It's time for another new feature on Co-Optimus.  I know... "Nick, enough with the new features already!"  Nay!  Everyone loves Fridays...why?  Because that means an extra amount of time to get our game on!  Every week the Co-Optimus staff will let you know their gaming plans, and then...we want to hear yours!

Nick "bapenguin" Puleo - "I'll be hunkering through the last two chapters in Left 4 Dead as well as playing some Sacred 2 with Mike.  If I'm lucky I'll squeeze in some Fallout 3."

Jim "txshurricane" McLaughlin - "I'll be working on my World at War ranks (blasphemy!), I may run a few races in Pure, and I'll probably spring for one of the new Premium Xbox themes. I'd like to revisit Rainbow Six Vegas 2 again, too."

Marc "DjinniMan" Allie - "I hope for a real cornucopia of gaming this weekend.  The main course will be Left 4 Dead, naturally.  Some side dishes of Rock Band 2 (almost done with World Tour) and likely some Power Rangers Super Legends with my youngest.  Yeah, it's co-op!  For dessert also restarted Spore with a new race, going herbivore this time.  Sounds tasty, eh?"

Mike "Pheriannath" Katsufrakis - "Along with pretty much everyone else who reads this site, I'll be playing Left 4 Dead.  I'm also working on Sacred 2 (which I hope to get some co-op play in), and I plan on picking up Mirror's Edge."

Blake "broodax" Corner - "Well, like most in the gaming world, I'm playing Left 4 Dead (sadly only the demo, though). Then for something completely different, I'm planning on some Call of Duty 4. Then, back to Left 4 Dead."

So what's on your gaming schedule?  Who are you co-oping with?  

One of the best features of Xbox Live is the extension of it that exists in web format.  Friends lists, messages, achievments and now the marketplace are all available anytime, anywhere.  After 2 years, the folks at Sony have finally matched suit - as PlayStation Network accounts are now available on PlayStation.com. 

Right now the features available include friends lists, bio pages, and your avatar.  No word on trophy support...yet.  Now all we need Sony to do is to come up with community features and events like that found on XBox.com and we can have an official PlayStation 3 Co-Op Night!

Co-Optimus reader roland sent us a tip about the PC version of Valve's 4 player co-op zombie shooter Left 4 Dead.  In fact, we almost missed the tip because we are all so busy knee deep in zombie guts.  It appears, at least at some point, the PC version of Left 4 Dead will support the same split screen option has the Xbox 360 counterpart.  In fact, it's already there - just disabled.

How you ask can that possibly work?  Two keyboards and mice?  Well, not exactly.  The "ideal" situation, according to a Valve employee on the official forums, is to have two gamepads, much like the 360.   Of course, a keyboard and a gamepad would also work just fine.  

According to the post they are looking to re-enable the feature as some sort of unsupported bonus feature shortly after launching the full product, which was a few days ago.  This is definitely awesome news, and hopefully something that's the start of a growing trend!

Update: We just got word the feature is enabled right now, and you can even play split screen and online at the same time.

USA Today has reveled the long awaited details on the exclusive Xbox 360 DLC that's coming to Grand Theft Auto IV.  Launching in February 2009, the pack is called "The Lost and the Damned" and features a character named Johnny Klebitz, a member of Liberty City biker gang The Lost.  That's right, no Niko Bellic here, though Rockstar's Dan Houser assured us we haven't seen the last of him.

Unfortunately there's no word on additional co-op modes, if any.  For shame, I had high hopes we might see a co-op only DLC.   That's not to say the potential isn't there.  

"We feel like we've only scratched the surface in terms of the depth and detail in" GTA IV's mythical Liberty City, says Houser.

Update: We've added 4 screens after the jump.

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False alarm folks.  The Fable 2 news of the news that we previously reported as news?  Yeah, not gonna happen this week.  According to the Official Lionhead Blog, Microsoft said - no, you may not tell the world your awesome little secret...yet.   Ok, so they didn't say exactly that, but that's more or less the jist of it.

Lionhead assures us the announcement WILL take place on November 24th.  So take this news post as news of the news that was canceled but will be news again on November 24th.  Got it?  Good.

Until then, enjoy the NXE and check out the new Fable 2 theme...total hotness.

