Update: EA has  indicated the previously announced announcement will not be taking place.

The news surrounding the recent and very public falling out between Activision and Infinity Ward has died down slightly, but will get an infusion during E3 next week. You may remember that IW studio heads Jason Ward and Vince Zampella were ushered out of their offices in March by Activision heavies amid accusations of breach of contract and insubordination. The story culminated in numerous lawsuits. Initially, Ward and Zampella sued Activision for breach of contract, at which point Activision counter-sued. This was followed by a mass exodus of IW talent to the pair’s new studio, Respawn Entertainment, and a second lawsuit against Activision filed by 38 current and former IW employees based on essentially the same complaints levied by the ex-studio heads.

According to the pair’s Facebook page, we can expect something serious at E3. Since the studio is brand new, there is likely no game to be shown, but expect something big none the less. Color me excited.

Source: G4

The next map pack, the “Resurgence Map Pack,” for Activision’s billion dollar baby, arrives in just a few short weeks on June 3 on Xbox Live, but what’s it look like?

Thankfully, Infinity Ward released five screenshots, one from each map, and we’ve snagged them for you.

The two remakes, Vacant and Strike, look particularly incredible with their new face-lift and Carnival, well, it’s got a clown, so there’s that.

The Resurgence Map Pack hits June 3 for Xbox 360, and at a later date for PC and PS3.

Carnival

Fuel

Strike

Trailer Park

Vacant

The next downloadable content for Activision’s popular modern shooter, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, like the DLC before it, will feature three new maps, two Call of Duty 4 remakes and will cost $15.

More details soon

The “Resurgence Map Pack,” announced yesterday and due for arrival exclusively on Xbox Live June 3, will include new environments Trailer Park, Carnival and Fuel as well as re-hashed Cod4 maps, Vacant and Strike.

All of this for 1200 MS Points or $15.

PlayStation 3 and PC Modern Warfare 2 enthusiasts, stay tuned for pricing, and availability.

With the map pack’s rapidly approaching June 3 release, expect screenshots and videos in the very near future.

Despite over a million gamers joining in on the Halo: Reach beta mayhem in its first 24 hours, Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 remained the king of the Xbox Live activity ladder last week.

Xbox Live’s Major Nelson, the man with quite possibly the world’s greatest job, reported Xbox Live usership details this week, noting the Reach beta sitting at the #3 spot, two places behind Modern Warfare 2.

Okay, maybe the third spot is a shade misleading. Halo 3: ODST took home place #2, but  accessing the Reach beta happens through the ODST menu screen.

Xbox 360 Top LIVE Titles — based on Unique Users

1    Modern Warfare 2
2    Halo 3: ODST
3    Halo: Reach Multiplayer Beta
4    Halo 3
5    Call of Duty: WaW
6    FIFA 10
7    Battlefield Bad Co. 2
8    GTA IV
9    Call of Duty 4
10   Gears of War 2
11   UFC Undisputed 2010 Demo
12   Splinter Cell Conviction
13   Left 4 Dead 2
14   Skate 3 Demo
15   Forza Motorsport 3
16   NBA 2K10
17   Game Room
18   Split Second Demo
19   NHL 10
20   Borderlands

I already commented on my feeling about the Beta, what about you? Like it?

Regardless of the turmoil between Modern Warfare 2 developer Infinity Ward and publisher Activision, MW2 is still out there and is a hugely popular, chart-dominating online shooter.

And it’s likely to get even more popular today, as Activision and Sony today will release the first batch of the game’s downloadable content, the “Stimulus Package,” for the Sony faithful on the PlayStation Network.

Even at its steep $15 price point and its inclusion of two CoD4 map remakes, the DLC sold heaps and heaps on Xbox Live. Wonder how it’ll fare with the Sony crowd?

Read the full announcement on the PlayStation Blog and keep you eyes fixed on Infinity Ward creative strategist Robert Bowling on Twitter @FourZeroTwo for information on when exactly the DLC will go live.

It’s one thing to get sued by 2 people you fired. It is quite another to get sued by almost 40 former and current employees all claiming that you bilked them out of the royalties from the biggest (and arguably best) game of last year. But that is exactly what happened yesterday in LA Superior Court when 40% of the crew behind MW2 sued Activision for between $75 and $125 million in unpaid royalties and potentially more in compensatory damages.

