In SCC, Sam Fisher is on a personal quest and he doesn’t follow the same code he used to. That’s the reason why Sam is more violent. Everything is about effectiveness.

Sam needs to get information? He will do what he needs to get them. Even if it means smashing the American flag into the collarbone of a drug dealer (yes, you can actually do that in the game).

Similarly, if someone stands between Sam and his goal, he’s going to be brutal, he’s going to be efficient and he is going to use the best technique. And when it comes to close combat, Krav maga is the perfect match. This Israeli self-defense system is not a martial art. It was derived from street-fighting and emphasizes aggression and offensive maneuvers.

When we were looking for a fighting style for Sam, the choice seemed obvious. We met with international instructors to adapt those fighting techniques to Sam’s personality and available tools. Krav maga is quite a versatile discipline and we were able to include gun shots in Sam’s close quarter combat moves. We worked with the best athletes through motion capture sessions to get the best possible result in game.

Obviously, the stealth aspect was one of our primary concerns and, even if the moves look impressive and violent, they’re always silent and provide an excellent option to get rid of your enemies while remaining undetected.

• Fixed bug introduced in version 1.110 which caused problems with pathfinding on some maps.
  
• Fixed occasional crashes on the map screen.
  
• One handed swing animations on horseback changed.
  
• Splash screens added when exiting the game in trial mode.
  
• Links to various online and retail stores added to the trial window.
  

New!

• GTA IV: Episodes from Liberty City

Deal Alerts!

• D2D Spring Sale Week 1 is on – get awesome PC games up to 88% off! Week 2 begins Monday with all new deals.
• Splinter Cell: Conviction Pre-order and get Splinter Cell FREE!

Twitter Exclusives!

• Follow Direct2Drive on Twitter to see new game and deal announcements, and tune in to the Twitter feed on Tuesdays for weekly gaming trivia contest to win a free PC game!

• Improved detection of Windows Media Player and alternate audio engine.
  
• Fixed Survival balance bug.
  

Enhancements:

• Added colorblind mode for health bars.
  

Sol Survivor 1.4:

Bugs fixed:

• Fixed host name appearing as game name.
  
• Fixed officer randomization persistence.
  
• Fixed tooltips consuming memory when game is minimized.
  

Enhancements:

• Added six new multiplayer maps (two Wars and four Co-Op).
  
• Added bindable controls.
  
• Added option to zoom to the cursor.
  
• Added option to clip the cursor to the game area when fullscreen.
  
• Added kicking and spot swapping on multiplayer lobbies.
  
• Improved lobby behavior when mutliplayer games end.
  
• Muted sounds when out of focus or minimized.
  
• Prevented survival balance from flattening out after an hour.

The Primal PC Headset provides extreme audio performance with rumble feedback and a noise-cancelling detachable microphone, all in a sleek, comfortable package. The Fierce Laser Mouse includes all the stuff gamers want in a mouse without any extra complications.

Our headsets are designed from the ground up for extreme comfort. The sleek, low profile design is lightweight yet stylish, featuring premium soft fabric encloses the ear cups in cushioned comfort. Extra padding packed into the fully-adjustable headband ensures unlimited hours of gameplay or audio listening pleasure.

Your Primal PC Headset works on any PC or portable audio/gaming device with a standard analog 3.5 mm audio jack. Experience it with your MP3 player (including iPod), portable game device, or even your home theater. Plus, a bonus battery pack adapter is included so you can power the force feedback feature and experience home theater bass sensations and increased situational awareness on the go. (Just remember to yank off the mic first so you don't look like a tool.) Easily control the volume of any device using our in-line controller.

In designing the Fierce 3200 DPI Laser Gaming Mouse we took a superb form-factor, slapped on über-comfortable, non-slip grips and ultra-slick pads, and then packed it with the most important features and highest quality components, including real-time adjustable DPI, a top-notch laser sensor with full-speed USB response time, adjustable weights, and the other stuff that gamers really appreciate.