[Found via Joystiq]

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I've ranted about it before, but wow is the fall gaming season a busted mess.  Publishers insist on releasing way too many titles before the holiday hits in an effort to get a piece of the consumer pie.  Sure it's a nice problem to have, you know, having too many games to play.  But when it all comes down to it, the publishers are only hurting themselves.  Gamers only have so much time and money to go around, and eventually someone is going to miss out.

It looks like someone is finally realizing that, at least to some degree.   After some very disappointing numbers for LittleBigPlanet on the NPD charts, Sony has said "LittleBigPlanet would be a clear number one any other time of year."   Oh really?  Well then why didn't you release it any other time?   

Sony is pleased with the sales numbers, and claims the game is built more for word of mouth and longevity thanks to DLC and user generated content, just not any user generated content.  I guess time will tell, next month's NPD numbers should be very interesting.

Lets hope publishers start to learn their lesson, and decide to space this stuff out.  Otherwise well deserving games, both co-op and not, will get lost in the shuffle.  

You really shouldn't be reading this, you should be saving the world from the impending zombie apocalypse with your friends in Left 4 Dead.  If perhaps you are on the fence about purchasing the aforementioned game, then we have a few reviews from around the interwebs that may change your mushy mind.

IGN - 9.0 - "Having said that it does redefine co-op in a certain way. Or, at least, it admits what co-op's really about underneath all the superficial buddy back-slapping, and makes a bigger deal out of the underlying selfishness. When you play a co-op game you're still playing to win, still playing for your own ends. What Left 4 Dead does, at least when you're playing as the human Survivors, is make your survival absolutely, 100% dependent on your companions."

Team Xbox - 9.1 - "Well, at first it seems simple, because they’re mindless zombies after all, all of whom lope along as if in a stupor and most can be taken down by a single loosely aimed shot. However, it gets more interesting when something enrages them, such as you looking at one of them without firing or if you happen to trigger a car alarm. Each chapter has one spot where you need to activate some mechanism that’ll help your party get toward the safe house—but that activation also sparks an thundering zombie stampede almost as bad as a mall opening on Black Friday."

GameSpy - 4.5/5 - "Once you have friends on your side, it's one hell of a ride. With dozens of zombies swarming you at any given moment and the yells of your friends echoing in your ears, the action in Left 4 Dead is as intense as any game in recent memory. This is one of those games in which you'll need to use teamwork and communication if you hope to survive, as things have a tendency to go FUBAR as soon as someone decides to make a go of it on their own. Friendly fire is always on, so you have to watch your aim. "

Do you hear that ladies and gentlemen?  That is the sound of inevitability.  There's simply no excuse now, you must have this four player co-op title.   We'll have our review up early next week, until then - grab a shotgun.

Ready to get your sing on?  Microsoft's karaoke title Lips comes out today, with a few two player co-op modes.  The game is from the creator of the zany DS Rhythm game Elite Beat Agents, and features the ability to use any of your own music in the game.  

Be sure to check out the official track listing, or check out some hands on impressions.  You'll probably be seeing commercials for the game on TV soon, but if you can't wait to be creeped out by a little walking set of lips, or having Take on Me stuck in your head for the rest of the day...click the read more link.

And despite what Jim says, I will not be singing for anyone.  

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The HUD is back with another set of 4 hard hitting questions asked to the most awesomest of awesome games journalists.  

1. OK, secret's out. Not every journalist beats the games he or she reviews. Do you and your staff finish all these games, and if not, at what point do you stop playing and review them?
2. EGM's December issue features a Watchmen cover with the subhead "The explosive first look at the all-new Watchmen prequel". First, what are your thoughts on "explosive first looks", and what other ridiculous words do journalists overuse?
3.  Some publishers can't catch a break. They always release crap. Which ones do you feel bad for and why?
4. Shigeru Miyamoto receives applause for almost everything he says and does. Putting aside our collective crush for the guy, what are some hard hitting questions you'd love to ask, and what do you consider his biggest failures?

So kind denizens of Co-Optimus, if you were asked any of these questions how would you answer?

If you applied to be in the NXE Preview program a few weeks back, sometime within the next few hours you'll automatically have access to the NXE!  Just in time to fire up an 8 player party and try out with some Left 4 Dead.

Looks like Major Nelson is going to get a few extra holiday cards this year.