Of the 38 plaintiffs in the new lawsuit, 17 still work for IW/Activision. The suit reads, “Activision engaged in this inappropriate course of conduct in an attempt to force employees of Infinity Ward to continue to work at a job that many of them did not want just so Activision could force them to complete the development, production and delivery of Modern Warfare 3.” It claims Activision owes Infinity Ward employees a bonus pool of at least $118 million, of which $82 million is supposed to go to employees other than West and Zampella. It also claims that Activision told IW employees that they would have received bonuses that were 2.5 times higher than they did on March 26th, had studio leads West and Zampella not been fired.

This all being said, Infinity Ward should prove a very interesting office environment as proceedings move forward.

Regardless of whose side you are on in this crazy Call-of-Duty soap opera – or even if you don’t care – you have to admit that the news is pretty megaton boom-boom. The implications from what takes place in these cases will reverberate throughout the industry for years to come.

Because the new suit is based on many of the same claims West and Zampella filed previously, the lawyer for the 38 asked that the two cases be combined.

Here is the unsurprising response to the news from Activision:

“Activision believes the action is without merit,” a company spokesman said in response to the suit. “Activision retains the discretion to determine the amount and the schedule of bonus payments for [Modern Warfare 2] and has acted consistent with its rights and the law at all times. We look forward to getting judicial confirmation that our position is right.”

Source: LA Times

In case you missed it, on last evening’s episode of the hugely popular cartoon “Family Guy,” bumbling idiot main character Peter played and got tossed around in, an online bout of Modern Warfare 2.

But there’s more.

Infinity Ward community manager Robert “FourZeroTwo” Bowling makes a cameo appearance in the spot as the guy killing a hopping Peter from downrange on the Brazilian Favela map.

Enough talk. Enjoy the video.

Kotaku reports that Infinity Ward Lead Designer, Todd Alderman, and Lead Software Engineer, Francesco Gigliotti,  have left the company according to posts on their Linkdin profiles. They cite a source indicating that the 2 have resigned:

Though it is impossible to tell, at this point, if these departures are related to Activision’s sacking of studio heads Ward and Zampella a month ago, it would be quite a coincidence were that not the case. Alderman and Gigliotti had been with the company for roughly 8 years each and were very senior. Rumor has it that many IW staffers have remained in the wake of the ugly goings-on at the famed developer as the result of a typical IW contract structure which relies heavily on game royalties – royalties which, for MW2, reportedly have been intentionally delayed by Activision as a means to keep the team in place.

Hopefully, more of this story will reveal itself in the coming days and weeks. Activsion and Infinity Ward have yet to comment publicly on these most recent departures.

I don’t know whether I should feel surprised, angry or sad. Activision has just recently rolled out an odd marketing campaign for Modern Warfare 2′s first batch of downloadable content, “The Stimulus Package.”

Sex sells, sure. But sexual innuendos from an old, plump man in an arm chair? You be the judge. Maybe it made me laugh, but it didn’t make me cough up $15.

I know a handful of crazy folks who shelled out $150 for the Prestige Edition of last year’s Modern Warfare 2. It came with fully operable nightvision goggles in a giant box and legendary status from anyone who questioned their dedication to the franchise.

Anyway, for the rest of us, the kind with a limited cash stream, Microsoft made available today on Xbox Live, nightvision goggles for your Avatar. The best part? The going rate is free.

Free until Sunday

The item is available on Xbox Live now through Sunday as a freebie. Start your download (from the Web) right here, right now.

Infinity Ward is primed and ready to launch the first batch of DLC for the billion-dollar baby that is “Modern Warfare 2″ tomorrow, but that’s not all.

Alongside the Stimulus Package and its five new environments, will be a title update that’ll fix a bunch of issues plaguing the game, double experience for all who play and kill (for a to-be-determined amount of time) and the addition of more Ranger maps to the Hardcore Headquarters playlist.

Robert Bowling, Infinity Ward’s community dude, said there’s no expected timetable for the release of the DLC, but it should arrive sometime in the wee hours of tomorrow, March 30.

Source: FourZeroTwo

Infinity Ward and Activision have done the impossible.

Britain’s Entertainment Retailers Association reported its 2009 findings today and named Modern Warfare 2 bigger than wizard boy Harry Potter.

According to the association, Modern Warfare 2 moved 2.9 million copies in 2009, while Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince sold only 2.1.

You might think the folks across the pond only sip tea and watch football (soccer), but more of them apparently enjoy shooting eachother in the face and magical shenanigans.

