Step into the dark and mysterious world of “Ninja Blade,” where gamers will be given the epic task to defend Tokyo and ultimately humanity itself from a horrific, genetically mutating disease.

High atop the towering skyscrapers of modern-day Tokyo, Ken Ogawa and his team of skilled ninjas are deployed to destroy the infected monster horde and stem the spreading disease as humanity hangs in the balance. Matters quickly take a turn for the worse as Ken and his team are betrayed from within their own ranks. After narrowly escaping death, Ken is left to fight the daunting battle alone while also attempting to understand the motivations behind his betrayal.

Armed with an extensive arsenal of specialized ninja weapons, tools and skills including the powerful forces of “Ninja Vision” and “Todome,” players must fight insurmountable odds, and once again bring peace and order to Tokyo.

Download the complete game client here.

Despite a tough economy, the gaming industry held strong in 2008 and Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system recorded the biggest year in Xbox history, with more consoles, games and online entertainment experiences sold than any previous year. It was a year in which life-to-date unit sales of Xbox 360 systems climbed to 28 million consoles worldwide — expanding the product’s lead over Sony PlayStation 3 to more than 8 million units. The Xbox LIVE community also grew to more than 17 million active members, as online consumer spending increased 84 percent from last year. Since the launch of the Xbox 360 three years ago, more than $1 billion has been spent on Xbox LIVE. This amazing growth was fueled by the launch of the New Xbox Experience1; the broadest selection of hit games, TV shows, and movies available; and mass-market price points, starting at $199.

“For Xbox, 2008 will be remembered around the world as a pivotal growth year at retail and online — even in the face of tough economic conditions,” said Don Mattrick, senior vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “Worldwide, a record number of players flocked to our broadest games and entertainment lineup ever, while the New Xbox Experience thrilled millions of fans by making our console even more engaging. And yet, we’ve only provided a glimpse into the new world of interactive entertainment that we’re imagining. The best of Xbox 360 is yet to come.”

Boards

• EVGA X58 3X SLI Motherboard - [H]
• Gigabyte EX58-UD4P Intel X58 - TechSpot

  Cases
  

• NZXT Whisper - TechPowerUp
• Raidmax Wind Storm - OCC

  Cooling
  

• Coolink GFXChilla VGA Heatsink - OCModShop
• Koolance VID-487 GPU Water Block - Bjorn3D
• Thermaltake MaxOrb EX CPU Cooler - Modders-Inc
• Vigor Monsoon III LT Dual 120mm CPU Cooler - Tweaktown
• Zalman CNPS9900 LED CPU Cooler - Big Bruin

  Mice
  

• SilverStone Raven (RVM01B) Gaming Mouse - XtremeComputing

  Power Supply
  

• OCZ Fatal1ty Series 700W - ThinkComputers
• Xigmatek NRP-PC501 500W - Jonnyguru

  Rat Lube
  

• Nova Killer 2 Mousepad - OCModShop

  Video
  

• HIS Radeon 4870 ICEQ4+ TURBO 1024 - Guru3D

Do you have any fresh super awesome QoTD or poll suggestions?

1. World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Expansion Pack
2. Spore
3. Left 4 Dead
4. The Sims 2 Deluxe
5. Call of Duty: World at War
6. Fallout 3
7. The Sims 2 Apartment Life Expansion Pack
8. Bejeweled Twist
9. World of Warcraft Battle Chest
10. The Sims 2 Mansion & Garden Stuff Expansion Pack

Getting Inventive With Lighting

Left 4 Dead's setting is a post-apocalyptic wasteland just before nightfall. As mentioned earlier, this meant constraints in terms of the light sources we could use without hurting the gameplay, fiction or aesthetics. This forced us to get creative: what lighting would you realistically see in an abandoned city overrun by zombies?

Quake Live's pace is still fast and furious, and the gameplay mechanics are exactly what the majority of FPS fans have enjoyed for nine years, now. The one deterrent that might actually prevent many Quake III players from vacating their favorite game is the lack of mod support in Quake Live. This is quite disappointing, especially since id essentially created the PC gaming mod scene. Additionally, if you have become bored with Quake III's gameplay at any point since '99, there's nothing here that will change your mind. It's great to be able to track down friends and play with or against them using a web browser, but that novelty might wear off quickly if you've grown accustomed to this generation of FPS titles.