Guild Wars Beyond allows players to experience the War in Kryta from the very beginning to its fateful finale through an intriguing viral campaign, a website that enhances the storyline, and with gripping new in-game content. They’ll join the battle for Kryta by participating in exciting quests, taking part in decisive battles, and by purchasing the new White Mantle and Shining Blade costumes for their character. Guild Wars players will literally take part in history, as the War in Kryta has a profound effect on the world of Guild Wars 2.

Within the war, players help the Shining Blade rebels oppose the White Mantle, a militarised cult that rules Kryta, in the hopes of restoring the Krytan monarchy and installing Princess Salma as queen. The legacy of these deeds carries 250 years into the future, where Salma’s descendent Queen Jennah leads the embattled humans in Guild Wars 2. In addition to Salma’s storyline, the War in Kryta also focuses on several key characters that are destined to make history - Gwen, a brooding, beautiful mesmer, and Lieutenant Keiran Thackeray, a charr-hunting ranger. Gwen and Lt. Thackeray are destined to marry and establish the human city of Ebonhawke, a key location in Guild Wars 2, and their descendent, Logan Thackeray, is one of the iconic characters in Guild Wars 2.

In the coming months, Guild Wars Beyond will continue to unveil important Guild Wars 2 information and content via the current Guild Wars live game.

BTC 103 – More than a century before the Sacking of Coruscant, two Jedi scholars embarked on a journey which became one of most inexplicable mysteries of its time. Young Jedi Knight Eison Gynt joined his Master in a mission to investigate the Ancient Sith Temple of Yavin 4. On Yavin, the pair was attacked by the native Massassi and driven into the Tomb of Naga Sadow where a powerful force of darkness emerged. Gynt’s Master returned to Coruscant wounded and half-insane, remorseful that young Eison Gynt had been killed in the chaos. Years later, however, Gynt returned from Yavin on his own and attacked his former Master. Gynt was killed and all assumed that he had been tainted by the darkness on Yavin 4 and returned to Coruscant for revenge. Nonetheless, the truth, as Master Gnost-Dural has discovered, may have been far more sinister.

No Doubt sued Activision after the game was released in November, saying its contract authorized the use of avatars representing each of the four band members in three No Doubt songs, but that Activision made it possible for the avatars to be “unlocked” and used in conjunction with several dozen other songs that came with the game. No Doubt argued that Activision breached their contract, which required prior written approval for any other uses of the band’s music or likenesses.

On Thursday, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Kenji Machida issued a tentative ruling rejecting Activision’s effort to invoke freedom-of-speech protections under the 1st Amendment in defense of the broader use of the No Doubt avatars.

Activision had previously moved to shift the case to federal court, framing it as a copyright issue rather than a right-of-publicity issue as argued by No Doubt, a strategy that also was rejected by the court. Activision has the right to appeal Machida's ruling.

Courtney Love is suing Activision on similar grounds for the overuse of Kurt Cobain's image.

Interplay Entertainment Corp. and G1M2 will partner to bring the classic Descent to the Wii.

“Descent remains the most popular 1080º 3D blasting game. Translating its 3D worlds and game play to WiiWare is an exciting move”, said Hervé Caen, CEO of Interplay. “Descent will pair perfectly with the motion sensing Wii Remote controller and we can't wait to show players how intuitive the game play and control can be” seconded Scott Hawkins, the Founder of G1M2.

Descent is expected for initial release during Fall 2010 and is planned for electronic distribution through Nintendo's WiiWare service.

“Following Clayfighter DSiWare & WiiWare, and Stonekeep WiiWare, Interplay continues to redevelop its fantastic portfolio of games,” Hervé Caen concluded.

Friday Fictoids

• When he was only 13, Johnny Depp lost his virginity to a girl slightly older than him. (Then he started cutting himself)
• There are numerous sailors' superstitions, such as: it is considered bad luck for a ship to set sail on a Friday, to bring anything blue aboard, to stick a knife into the deck, to leave a hatch cover upside-down, to say "pig", or to eat walnuts aboard.
• Each year, approximately 250,000 American husbands are physically attacked and beaten by their wives.
• McDonald's is the world's largest distributor of toys.
• One of the many Tarzans, Karmuela Searlel, was mauled to death on the set by a raging elephant.

Admit it. It made you yawn, right?