The Perpetual Testing Initiative puts you in the role of an Aperture Science office worker.
After all, who do you think designed the test chambers you played through in Portal and Portal 2?

Why am I telling you this now, and not back when the video was released?
Well, it’s out now.
Don’t have Portal 2, you say?
66% off until tomorrowish: http://store.steampowered.com/app/620/

The bones of it are that, through achieving ranks playing games, you can earn rewards in the form of in-game items, beta access, and even full games.
So, earn game stuff through playing games.

Aside from the specific examples, that’s really about all there is.
Through playing games, and unlocking achievements, you earn ranks for that game.
These ranks, aside from all the perks of bragging rights (who can resist my “hard core” ranking in Team Fortress 2?), are used as minimum requirements to unlock particular rewards; currently ranging from having played a game in the genre, all the way up to being in the top 20% of raptr users in that game.

The rewards, thus far, are pretty limited (what with it being a beta, and all).
Currently, there’s in-game items for Pandora Saga and Blacklight: Retribution, and some offers on Logitech peripherals (US-only).
But, when the system’s all ironed out, there’s sure to be more.

You can check out the rewards, and sign up for Raptr (if you haven’t already), right here; http://raptr.com/allrewards?type=live

Blizzard has opened up Diablo III for everyone to test out this weekend. The Beta began earlier today at noon PDT and will end Monday morning at 10:00 PDT.

Beta limitations include the creation of only one character that can only be taken to level 13. It also only includes the first half of Act One.

The client can be downloaded on Diablo III‘s official website, which is also where it can be pre-ordered. Diablo III will officially release May 15, 2012.

Beta restrictions include a level cap of 32 per character and limits the amount of characters created to two per server with a total of ten servers available.

Dates for the Beta are as follows:

Pre-Order Exclusive Event

• Begins: Thursday, April 19 at 12:00 PM Pacific
• Ends: Friday, April 20 at 12:00 PM Pacific

Open Event

• Begins: Friday, April 20 at 12:00 PM Pacific
• Ends: Monday, April 23 at 11:59 PM Pacific

The Beta can be downloaded on TERA‘s official website.

Today at a Las Vegas event Namco Bandai officially announced Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition for the PC. The new edition will include additional content not previously available to console gamers. The new content will include:

• New Bosses – Including Artorias of Abyss, Chimera of Tomb, and more
• PVP Online Matchmaking System – Quick matching for co-op or PVP
• New Areas – Including Oolacile Tomb, Old Ruins and more
• New Enemies – Including Abyss Guard, Chained Prisoner and more
• New NPCs – Including Hawkeye Gough and more
• New Weapons and Armor – Equip some from the new bosses, enemies, and NPCs

Rumors of the release have been circulating for months starting with an online petition requesting it back in January. Preorder details and more information about the game can be found on the Dark Souls official website.

Available for the Nintendo 3DS the week of April 8:

• Ketzal’s Corridors- April 12
• Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir – April 13

Available for the PC the week of April 8:

• Legend of Grimrock – April 11
• Men of War: Condemned Heroes – April 12
• Tribes: Ascend – April 12

Available for the PlayStation 3 the week of April 8:

• Skullgirls – April 10 (PSN)
• World Gone Sour - April 10 (PSN)

Available for the Xbox 360 the week of April 8:

• Skullgirls – April 11 (Arcade)
• The Splatters – April 11 (Arcade)
• World Gone Sour – April 11 (Arcade)
• Fez – April 13 (Arcade)

Sources: Kotaku, Gamespot

The post about the first one of these can be found: http://stratics.com/star-wars-the-old-republic-free-weekend/

The FAQ for the weekend pass can be found here: http://www.swtor.com/info/faq/game#q400211
The weekend pass sign-up page is here: http://www.swtor.com/weekendpass
The announcement is here: http://www.swtor.com/news/news-article/20120404-0

In the intervening years, aside from wearing small grooves in the floor with her rocking chair, she’s been the guiding force behind the revivification of UO Stratics, and an inspiration to all of us younger Stratics volunteers.

The answers contain some truths and some myths. This article will attempt to separate the two. There are spoilers ahead for BioShock 1 and 2 so proceed with caution.

Because you control a Big Daddy in BioShock 2 it must be really easy. Myth. This is the most common answer people give. One of the joys of playing through BioShock was its difficulty. It felt rewarding getting through tough areas, taking down Big Daddies in a comparatively feeble state, and managing resources well to make it out of difficult situations. The good news is BioShock 2 is even harder than the first. A few examples of why are:

• Rescuing Little Sisters is a much harder task in BioShock 2. In the first game it was simple: take down the Big Daddy and then harvest or rescue the Little Sister right there. BioShock 2 changes this in a big way. The first step still involves killing a Big Daddy, but everything after that changes. The next step is escorting the Little Sister to one of the exit chutes. Along the way she’ll find corpses to gather more Adam from. When she gathers the Adam, the splicers are alerted to your position and attack in a horde, which means the player must defend themselves and the Little Sister while she gathers the Adam. Once the player reaches the exit, there is always a possibility a Big Sister will come after them. Big Sisters are the biggest addition to BioShock 2. They are fast, stealthy, merciless hunters who are sure to give even the most hardcore gamers some trouble.
• Splicers are more abundant and powerful in BioShock 2. Not to mention uglier. In the beginning of the game there is a noticeable difference from the first when battling splicers and it’s obvious the Big Daddy suit makes them an easier foe. But after the first few stages splicers become worthy opponents again and the Big Daddy suit feels much less relevant.
• Resources continue to be scarce. Just like the first game ammunition is precious in BioShock 2, as is Eve. Running out of either is still very possible.

Rapture. Been there, done that. Myth. This isn’t the same Rapture. Sure, there are some familiar characters from the first game like Andrew Ryan and Tenenbaum, However, exploring it has a much different feeling. BioShock 2 takes place almost a decade after the events of the first game. Because of that the atmosphere has become much more jaded and callous.

Parts of Rapture have become worn. The vending machines no longer talk to customers. Some of the walls and glass have become fragile. There are even parts where players can break the glass and venture out into the ocean. The Big Daddy diving suit enables the main character to survive the crushing depths.

There isn’t a “would you kindly” moment. True. BioShock had one of the greatest and most memorable plot twists in gaming history. It would be hard for any game to top it, much more so the sequel, since it would be easily predictable. BioShock 2 does have its own plot twists but nothing compared to the first. Part of it may have also been due to Ken Levine not involving himself in BioShock 2.

The multiplayer looks generic and uninteresting. True. The multiplayer was clearly an afterthought for BioShock 2. The maps are not laid out well and the game modes are generic although they attempt to incorporate the BioShock terminology and humor (like “Capture the Sister”). Skipping the multiplayer in BioShock 2 doesn’t mean missing out on much, since the single player game is still great.

Overall BioShock 2 is a game worth playing for survival horror fans. Exploring Rapture this time around is still challenging and unique and the story keeps players engaged even without an insane plot twist like the first game. Check it out on the PC, PlayStation 3, or Xbox 360.