It may have been lost in all the fall release shuffle, but you'll recall a nice little game called Viva Pinata: Trouble In Paradise.  As we stated in our review, it's the perfect sequel to a fantastic game, and greatly benefits from the addition of co-op, both online and even local.  One of the new features in VP2 was the availability of snow for your garden.  Why not use that to make your garden the perfect Winter Wonderland?  Here are some tips, straight from Rare.

What's better than getting a brand new screenshot from the game that's been in development since 486DX processors were cool?  Getting a brand new screenshot from Duke Nukem Forever AND getting a picture of two scantily clad girls in front of a Christmas tree in pleather outfits.  I have no idea what they have to do with the game, but I imagine George Broussard said "shake it baby" before snapping the photo.

  Earlier this morning, we brought word that TimeSplitters and Haze developer Free Radical Design had shut and locked the doors, then held what seemed to be a doomsday meeting for the staff at a nearby hotel. As the day has progressed, we've learned from Rob Yescombe - a screenwriter in the employ of Free Radical - that the company is not ...

Looking for some last minute gift ideas?  Perhaps some official Co-Optimus swag from Internet Retailer Zazzle.com.  Not only can you get the Co-Optimus shirt printed on any shirt you want in any way you want, you can get keychains, buttons, ties and stickers.  Look for more Zazzle products from us next year!

Haze developer Free Radical Design has apparently closed its doors this morning, according to unnamed "inside" sources for Gamesindustry.biz.

    At our house, almost every game is a cooperative experience, even when it wasn’t designed to be. Now, you might be thinking that I lack the understanding of phrase co-op to suggest such a thing. But my roots as a gamer reinforced just that idea.  Sometimes co-op can be found in unexpected places, and in unexpected ways. ...

The crew over at Ascaron have sent word of a content update for Sacred 2.  Not only has the 620 MB update improved many aspects of the game, but it also includes a new snowy region, new armor and weapons, new quests and over 20 new monsters.    The "Holiday Update" is available right now from the official Sacred 2 update site.

We here at Co-Optimus generally prefer Rock Band to its older brother, the Guitar Hero series.  That doens't mean we aren't stoked about the upcoming Guitar Hero Metallica.  Due the first half of 2009, and available for Xbox 360, PS3, Wii,  and the venerable PS2, GH Metallica features a mix of Metallica songs (dur) as well as a few other bands.  The latter include the Foo Fighters, Queen, Samhain, and Alice in Chains.

Joystiq recently got some hands-on time with the Ghostbuster Xbox 360 and Wii builds...

A couple items of a "bad news" nature have come to light today.

This week was essentially Left 4 Dead week for me, since I finally got my hands on the game. After playing it and beating all the campaigns, I walked away very impressed. The game never really gets dull, and I just keep coming back for more. Also, the game is a “great co-op moment” machine, and I could list at least a dozen common moments in the game that are great moments in co-op. However, one of the best co-op moments of the game is one of the first ones you will encounter in the game: the Horde.

Ok, so a red carpet interview with the likes of video game bloggers might not be the most accurate form of information, but it does appear like rapstar 50 Cent knows what he's talking about in realtion to his game.  After being grilled about the upcoming sequel, he's asked about the release date.  Originally expected in early January, it now appears to have a late February 2009 release date.