1. COD: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision) — 2,926,637 game
2. Harry Potter Half-Blood Prince (Warner) — 2,193,700 video
3. FIFA 10 (EA) — 2,155,697 game
4. Quantum of Solace (Fox) — 2,040,229 video
5. Twilight (E1 Ent) — 1,815,543 video
6. Susan Boyle: I Dreamed A Dream (Sony) — 1,714,369 music
7. Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo) — 1,488,797 game
8. Lady GaGa: The Fame (Universal) — 1,458,289 music
9. Slumdog Millionaire (Fox) — 1,383,838 video
10. Transformers Revenge Fallen (Paramount) — 1,362,020 video

Source: CVG

Modern Warfare 2′s first batch of downloadable content, “The Stimulus Package,” hits tomorrow, March 30, exclusively on Xbox Live.

We’ve already see it in motion, but here are some still shots, courtesy of the good guys over at Infinity Ward.

Bailout

Crash (CoD4)

Overgrown (CoD4)

Salvage

Storm

These suckers release tomorrow at $15. Who’s buying?

It’s a rainy, gross day here in my part of New England, but you know what’s not rainy and gross? Modern Warfare 2 downloadable content.

This week in new releases sees really nothing much, except for the elephant in the room; Infinity Ward rolling out the game’s first batch of DLC, “The Stimulus Package.”

It comes exclusively to Xbox Live this Tuesday, March 30 at the gargantuan selling rate of $15.

The rest of the week:

Yesterday (March 28)
America’s Test Kitchen: Let’s Get Cooking (DS)
Dreamscape (PC)
WarioWare D.I.Y. (DS)

Tuesday (March 30)
Again (DS)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – Stimulus Package (360)
Dance Sensation! (Wii)
Dead or Alive Paradise (PSP)
Mimana Iyar Chronicles (PSP)
Mount & Blade: Warband (PC)
Prison Break: The Conspiracy (PC, PS3, 360)
Sakura Wars: So Long My Love (PS2, Wii)
Samurai Shodown Sen (360)
Sushi Go Round (DS, Wii)
Zeno Clash: Ultimate Edition (360)

Source: Kotaku

For those of you gnawing at the bit for more 360 drive space so you don’t have to do the multiple-hard disk tango anymore, Microsoft has announced that they will ease your mind for the mere price of $129.99 starting today. This size drive was available with the MW2 Xbox 360 bundle, but not available stand-alone before now (Japan did get it a little early).

Rumor is that the 120 GB drive will be discontinued, so get em’ while you can. They’re going for about $100 new.

Via: IGN

Modern Warfare 2 developer Infinity Ward has patched up its game, this time fixing a ‘super speed’ glitch plaguing the online battlegrounds.

Infinity Ward’s Robert Bowling has stated, via Twitter, that a fix for the Xbox 360 version is on the way, soon to eradicate the issue.

The glitch, as it sounds, exploits the speed of a player in a match, allowing him or her to zip around the environment, knifing enemies at will and acting as a target too quick to hit.

Glad to see it’s gone, especially as the game’s first DLC, the “Stimulus Package” hits Xbox Live a week from today. It bears a $15 price tag, an unprecedented figure, and will be interesting to see how many boycott it.

Source: Robert Bowling’s Twitter feed.

Electronic Arts and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 took another swipe at Activision and Modern Warfare 2 today with the release of a trailer titled “Friends Really Against Grenade Spam.”

For those unfamiliar, Activision released a trailer, with Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels in it, titled “Friends Against Grenade Spam” or F.A.G.S.

This is EA attempting, with the help of a stoned-sounding CC Sabathia, to parody that effort and, in my opinion, succeeds masterfully.

I honestly wanted to believe in Activision, but that optimism ended today, as Infinity Ward revealed yesterday that the first DLC for Modern Warfare 2 will set gamers back $15.

Infinity Ward’s Robert “FourZeroTwo” Bowling appeared on Xbox Live spokesman Larry Hyrb’s podcast last night and confirmed the March 30 release date of “The Stimulus Package” exclusively for Xbox Live and that it’s going to cost and arm and a leg. Translation? 1200 MS Points/$15.

Now, that’d be fine and dandy if the DLC was a robust piece of multiplayer joy, but it’s five maps and two are remakes.

I’m boycotting it on the argument that if I throw my money at it, $15 could become the new norm.

Source: Kotaku

An Xbox Live Marketplace listing, today detailed the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 March 30 “Stimulus Package” DLC, naming three new maps and two CoD4 re-makes as the goods in question.

The download pack comes to Xbox Live March 30 and no release date was listed, or is known, for PC or PlayStation 3.

Below are the official descriptions for the soon-to-be available environments.

