If you haven't already pre-ordered Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, fileplanet has issued 7000 more beta keys to try it out. Both level and content restrictions are in place for the beta, as players cannot advance past level 20 or explore an area above Tier 2, and all characters will be wiped in advance of the game's official launch on September 18.  This beta offer is for North Americans, Australia and New Zealand.  I'm hearing that the patch updater needs work, so expect delays getting the content and the patches.  

This weekend only, the id Super Pack, a collection of nearly every id Software game in existence, is available on Steam for $34.99 .

Some individual titles are half-off as well: This weekend only, id Software games are 50% off. This includes the id Super Pack for only $34.99 (over $200 worth of games). Or take 50% off individual titles such as Doom, Quake, Wolfenstein, Commander Keen, Heretic, and Hexen. Offer ends Monday, September 8.

Set to release September 7 on the PC, Mac, DS, iPhone and mobile, Spore is going to be one of those revolutionary games that has the appeal from all gamers alike.  This is in no way the full range of options that EA Games is exploring. Other consoles, like the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii, will be targeted by Spore related games, with EA label head Frank Gibeau saying that "we believe the Spore concept and IP can move a lot across a lot of platforms over a long period of time."

But even more than that, Gibeau believes that the game could become "a platform on which we can build a very large and enduring business."  The reason? "The team that is building Spore [Maxis] has been the team who put out The Sims and The Sims 2, so they bring a lot of experience and knowledge from the business side about how that grew...".

When it comes to the strategy for Spore, EA "...[doesn't] think of Spore as a product. We think of it as a platform. We have lots of opportunities to take that platform to other consoles and to smart phones. It allows us to bring different styles of gameplay... I think it's a very flexible platform for us to be able to bring with lots of experience, because the idea is so gigantic -- creating and controlling a universe -- we can take it in lots of different ways."  This may be true and its a nice change of pace to see involvement in cross platform gaming rather than selling out for exclusive rights to a platform.  Its just, how can he describe it as being a platform.  I guess this is why Spore developers are apologizing  for calling Wii a piece of shit. 

When your a big gaming company and someone reveals a glitch in the game they usually patch it, or deny all knowledge of it. Usually. The company usually also doesn't  try to tote the "glitch" off as a feature. Unless your EA. And have Tiger Woods backing you up. With Jesus Hacks. Below is the commercial for the new Tiger Woods 09 and all I can say is well played EA, well played.