You can now enjoy four new multiplayer maps (one with a zoo, hotel, a convey and a stockpile raid) for Black Ops and the “star studded” zombie level “Call of the Dead” for 1200 MS Points ($15).

The Call of the Dead zombie level stars Robert Englund, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Michael Rooker, Danny Trejo, and George A. Romero (as a zombie).

OK so Gellar is Zoey. I get that. After that it gets murky.

I saw this over at RPS today and thought it worth a mention.

Now, understand, every time I see Cyanide Studios in the name I get all tense and have Blood Bowl AI flashbacks and start to weep. I still have plans for Blood Bowl, but I still see Cyanide and think “damn it.” This is the same thing I feel about the Game of Thrones strategy title the company is making. They are going to have to show me they know how to program AI before I get excited.

This new RPG is developed by Todd’s favorite developer: Spiders. Seriously, the name of the developer is literally “Spiders” which has to be the best studio name ever. Cyanide is created with “Concept and Production”.

The game itself sounds like a two-person team, one playing the veteran orc soldier and the other the goblin. I have no idea if this in in fact a co-op game but I get that vibe from reading the website.

It’s still a ways off, but there’s some more pics here: http://www.spiders-games.com/news/335

Episode Four of the bloodiest web series around delves into the background of Kitana and Mileena, Mortal Kombat’s pair of scantily clad female fighters. This is the first episode that really gets into the more fantasy-esque parts of MK and I have to say, the combination of live action and animation works. I have no idea if any of the origins are canonical, if Mortal Kombat even has an established canon, but I am entertained, and that’s all I’m looking for.

Word on the street is that Nintendo is going to publish a small number of copies of Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D so as to not repeat the fate of Spirit Tracks which apparently landed in bargain bins quickly after release. Spirit Tracks was a pretty damn good game, so this surprises me. However, Ocarina is, literally, the highest rated game of all time, so are they really concerned that it won’t sell? Well, any way, here’s a trailer to enjoy while you frantically dial up your retailer of choice to inquire about preordering.

UPDATE: And believe it or not, per Wired, it’s even worse than the Engadget report. The personal information of another 24.6 million SOE users? Good god, Sony.

Okay, now this is just getting silly. Per a post up at Engadet, Nikkei.com is reporting that 12,700 credit card numbers have been compromised from Sony Online Entertainment (SOE). Engadget speculates that because the data “is said to be from 2007,” that it’s possible the card numbers come from an old backup. (I feel so much better now.) This, after I solemnly predicted this morning’s SOE shutdown was surely precautionary in nature. Shows what I know.

Yes, Mortal Kombat is back. And you know, I didn’t realize how much I wanted it back until after playing NetherRealm’s absolutely ace reboot of the franchise. It’s big, ridiculous fun that hearkens back to a time when video games had not yet gone all David Cagey profound with floating red balloons and all. It’s a reminder of a time when things like video game violence were actually shocking- mostly because it tended to occur in the darkened confines of arcades and not in the living rooms of practically every kid’s home in America. I think this game is every bit as good as Super Street Fighter IV or MvC3, and in some ways I think it actually surpasses them. The amount of content and number of ways included to enjoy the game are plentiful, and the system gets back to its simplistic, accessible roots. The game is just plain fun to play…but it also has great production value and one of the more entertaining story modes I’ve ever seen in a fighting game. It’s absolutely preposterous, with everyone standing around in silly costumes and carrying on about the politics of the Mortal Kombat world earnestly and without even so much as a wink. It’s hilarious.

Oh, and there’s new X-Ray attacks that call to mind the classic scene from Sonny Chiba’s karate picture The Street Fighter where you get a radiological view of a guy’s skull cracking. Except it’s way more extreme.

My review is back at the Hometree. If you don’t feel like clicking over, the short version: “Better than Portal 2″.

Since everyone around here is allowed to pimp their writing from other places, and because Bill mentioned that I should as well, I’m hereby linking my latest Getting Some Play column from AfterEllen.com, wherein I attempted to tackle the whole bizarro “issue” that came from IGN writer Jack DeVries writing “Fake or Gay”, a blog post that pondered the sexuality of both Yoshi and Turok (you know, the Dinosaur Hunter).

Now, I don’t think the post was meant to be taken as seriously as it was — but the whole thing was incredibly bizarre. While I do encourage you to go over to the site and give it a read (its pretty brief), here’s the main take away from my post:

“While it seems a little silly that it took a post about digital gay dinosaurs to get people talking about the representation of LGBT characters in games, it’s at least good to see some conversation on the topic. My hope is that other queer game writers at major sites will get the chance — and have the courage — to approach the topic in the future.”

On the top of my wish list for the next decade in gaming are a few stereotype-free LGBT characters in mainstream, well-liked titles. What better way to show an increasing maturity in the industry?

Do I want all games to be all things to all people? Of course not. But I certainly do think minority representation in a mainstream, large-scale entertainment form is a valid, worthwhile topic. Even though DeVries went about it in a rather strange way, I would like to see the topic handled in the future (maybe just with a little less prehistoric camp involved).

There are moments when you don’t have the time to sit down and play a game for an hour but instead you’re looking for a filler — a 10-15 minute time killer. A lot of tablet and phone games are good for this, even some DS games. Of course you could always just read something.

Or you could play Hoard.

There is a ton of game crammed into this small $10 package available on Steam (and PSN…quiet!) It looks so simple and even plays that way when you fire up games vs the AI but if you can get some friends together for some online gaming I think you’re in for a real treat.

The review is on GameShark and this one is a great buy for 10 bucks. Just make sure you don’t judge it on the single player games because it’s really meant to be played with other people.

A new trailer was released today for Orcs Must Die! — the upcoming indie tower defense game from Robot Entertainment which tasks you will killing a whole mess of orcs. The video spotlights the arrow wall trap.

Check out the game’s website here: http://www.robotentertainment.com/games/orcsmustdie