Bailout – a multi-level apartment complex

Storm – an open industrial park littered with heavy machinery

Salvage – a snowy junkyard fortified by stacked debris and crushed cars.

Crash – a war-torn urban environment (CoD4)

Overgrown - features a massive dry creek bed (CoD4)

So, as it turns out, that supposed leak from earlier this week was completely bogus (except for the two re-makes).

Source: IGN

From: Kotaku

The epic saga that is and will be ex-Infinity Ward heads vs. Activision took an interesting turn yesterday with news that the ousted Jason Ward and Vince Zampella have signed with the prestigious Hollywood talent firm, the Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Many apparently consider this to be the top or, at least, one of the top talent brokers in the entire world. Here’s a short list of their clients other than Jason and Vince: Steven Spielberg, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Oprah Winfrey, LeBron James, Peyton Manning, Miley Cyrus, Will Ferrell, Will Smith and David Letterman. Not too shabby…

We’ll see if this high-profile coming together will affect any of the legal goings-on between Ward/Zampella and the mighty Activision, as the ex-IWers move forward with their lawsuit charging wrongful termination and breach of contract. CAA is a powerful agency with powerful contacts and now has a vested interest in seeing these 2 men continue to succeed.  It’s a good thing since the Activision counter-suit is sure to show up any day now (though they have been uncharacteristically mum on the entire affair so far). Let the bloodletting begin I suppose…

Infinity Ward today announced, via a humorous advertisement, that Modern Warfare 2′s first batch of DLC will arrive March 30.

Due out March 30

No mention of its name or what it’s comprised of, but as the date is merely weeks away, details will likely arrive very, very soon.

Also, is that Ren from Even Stevens?

According to a recent Tweet by Infinity Ward’s Robert “FourZeroTwo” Bowling, Modern Warfare 2 has reached over 25 million unique players and DLC news is scheduled for this week.

The 25 million takes into account unique players across all platforms, with Xbox 360 leading, PS3 behind and PC at the bottom.

That DLC? Could be the rumored “Stimulus Package Map Pack” or something completely different. With the 2010 Game Developer’s Conference happening this week in San Francisco we’re expecting the news by week’s end.

Screenshots from the first batch of  Modern Warfare 2 DLC hit the Internet this morning and while some might question their authenticity, they look believable enough.

The first map pack for the game, called the “Stimulus Package” is due out this Spring and will include popular Call of Duty 4 maps “Crash” and “Overgrown” in addition to three new ones, “Complex,” “Compact” and “Storm,” if you believe the rumor.

Somehow, a blog named The Tech Game, got its hands on the supposed screenshots for the DLC. Check them out, in video form, below. Sorry about the insane watermarks, not my doing.

If it’s a fake, it’s very well done.

If you’re chomping at the bit for more Modern Warfare 2 action, fear not, as Infinity Ward today said the studio is nearing a release date for the upcoming downloadable content.

More of this soon

Infinity Ward’s community man Robert “FourZeroTwo” Bowling had a bunch of MW2 DLC meetings today and said information about the coveted content is in the works and will soon be unveiled.

He Tweeted about it just minutes ago on Twitter:

Lots of #MW2 DLC related meetings today, which is a good thing. Means we’re oh so close to nailing down a date and locking down details!!

There we have it ladies and gents. Information concerning the game’s first DLC is nearly here. What do you expect it to be? More maps? More unlockables? Something completely and entirely new?

Busting the brains out of Nazi Zombies was so very fun in “Call of Duty: World at War,” but “Modern Warfare 2″ developer Infinity Ward today said gamers should not expect zombies to come to the modern day shooter.

Can't have it. Says Infinity Ward.

Robert “FourZeroTwo” Bowling, speaking with IGN, said when this Spring’s “Modern Warfare 2″ downloadable content rolls out, zombies will not be included.

“There will be no Nazis or zombies in any piece of Modern Warfare 2 downloadable content,” Bowling adamantly stated at a “Modern Warfare 2″ tournament last weekend.

So guys and girls, let’s put those Zombie inklings to rest and gear up for whatever Infinity Ward decides to offer as DLC this spring. What do you want? More maps? More unlockables? I want both.

Source: IGN

Electronic Arts clearly want a war, as the publisher today said none can compete with what it offers in terms of online multiplayer, including Call of Duty developers Treyarch and Infinity Ward.

So.Awesome.

That’s a pretty bold statement, but EA DICE, developer of the storied Battlefield series, certainly does have a history of excellence to back it up.

