Justin Baxter has achieved a Guinness World Record for playing something he found in the garbage. Specifically, a Cosmic Monsters arcade cabinet he found in a scrapyard in 1990. Baxter has been playing Universal's Space Invaders clone for an hour a day over the last seven years, and has now clocked a score of 145,680, well ahead of the world record set in 1983.

"I always wondered what it would be like to tell people I'm a world record holder and now I can find out," he told SWNS. "I'm not sure how impressed they'll be though." It's an inspiring tale of perseverence, one that teaches a valuable lesson: if you want to be the best at something, pick something nobody else has ever heard of.

[Image: KLOV]

These guys just can't catch a break, can they? As if the zombie apocalypse wasn't enough for the survivors to deal with, Left 4 Dead 2's latest mutation, Special Delivery, removes spawn timers for special infected and raises their in-game cap to 10.

Can you imagine it? The safe house is in sight; you're almost there and the effects of those hastily-consumed pain pills are quickly fading. Then you see them: two boomers, two jockeys, a spitter, a smoker and four tanks. Okay, maybe our version of the mutation sounds a bit extreme, but you get the idea.

We would be hard-pressed to think of two things on this planet we love more than Mythos (the Flagship Studios-developed MMO which was acquired by Frogster and HanbitSoft last year) and pure, unrestrained candor. That's why we're psyched by the announcement for Mythos' upcoming "Hack and Crash" beta stress test event, which will fling open its doors to new waves of testers, in order to (according to a Frogster press release), "test the capacity of the servers, which may well crash as a result." So up-front! So honest! So forthright!

You can still sign up for the beta if you want to be part of the server apocalypse -- or, you know, if you want to see how the game has changed under its new ownership. So long as there's still hacking and/or slashing, we think we'll be okay with the other adjustments.

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It's a good thing that werewolves in top hats are so utterly charming, because it seems like nowadays, that's all there is in the world of World of Warcraft. Seriously! Back in our day, there was a wide, beautiful rainbow of Alliance races wearing all manner of headgear. Now it's all plain ol' top hatted wolfmen -- much to the delight of the guys at Penny Arcade, as evidenced in last week's Wrapup winning comic, "Wolf of the Year."

Second and third place went to Awkward Zombie's "Obsolete" and Brawl in the Family's "Snow Angels," respectively. Got a strip you'd like to see in the next Wrapup? Drop a link in the comments, or send in a tip!

Nothing quite says "family friendly" like West Coast gangsta rapper Dr. Dre, which is likely why social game magnate Zynga has inked a deal with the musician to crosspromote his forthcoming album, "Detox," within Mafia Wars. "Dre is a culture icon that has inspired generations of music lovers. We're huge music fans at Zynga and we know the players within Mafia Wars will love the chance to discover incredible music content while playing with their friends," Zynga CEO Mark Pincus noted in the bizarre announcement.

Aside from watching Dre's newest music video for the song "Kush" streaming in-game, players can enter the "Hustlin' wit Dre" area of the game to earn "limited edition goods" (with examples including headphones, a vintage car, and weapons). If that weren't enough, an "exclusive Dr. Dre video message" is somewhere hidden in the game as well -- we're holding out hope that it's actually just a live performance of "Nothin' But a G Thang."

Hey, it's not quite exploding armored cars in the Nevada desert, but it's a start, right, Dre?

BioWare co-founders Dr. Ray Muzyka and Dr. Greg Zeschuk will be inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS) Hall of Fame. Muzyka and Zeschuk will be the fourteenth and fifteenth (they can quibble about which is which) members in the hall of fame, which includes folks like Mike Cerny, Mike Morhaime and Dani Bunten. This is the first time the award has been given to a pair.

"The Doctors," as they are referred to in the industry, took the leap from medicine to game design and have been more than marginally successful, heading up the studio that created top-tier franchises Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect and Dragon Age. The awards will be presented to the pair by Epic Games prez Mike Capps at the 2011 D.I.C.E. Summit in February. We really hope someone chooses the renegade option when the duo get up to accept their awards.

If you're a Time Warner or Brighthouse network cable subscriber, the new ESPN streaming functionality that came with the November Dashboard update was kinda lost on you in that you couldn't find it ... ever. Hope is coming though -- Brighthouse (which is owned by Time Warner) says Xbox 360 functionality is coming to its customers next year while this page on ESPN's site assures those patiently waiting that they'll be able to stream ESPN through their Xbox 360 soon.

The way it will work is when a Time Warner or Brighthouse user turns on their Xbox 360 and tries to access the ESPN app (right now, you should get this screen), it'll direct them to this ESPN activation page where they will have to authenticate their account with Brighthouse or Time Warner, then be given an access code. Previously, ESPN3.com content wasn't available to Time Warner and Brighthouse subscribers, though a new deal inked back in September changed that.

So where does that leave us? Pretty much at the same spot, actually -- though at least now it seems there's a light at the end of the tunnel and it's illuminating sports stuff.

[Thanks, Grady]

While Bethesda and developer Obsidian Entertainment are busy taking a plasma rifle to the countless bugs still present in Fallout: New Vegas, devoted -- and programming-savvy -- fans are putting out mods for the PC version of the game that improve its texture maps and lighting, sometimes dramatically. Couch Athletics took a look at three of the more promising additions in its most recent "Mod Madness" feature.

First up is the Arenovalis Weapon Retexture Project which, as its name suggests, replaces the textures on the game's weapons -- 11 of them so far, all of which look far better than the "stock" guns, and the mod's developer is continuing to add more. Then there's the Detailed Normals Texture Pack, which features improved normal maps for some of the world textures (ground and rocks, most prominently) that make them more 3D-looking, though sometimes very shiny.

