Yes, that's the correct header image.  This picture is from the promotional poster for the new Call of Duty: Black Ops map pack, "Escalation".  Or more specifically, this is for the new Zombie map included in "Escalation".  It's been a few months since Activision and friends have collected their Black Ops fee from hardcore players, so it must be time for new DLC!  The last map pack, "First Strike," was an adequate addition to the multiplayer maps, and also included its own Zombie map, "Ascension".  This new pack comes at the same price tag and offers similar content: four new multiplayer maps and a new Zombie episode.  In all honesty, this pack feels meatier than the last one.

Another day, another Brink trailer.  This one goes into even more detail on the class system.  Once again, a nice British lady explains which class does what.  She covers the skills and abilities of the Soldier, Medic, Operative, and Engineer.  This video also informs us that each player can switch classes during the course of the battle using command posts.  So when most of  your team of 8 Soldiers becomes incapacitated, a few of you can make the switch to Medic and patch up your comrades.  If your team keeps on running over explosive mines, switch to the Operative class so you can point them out to others.  Is the opposing team not running over enough land mines?  Choose the Engineer class, and start planting those suckers.  The video covers all of these skills, as well as a few more.

This week's Xbox Live Gold Deals include the 6 player online co-op game, Castlevania: Harmony of Despair and all of its downloadable level content.  The game is 50% off - making it 600  or about $6.  All the content is also 50% off with each of the 5 stages coming in at 160 or 120 .

Today we're proud to announce the Co-Optimus Mobile App for Android phones.  This companion app to the website is your gateway into everything co-op while on the go.  With news, reviews, podcasts and our games database - you'll never be more than fingertips away from cooperative videogame information.

An image found way back in the Co-Optimus picture archive

We're starting to get pretty excited about Brink.  The highly customizable, XP-based first person shooter comes out next week.  Last week we brought you a trailer explaining how each of the four classes function.  Today's video covers the intricacies of the heads up display, or HUD, for you novices out there.  It's all standard fair, with ammo, radar, and cool-down meters etc.  For some deeper information you can check out our hands-on preview.  

PC owners of Bulletstorm can expect some changes.  A recent update improves matchmaking features, XP displays, and implements some other minor tweaks.  This patch should ready the game for the Gun Sonata DLC pack, which still doesn't have a PC release date, yet.  You can see our impressions of the Gun Sonata DLC here, or read our full review of Bulletstorm here.  

The second map pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops is now available on Xbox LIVE.  The new DLC  is titled "Escalation", and features four new versus maps and one new Zombie map.  If you have seen the trailer for "Call of the Dead", you know we are in for a real treat.  Players can team up locally or online, taking the role of one of four horror heavies, and do battle with the iconic zombie master himself, George A. Romero  The other four maps can be played in the local and/or online co-op mode, Combat Training.  We'll have our detailed impressions of all the new content up soon.

Bangai-O HD: Missile Fury takes the series that started on the Nintendo 64 by Treasure and brings it to Microsoft's platform for the first time in all its HD glory. We sat down with Tim Ramage, the game's Executive Producer, to chat about the series and specifically the game's co-op mode.

Avast, ye! The LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean demo is available on Xbox Live today. The full game releases Tuesday, May 10th in the United States, so get yer blades sharpened and hoist yer bloomers! Two players can play local co-op throughout the main campaign, which features locations and characters from the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films and the upcoming fourth, On Stranger Tides.

The PSN is down...the PSN is down! Run around screaming like your head is on fire. Actually - this stuff is pretty serious, Mike and Nick give you guys the low down on what's going on and exactly what it could mean for you. After all the serious talk its onto gaming, Portal 2, and a few other interesting news stories of the week.

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The PC version of Portal 2 has gotten a patch which will automatically be applied the next time you start up Steam.  While most of the fixes are for graphical problems, one fix - one that corrects stuck players on Chapter 6 - is a welcomed improvement.