“DICE is at the forefront of defining the multiplayer and online vehicle warfare space and has substantial pedigree in this area following many years of success. We genuinely believe there isn’t a developer out there that competes with DICE in this space, and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is going cement that,” EA product manager Will Graham told industry mag MCV.

“The use of vehicles in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 sets it apart from the competition and no one else in the industry does this better.

“This is also something the core are very excited about: DICE’s history of delivering a multiplayer experience utilizing vehicles is something that sets it apart from anything else in the market. It’s also an element that fits with the increasing emphasis on multiplayer for gamers in general.”

I’ve played the crap out of the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 demo on Xbox Live and loved every second and so have millions of you, but whether that’s enough to topple the mighty Modern Warfare 2 remains to be seen.

Source: CVG

Every word I write in this post is a second longer you have to wait to watch some Modern Warfare 2 gamer make a complete fool of himself, so I’ll keep it short.

Watch below as a great idea, nearly executed, turns FAIL, in just seconds.

Robert Bowling, Infinity Ward’s community man, better known by his online name Fourtwozero, Tweeted minutes ago, announcing the release of a patch for Xbox 360 and PS3 versons of Modern Warfare 2, eradicating the painful care package glitch and improving the game slightly.

From the mouth of Bowling:

- Care Package, Emergency Airdrop, and Sentry Gun marker grenades sprint speed normalized.
- Fix for “infinite care package” exploit.
- Sentry Guns: Improved placement detection, preventing cases of Sentry Guns inside geometry.
- Model 1887: Bling using Akimbo and FMJ combination now has same range and damage as non-Bling Model 1887s.
- Fixes to prevent various XP hacks (including the prevention of negative XP)

When a game is as popular as Modern Warfare 2, there will always be those who look to exploit it, by I’m glad Infinity Ward is taking such a determined interest in keeping the battlefields fair and even.

When the first stupid-awesome Modern Warfare 2 knife kill video surfaced last month I thought I’d never see anything better, but it got trumped today.

Watch as this PC Modern Warfare 2 player launches a knife across the map, said projectile hits a wall, bounces, and clips the enemy directly in the eye socket.

You sir, are lucky!

Microsoft is no stranger to timed exclusives. Major downloadable add-ons for games like Grand Theft Auto IV, and Fallout 3, came to Xbox Live first, and then PC and PS3 at a later date.

Looks like the same is happening with Modern Warfare 2‘s first batch off downloadable content, as Microsoft today said the DLC will be exclusive to Xbox Live for 30 days.

Talking with Eurogamer, a Microsoft spokesperson said “We have a 30-day timed exclusive on the Modern Warfare content packs, so it will be available on other platforms, but you get to try and play on Xbox 360 first.”

As for the DLC itself, developer Infinity Ward has yet to detail the content, but it has been promised for Spring 2010, so we’re likely to learn more very soon.

Source: Eurogamer via Destructoid

What happens when you add one part obsessive teen fantasy Twilight to the worldwide Modern Warfare phenomenon?

No, you don’t get machinegun-toting vampires, or this. What you actually get is Twilight: Modern Warfare 2, a farcical look at the two popular franchises.

No more words, just sit back and enjoy the comedic genius.

I wonder if Bobby Kotick and team Activision woke up one day and said “Let’s make $1 billion…that’s good…right?”

Well, the publisher accomplished that feat today as Activision reported Infinity Ward’s shooter eclipsed $1 billion in worldwide sales, joining an esteemed club of entertainment properties reaching that mark including this summer’s “Avatar” (the movie of course), “Lord of The Rings: Return of the King,” and “Titanic.”

What’s  more impressive ( I think), is that the game made $550 million in five days, which represents over 50% of the entire take.

“There are only a handful of entertainment properties that have ever reached the $1 billion mark,” Activision CEO Bobby Kotick said, “which illustrates the power of the Call of Duty franchise and mass appeal of this game.”

All this success, and Infinity Ward might not make Modern Warfare 3…interesting indeed.

[UPDATE] Looks like Infinity Ward is on it, as Robert Bowling tweets:

Another #MW2 playlist update to prevent the spread of the “ice skating” / speed hack. Will prevent matchmaking into modded games.

No word on when it will be patched, but they know what the issue is and are working to fix it. [End Update]

With every great game, comes a team of lowlifes who seek to exploit it.

Case in point: yesterday I played a game of team deathmatch on Estate and I repeatedly got killed by some jerk lagging around the map…or so I thought.

A quick perusal of the Internet later and I found this, on video game blog Destructoid, explaining the malfeasance.

