While developer Gearbox hasn’t announced anything, GameStop seems to have, according to a leaked page on their site showing a Game Of The Year edition of the Borderlands strategy guide (which has since been removed). It’s safe to assume that it’ll be Borderlands + the three DLC packs. Expect it to retail later this month.

According to a rumor, or leak, if you prefer, Maxis is working on a Spore-based action RPG title which will be revealed at Comic Con next month. Maxis will supposedly be a part of a panel at Comic Con, which will be unveiled in detail later.

Coolvibe has once again compiled a collection of great wallpapers, this time, from the Star Wars universe, from games such as The Old Republic, Republic Commando, and Empire At War. Check out the full collection here.

LeBron James stunned the basketball world by switching teams from Cleveland Cavaliers to the Miami Heat, teaming up with fellow superstars Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. 2K Sports has released the first render of James in his new uniform, with his new number as well.

Everyone knows that Activision isn’t the most developer-friendly environment for anyone wanting to make games, but according to the updated lawsuit against the company by former IW employees, Activison went several steps further, creating a “police state” at Infinity Ward, with developers being routinely interrogated by Activision folks. Sure sounds like a fun place to work. The trial date has been set for May next year.

Finally, after years of wait, the last remaining class in TF2 gets and update: the trusted, hard-working Engineer. His new tools include mini-sentries, a new shotgun, and a controller for the sentries. Pretty cool gear, if you’re into engineering @ TF2. Check out the full details here.

Civilization 5 has gotten a special edition, which includes the game (obviously), an art book, a soundtrack and several mini-figures. The art-book is actually something you’d want, as it’s a 175-page, hardcover book with lots of art from the game. The Special Edition will be released on September 21 and will retail for $99.

In case you didn’t know, a few days ago, Blizzard announced that from now on, it was over with aliases and avatars in forums, from now on, users will have their real, full name displayed. Yes, it sounded completely stupid and Blizzard users revolted, with thousands of forum posts pouring in, criticizing the measure. Now Blizzard has (come to their senses) listened and removed Real ID, instead, returned to the old system.

We recently reviewed APB and were underwhelmed and unimpressed (we gave it a 3/10), after years of hype and development, APB just plainly disappoints. It turns out we weren’t the only ones, as APB currently carries a disappointing 59 rating on MetaCritic, with some of the bigger publications rating it well below 50. Some of the major game networks like GameSpot and IGN are still due on their reviews, and they’re expected to be just as critical as the rest of the industry. So what went wrong with such a promising game? Have you played APB? What do you think?

When Crackdown came out a good three years ago, it offered Xbox 360 owners one of the finest sandbox games on the platform, and easily the most entertaining one. The long awaited sequel is here, and while it doesn’t add much new to the series, it sticks to the concept that made the original fun: lots of fast paced, explosive action, and a huge, explorable city.

In Crackdown 2, you play as a super soldier who can throw cars, jump buildings and shoot a lot of guns, but first you need to play enough to upgrade your skills in order to do so — just like in the original. For instance, to jump higher, you have to collect green orbs scattered around the city, a fun mini game in an of itself which can easily become obsessive.

You’ll be playing in the same city as before: Pacific City, and the layout is pretty much the same. The districts and roads, as wells as the cell shaded style and visuals — which is a bit of a disappointment, since Crackdown 2 more or less looks like the original, yet the original was released over three years ago. Your objectives are the same: take out the gangs that infest the city, but now, there’s something extra: come night time, a new kind of enemy emerges: mutants. The missions are pretty much like last time: lots of run and gun and almost no story. We would’ve appreciated the developer doing a bit more than last time here, but unfortunately, they seems to stick a bit too much to the original, both for the good and bad. But while it’s the same city, the buildings are crumbling, and the people who inhabit it are depressed and pretty much wander around on the roads, begging to be run over. You’ll have a hard time avoiding running citizens over in Crackdown 2.

While the missions are somewhat repetitive, you can now play through them with up to four friends over Xbox 360, which is a great addition. Another great aspect is that the game runs incredibly smooth with no loading times, despite taking place in a huge city. and once again, the vast city is a feature in and of itself, which once again offers lots of exploration and orb hunting. Overall, Crackdown 2 will satisfy the fans of the original, but it’s just feels kinda shallow.

The Good:
Keeps the same, fun gameplay formula
High-paced, intense action
Runs smooth
Huge city to explore

The Bad:
Not much new
Can get repetitive
Visuals are unimpressive

Overall score: 8/10