The most impressive of the new mods, however, is FNV Enhanced Shaders, which makes the game's lighting more realistic and adds a depth-of-field effect, among others, which are all player-adjustable. The results of combining these mods can be seen in the video we've posted after the break. Now, if only someone could make a "Bug-Free Pack" -- and we don't mean one that kills off all the mutated ants and radscorpions.

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'Tis the season, as they say, for paying whatever you want to both support charities and get some great indie downloads. You've probably already seen the Humble Indie Bundle 2, and now a group named YAWMA is offering a deal on both indie games and music with the Giving Game + Music Bundle. Paying whatever you want will grant you access to seven days of various bundles, featuring one indie CD and one indie game at a time.

Indie musicians like Girl Talk, Black Moth Super Rainbow and Twin Sister are teamed up with indie games like Beat Hazard, Multiwinia and Max and the Magic Marker for a pair of downloads each over the seven days, and there's one special secret bundle coming up on day 7. Yes, you need to buy each bundle separately, but it's pay what you want, and 25% of the profits for each day's sales will even go to charities like Child's Play and Save the Music. To take advantage of the deal, head on over and hit the "PWYW" button right now. Who knows, not only do you get some sweet tunes, but it might earn you some much-needed karma before Santa comes down the chimney. Check out a video after the break to learn more.

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If you have no idea what Crysis 2 is all about, then this trailer is a good primer. Basically: aliens invade, dude dons crazy nanosuit, does crazy stuff. It's pretty much the same exact plot as that Jackie Chan movie, The Tuxedo. We just hope Crysis 2 skips the awful song-and-dance number.

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As many folks begin their holiday break today, we'd just like to say we'll be here. It may be a little slower, there might be some eggnog-inspired posts, but stop on by over the next couple weeks to keep us company. It'll be cold and we'll miss you so terribly. We'll also be posting our "game of the year" and "best of the rest" pieces a little earlier this year.

What's everyone playing?

[Image: Elana's Pantry]

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There are lots of reasons that wastelanders set out across the post-apocalyptic United States -- to find rogue droids, locate a lost parent, or perhaps simply to escape the shallow grave they woke up in. The three folks in this debut trailer of fan-made Fallout short film "Fallout: Nuka Break," however, are simply in search of a refreshing, cold Nuka-Cola.

The crew in charge of F: NB are known as Wayside Creations, a team of Fallout fans who wanted to make a non-profit film based in its world. No further information is given as to when we can expect to see the completed work, but we're hoping Bethesda doesn't shut down the production before that can happen. Check out the trailer in full after the break.

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The odd pairing of Heinrich, everlasting executioner, and resurrected witch Gretchen will arrive on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 next year, on February 22. Developed by Game Republic, Knights Contract is set in an upheaved fantasy realm in which witches (those witches) are hunted and executed. That's bad news for Heinrich, who must defend Gretchen and rely on her magic to overcome a world of opposition.

Knights Contract appears to have a heavier focus on action than Namco's other recent partnership game, Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom -- and this time, you play as the big guy. He should have little problem carrying around a duck-weight like Gretchen.

Finally! Mass Effect! On the PS3! As a huge fan of the franchise, I was waiting for another excuse to play through Mass Effect 2. New and exclusive to the PS3 version of BioWare's RPG is an interactive comic that summarizes the events of the first Mass Effect. It's a clever workaround to Microsoft's publishing rights to the first game, and considering the importance of these choices in subsequent games, the effort is much appreciated. Unfortunately, after "playing" the comic, I couldn't help but wonder if it was enough to ease newcomers into the franchise.

Although most of the game's expansions are included on the Blu-ray disc, you'll have to download and install the free comic from the PlayStation Store before starting the game. The comic is also not the first thing you experience in the game -- you'll have to play Mass Effect 2's impactful intro sequence first. The comic book sequence takes place in-between Shepard's first encounter with the enigmatic Collectors and his arrival at the Cerberus station. (If you opt not to download and install the comic DLC, the game will continue as it did in the original version.)

While its position is unexpected, the interlude offers a perfect place for Shepard's life to flash before his (or her) eyes. (Both voice actors of Shepard provide narration for the comic, so don't be afraid to create an Oprah Shepard of your own!) The pace of the comic is incredibly swift, jumping from one crucial event to the next.

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To celebrate the holidays, we're having twelve straight days of giveaways up through Christmas day. And while we say it's to celebrate, really ... we're simply getting rid of some of the larger packages around the ol' office.

And for our fourth giveaway, we're celebrating Tron's return to theaters tonight with swag from its return to video games last week. There's a Tron: Evolution Collector's Edition for Xbox 360, replete with fancy light cycle model, a copy of Tron: Evolution for Nintendo DS (which we're certain is indistinguishable from its console counterpart) and a limited edition (only 200 made, we're told!) 12" vinyl LP of the game's soundtrack. Not a bad haul, and all you have to do is leave a comment to enter. Full rules past the break.

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If you still haven't started your holiday shopping, and if you're actually not planning to start until next week, Target just may have a few gaming deals for you. The store will be discounting several titles next week beginning this Sunday, December 19. Some of the better deals include EA Sports Active 2 or the DJ Hero 2 turntable bundle for $70, though we should note that Amazon has the former for $60 today.

Furthermore, Fallout: New Vegas can be had for $40, and you can get a $20 gift card with the $299 4GB Xbox 360 Kinect bundle. Check out some other highlights after the break.

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