Turns out, the perpetrator wasn’t unintentionally lagging and getting lucky kills on me, rather he or she was taking advantage of a new MW2 glitch allowing him or her to move in fast-motion around the map, picking off unsuspecting and dumbfounded foes with great ease.

Here’s a video depicting the hack, and we can only hope Infinity Ward quickly dismantles this cheat in a timely fashion.

Source: Destructoid

If you aren’t one the millions already enjoying the spoils of Modern Warfare 2, today is the day you’ll surely enlist.

Both mega-retailer Wal-Mart and online shopping hot-spot Amazon are offering the PS3 “Hardened” version of the Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare 2 for the staggeringly low price of $49 with free shipping.

Cheap thrills.

The Hardened Edition includes the  game,  a steel book with metallic finish, art book, game manual and a token to download the original Call of Duty on the PlayStation Network and usually sells for $79.

That’s a savings of $30 for a stellar first-person-shooter to help get you through the cold winter days.

Note: The deal is for the PS3 version only.

Amazon

Wal-Mart

Ever wonder if throwing knives can bounce? If riot shields can protect you from falling supply crates? Or if exploding fire hydrants can kill?

There’s only one way to find out. Put these myths to the test!

From the team that brought you Halo 3: Mythbusters, comes Episode 1 of Modern Warfare 2 Mythbusters. It’s quite an entertaining video, and makes me want to jump back in and try these things.

Time Magazine recently compiled its list of “The Top 10 Everything of 2009″ and named Infinity Ward’s latest shooter “Modern Warfare 2″ the top video game of 2009.

This is how the magazine, whose paid-circulation rate is less than that of Game Informer, summarized the title as such.

There’s tons of raw, riveting military action in Modern Warfare 2, but it’s very much about how the game has changed: limiting civilian casualties and figuring out whom to fight and why are just as important as staying alive.

Make of this what you will. It is a fantastic game. But I feel Uncharted 2 should have got the nod. But that’s just me.

The Top 10 Everything of 2009 — Time Magazine

If you’re looking for a surprise today, I bet this isn’t one.

Revealed today by Xbox Live community manager Major Nelson, was the last week’s Xbox Live activity ladder, and, as you guessed it, Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 remained atop the list.

Last week I played both titles over Xbox Live so does that mean I canceled out and didn’t add to either? I’m confused. Here’s the list, based on number of unique users for the week of Nov. 23.

Xbox 360 Top LIVE Titles

1    Modern Warfare 2
2    Halo 3
3    Call of Duty 4
4    Call of Duty: WaW
5    Assassin’s Creed II
6    Left 4 Dead 2
7    1 vs 100
8    GTA IV
9    Madden NFL 10
10   FIFA 10

With its massively-played multiplayer component, Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, is one damn hot ticket on the gaming scene.

Millions of gamers play MW2 online, on PC, PS3, or Xbox 360 every day, so statistically-speaking, some crazy and unpredictable kills are bound to happen, right?

You bet!

Found on Youtube, is a video of IB RICH451 getting easily the most amazing, yet lucky, kill I’ve ever seen.

It involves a knife, a toss, and a face.

Have a look.

Joey Logano, the GameStop-sponsored NASCAR driver, will race around the track this weekend at a blistering pace with a massive Modern Warfare 2 decal slapped on his vehicle.

Logano goes for his sixth win of the season tomorrow in Florida, (televised on ESPN 2 at 4:30 p.m.) and you can watch this 200 mph. advertisement drive in loops all evening, if you’d like.

I think it’s kind of funny how the M for Mature ESRB rating icon is tagged on there as well. Nice.

I dated a girl once whose family enjoyed NASCAR. We broke up. You fill out the rest.

In all things predictable, mainstream and expected, Major Nelson, Xbox Live’s community dude, today released the top-ten list of most played games on Xbox Live for the past week and named Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare 2 the king crop.

Sorry Halo 3, but you did have a freakin’ spectacular run, and don’t fear, because we’ll see you again when Reach debuts in 2010. But until then, if MW2 drops from the top spot I’ll be both amazed and disappointed.

Here’s the full list.

Xbox 360 Top LIVE Titles for the Week of Nov. 9

1    Modern Warfare 2
2    Call of Duty 4
3    Halo 3
4    Call of Duty: WaW
5    Left 4 Dead 2 — Demo
6    GTA IV
7    Gears of War 2
8    FIFA 10
9    Halo 3: ODST
10   Madden NFL 10

Source: Major Nelson