Starting today you can snag Trine 2 on Steam for 50% off the normal price of $14.99.  The three player co-op game is available in a regular version for $7.49 and a Collector's Edition for $12.49.  The CE includes a free copy of Trine, the soundtrack to Trine 2, and a digital art book from the gorgeous looking game.

Amazon continues its streak of solid deals on downloadable PC games.  This time in their "Farewell to February" sale they have a handful of co-op titles for some low prices included the recently released Darkness II and last years hilariously awesome open world game, Saints Row the Third.  Both of those games are only $25.  

Okay, everyone, we're almost through December.  We've only got one downloadable co-op game this week, but it should be a good one.  Then it's onto January, where I'm sure there will be more co-op releases, right?  Let's take a look at the calendar here... ah crap!  Oh well.  If you're out of stuff to play you can always check out our backlog list of retail co-op games from the 2011 season.  The backlog list of downloadable games should be posted along with next week's Co-Op Release Alert, assuming the schedule remains empty.  

Want to see what the three player co-op Trine 2 looks like in 3D but don't have the game or 3D hardware required to do so?  NVidia has you covered with an entire gallery of 3D shots of the game viewable with simple Red/Blue glasses amongst other methods.  If you've played Trine or the Trine 2 beta you know the game is ripe for 3D support, with a rich multi-layered world that is full of colors it simply comes to life in 3D.

Trine 2 launched on the PC and Mac today, and we've got the fancy trailer to prove it.  The game looks absolutely stunning.  This follow-up to the excellent Trine has some big shoes to fill.  Many members of the Co-Optimus staff loved the first game.  We have high expectations for the puzzle platformer.

That's it!  I've had it!  I'm going to stop declaring the 2011 gaming season officially over.  Every time I prepare to put the Co-Op Release Alert on winter hiatus a new game decides to launch.  This week was looking pretty bleak until this tweet popped up.  Thanks, Frozenbyte.  You've guaranteed a Co-Op Release Alert all the way up until Christmas.  Jerks.

Christmas is coming early, co-op gamers!  Trine 2, the sequel to the excellent puzzle platformer, Trine, has been given an official release date via Twitter!  PC and Mac gamers must have been especially good.  Trine 2 will be available for download this week, on December 7th.  Console games must have been well behaved, as well; Trine 2 will appear on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace and PlayStation Network on December 21st.  Linux users? You must have been bad.  You won't get the game until 2012.

Are you slowly going mad as you wait for the release of Trine 2, the sequel to the hit indie physics platformer of 2009? If so, you may want to consider pre-ordering the game on Steam (either PC or Mac). Just pre-ordering through Steam grants you access to the Trine 2 co-op beta where you can shoot, slash, and levitate your way through two levels. If that isn't enough of an incentive for those of you wavering about a pre-order, the Frozenbyte CEO has also said that "a few very cool TF2 hats are coming as pre-order bonuses." Yep, you a pre-order game on Steam and there's like a 90% chance (real statistic, I swear) you'll be getting Team Fortress 2 peraphenalia. Pfft to you, immersion (I say this, but secretly covet my TF2 familiars in Dungeon Defenders...).

The original Trine was a fantastic co-op puzzle platformer set in a beautiful fantasy world.  The only thing keeping the game from being truly great was the lack of online co-op.  The sequel rectifies this shortcoming.  Trine 2 will feature local and online co-op for up to three players.  The makers of this video were smart enough to explicitly state just that.  Once again, the game looks gorgeous.  Don't take my word for it, check out the video.

I am not sure if I’m noticing my own habits of buying games that are similar all at once, or if the world is conspiring to release an onslaught of similar games one after another. This is where you decide. Do you see handfuls of games that appear to be coincidentally similar?

The Humble Indie Bundle was first released last year as an experiment of sorts.  A few independent PC developers got together and released their games, DRM free, for a name your price sale that not only supported them - but various charities like Child's Play.  A second bundle was released a few months later continuing the tradition and success, but today marks the first time that a publisher has gotten on board with the unique approach.

Bad news, puzzle platformer fans.  Trine 2 just got delayed a whole season.  Originally scheduled for a Spring 2011 release, Trine 2 has been pushed to Summer 2011.  It could be worse.  If you remember correctly, the first Trine is available on the PC and PlayStation Network.   It was supposed to released on the Xbox 360, and then got pushed back to never.  

You know those little things that start to bother you when you think about them, but don’t really matter otherwise? This issue of On the Download features a few little pet peeves of mine in the world of digital gaming - things that may upset some people, enrage others, or you’ll just shrug it off.

Trine 2 is still a few months away.  We've brought you screens and video from E3, and the fantastic news of the game's multiplatform release.  Gamereactor.eu has some new screens to make the wait a little less painful.  The first Trine was both a commercial and critical success.  It originated on PC and made it to the PSN.  Unfortunately, it's Xbox LIVE production came to a halt.  Luckily, the sequel will be coming to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC in 2011.  Also, the game will feature online co-op, which was absent from the first. 

It looks like Trine is making a transition to the less-known gaming platform known as the Mac. Frozenbyte released an official announcement on their community forums that they'll be using Steam for Mac to release, and people with PC version of the game will be able to play on their Mac if they so choose.