Gmoist was drooling over this game for awhile, well, until he saw that it was a rail shooter. It looks like Battlefield 3 and Operation Wolf had a baby. Shit, now that I think about it those games used to be a lot of fun. Do you guys remember the Terminator 2 arcade cabinet / shooter? I probably dumped $100+ into that thing over several years.

• All-new, limited-edition skins:
  • Festive Maokai – Everyone’s favorite grumpy old tree gets adorned with lights, ornaments, and other holiday decorations.
  • Snowmerdinger – Heimerdinger gets adorned with the classic snowman apparel, right down to a carrot nose.
  • Mistletoe LeBlanc – LeBlanc, the Deceiver gets into the holiday spirit with a red and green outfit.
  • Toy Soldier Gangplank – A perfect (and festive) wooden toy replica of the pirate champion.
• Winter Summoner’s Rift: A snowstorm has blown through Summoner’s Rift! We’ve also hung up a few holiday decorations and even the minions are in the Snowdown spirit, donning special holiday hats to fit the occasion!
• Holiday Runes: Save some of your valuable Influence Points this holiday season by picking up these special, limited edition holiday runes!

“DarkEden offers online gamers a nostalgic journey to the classic era of MMORPGs,” said Peter Kang, CEO of Ignited Games. “The game’s macabre setting invites fans of vampire-centric movies and lore to experience the style of gameplay that launched an entire genre of online gaming.”

To welcome players into DarkEden, Ignited Games is hosting several special events to celebrate the game’s launch and the holiday season, including:

• A Warrior’s Welcome – Online gamers that join the battle before Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012 will receive a starter pack that includes stat-boosting items tailored to their character class and will help new players hit the ground running when they embark on their journey.

• Bible War Promotion – To sweeten the deal for players engaging in DarkEden’s Bible War events, Ignited Games is providing incentives, including in-game experience buffs and real-world giveaways that get bigger and better as more players participate, ranging from Logitech gaming gear to Apple iPads.

• Christmas Stocking Hunt – Monsters throughout Eslania have stolen pieces of Christmas stockings. Through Dec. 26, players can collect the pieces from their vanquished foes. Once these brave warriors collect all nine pieces, they can re-assemble the stocking in their inventory to receive a gift box containing a random item, including stat bonuses, in-game supplies and other premium items from the game’s item shop.

• Reign in Rudolph – Rudolph has run off to Eslania with a bag of Christmas gifts. Players who catch him will receive a Christmas gift box from the bag, containing a random item that grants a stat buff or experience point bonus.

DarkEden is a throwback to the golden age of MMORPGs, featuring classic hack-and-slash action and isometric 2D visuals. Set in the fictional eastern European country of Eslania, players choose between three available races, including vicious Vampires, human Slayers and beastly Ousters, then battle for control of Eslania. Each race has distinctive gameplay mechanics and methods for character progression, such as the Vampire’s need to drink blood to gain experience points.

Today, I have decided to take on the American Justice System in my morning update. That's right, and I'm pretty confident that I've discovered exactly what's wrong with it. 'Wrong with?' it you say? Yes, in fact anyone who's accidentally caught of clip of Nancy Grace in the past 5 years, or was conscious enough in the 90's to hear about the OJ trail is probably familiar with some of the miscarriages of justice our system. Beyond the guilty going free, the Bureau of Justice Statistics has admitted that 8% - 12% of all state prisoners are innocent.

Yes I had jury duty yesterday, and that's where the issue, an issue I had long suspected, was proven to me yet again. Idiot jurors. That's the answer! It is so incredibly easy to get out of actually having to sit on a jury, that if you're on one, you've probably either got a) nothing better to do and are out of touch, or b) are too stupid to get yourself excused. For instance, we had to fill out a questionnaire previous to the actual selection process. It was revealed that it was a domestic abuse case, and so in the "other information we should know" section I put that I am "judgmental" and "distain wife beaters". Easy as that, I was the first round pick for the defense to be excused.

I actually kind of wanted to sit on the jury just to make sure justice was served, but when you're looking at a boring multi-day trial or a free half a day off, and it is that incredibly and transparently easy to get out of it, how could I not? So, my proposal is this; instead of letting each the defense and prosecution dismiss 6 jurors each, they should let the pick 6 jurors each. So maybe it borders on infringing on our constitutional rights of a fair trial, but if I ever find myself the defendant in a trial, I don't want to be placing my life in the hands of 12 people who don't even have enough common sense to get out of it.

It is almost the weekend! Anyone doing anything fun for the holidays this year? I'm hosting a white elephant gift party this weekend. Hopefully this year I don't get stuck with the package of adult diapers.