According to an Edge Online interview with Ruffian games, Crackdown 2 is scheduled for an early 2010 release as the game sits about 60% complete.

Salem and Rios are ready for action next month in Army of Two: The 40th Day, and we've got the achievements to prove it.  There's 34 regular achievements and a few hidden ones, all of which are available in co-op play.  We imagine the PlayStation 3 trophies will be similar once they are unveiled.

The Command and Conquer 4 team has released a new single player video where designer Sam Bass takes you through the GDI mission highlights of "Transport Down."  

This week, our heroic podcast crew tackles the most controversial topic on any gaming site: The Game of the Year Awards! Luckily for us, we escape with only a few scratches, as the Community picks are announced as well. Even our old pal 50 Cent manages to come away with one of our coveted awards! With a load of new game announcements from the VGAs and a long digression of Assassin's Creed 2, you can expect a meaty podcast of epic proportions.

Microsoft has launched their Games for Windows On Demand service, and despite initially claiming 5 titles, it appears the service is offering 13 at launch.  Of the co-op variety we have Resident Evil 5 and Kane and Lynch: Dead Men.  

Here at Co-Optimus we realize the holidays can be stressful, insane, and otherwise distressing. So, in the spirit of sharing we'd like you to sit back, relax, and enjoy the Lizard of Odd's brilliant rendition of the holiday song "My Favorite Things" in the realm of Left 4 Dead 2. Oh, and don't forget to join us for our Left 4 Dead 2 Co-Op night on Thursday!

In a truly tempting deal, the official Guitar Hero store on Red Octane's site is offering Guitar Hero 5 along with a two wireless guitars for only $99.  It's instant co-op in a convenient package.  

Welcome back Sam. You've certainly cleaned up well for this generation of games, no doubt thanks to the Serious Engine 3.0. We take the brand new Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter for a spin and give the goods on the insane 16 player co-op mode. Does the 2001 classic stand the test of time?

Zenimax Media, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks and id have announced that they've acquired the publishing rights for id's upcoming shooter RAGE.  The game was previously under a publishing agreement with Electronic Arts.

 Everybody wants some Guitar Hero Van Halen trailers, sadly you only get one and a few screenshots.

Splinter Cell Conviction is set to launch on February 23rd and with it comes a special collector's edition.  It just wouldn't be proper release without some special box.  Included in the box:

A good cooperative game not only provides players with an engaging experience that requires team work and common goals, it provides a method for facilitating those goals through communication. Sadly, Xbox 360 gamers enjoy a standard voice chat solution through Xbox Live, other systems seem to fall short and require developer intervention or have users taking matters into their own hands. Back in September we looked at Dolby's Axon solution at PAX and came away impressed with what the long time sound company had created. Now as we get closer to the products release, we sat down with Spencer Hooks, Product Marketing Manager in the Games group and Dolby executive Matt Tullis to talk about Axon.