installment of Bioshock Infinite's "heavy hitters" dev diary made its debut yesterday, featuring the fourth enemy in a line of vintage badassery. OMNIpixel has compiled all four parts in this post. Hit the jump for a glimpse of the enemies you'll tangle with in Infinite's Columbia on October 16.

Xfinity for Xbox: A glimpse of net neutrality dangers

Cable provider Comcast is raising net neutrality ire over its statement on Monday that data streamed over Xbox Live's Xfinity on-demand service won't count towards customers' data caps, whereas all other services coming through their Comcast line will.

It sounds like Comcast is breaking off a piece for the consumer, but net neutrality experts who spoke to Ars Technica are saying this kind of favoritism is risky behavior.