Oh man, how overdue is this? A massive patch for Bad Company 2 is coming on Wednesday, just in time for most people to have rage-uninstalled the game from straight-to-desktop crashes and getting insta-killed by the M60 from the next zip code. Check out the full list, as seen on the PC Gamer blog:

* MP – New Server browser
* MP – Added 15 second spawn timer for Conquest/Rush gamemodes at the start of round to prevent high end machines getting the upper hand before other machines load in.
* MP – Crash fixes relating to ALT+TAB at different times throughout the game
* MP – Hang fix when trying to connect to a full server multiple times
* MP – Deletion of soldiers now possible through the account pages in game
* MP – Removed screen flash during loading
* MP – Added support for colour blind players
* MP – Fixed crashes relating to faulty server banners
* MP – Servers closing during connection no longer cause the client to hang
* MP – Auto team swap reflects correctly in the scoreboard
* MP – Fixed scoreboards when switching teams before spawning
* MP – Rush scoreboards fixed
* MP – Veteran ranks no longer display as “12″
* MP – Isla Innocentes MCOM building fixed where knifing the fence would destroy the building
* MP – Logout/Login button correctly reflects the player status
* MP – Added minimum number of players needed to start a round (you can play and take objectives but you will get no score until 4 or more players join the server)
* MP – Isla Inocentes welcome message on the loading screen now fits the text box area
* MP – Reduced the brightness in Russian vehicles
* MP – Medic gadgets now display correctly if the defib is not unlocked
* MP – Server filter options are remembered
* MP – Punkbuster filter now works as intended
* MP – Scroll bar no longer overlays the Join Server button in the friends list panel
* MP – CANCEL server refresh is implemented
* MP – Zooming in on a friendly using the SAIGA no longer causes the crosshair to disappear
* MP – The chat no longer displays the incorrect player name when appearing
* MP – FoV switches to the default value of 55 when entering vehicles to prevent graphical glitches caused by wider FoV settings. The custom FoV returns when exiting vehicles.
* MP – FoV no longer causes the UAV station to rotate
* MP – Fix to correctly display the unlock progression at the end of round
* MP – Chat functionality will no longer freeze after writing a partial message at the end of round
* MP – One account can no longer connect to the same server multiple times
* MP – Squad Death Match is correctly named during loading
* MP – Server browser no longer gets a bad FPS when filtering Conquest
* MP – Server info banners correctly clear between displays
* MP – Setting display settings which the system hardware can not handle no longer makes the game unusable
* MP – Correct camera collision for vehicles’ heavy machine gun
* MP – Game no longer crashes if the player sends a message in the loading screen
* MP – Trying to join a full server no longer causes the game to hang on Please Wait message
* MP – Most server filter options are remembered it doesn’t remember the setting in dropdowns
* MP – Kit/gadget loadout saved between sessions
* SP – Fixed crashes when patching and trying to resume a campaign (there is now a message that you need to re-play the latest mission from the beginning)
* SP – Fixed a crash after the “Upriver” mission end cinematic
* SP – Supply create at “Resupply at Flynn’s create” objective now supplies weapon ammo
* SP – Hang fix when reaching the objective “Destroy Enemy Zu23″
* SP – Fixed hang after “Storm Cockpit” objective
* SP – Changed melee attack raycast to be detailed
* SP – Game no longer crashes when transitioning between SP_03B to SP_04A when installed in Polish
* SP – Game no longer crashes when killed by the first two enemies in the trenches on SP_01 when installed in Italian
* SP – Updating to R7 will invalidate your single player save game. If you update you will need to play your last mission from the start. If you do not update you will not be able to play multiplayer.

Server changelist

o Punkbuster is required ON for ranked servers
o Ranked servers cannot be started with a password
o Autobalance message goes to text-chat instead of in the middle of the screen
o Added weapon balance tweaks to a number of weapons – we are eagerly awaiting feedback!

All I have to say is hell yes.

So we’re all witnessing the hullabaloo surrounding the departure of some of Infinity Ward’s finest, and certainly the company is taking a hit. And you know, I feel kind of bad for rooting for the folks that split.

Syndic and I have only recently, in the last couple of months, began what looks to be a long line of discussions on the devilry of publishers. Sure, they give you a launching point, but who the F wants their intellectual property in the hands of some steamrolling publisher? Lets set this up though: I am more or less neutral on Activision. Syndic and I have had a lot of fun with Activision games in the past, so I mean, I’m coming at this as though it was the first time experiencing either party…

Read my full discourse inside.

Check out this tidbit regarding the first showing of Portal 2. This comes from a press release directly from the horse’s mouth:

“Valve would like to invite you to a special Portal 2 press showing on Monday, June 14 at the Regal Theater in the LA Live Event Center (adjacent to the convention center). The event will begin at 7 pm. Beverages will be served.”

Who knows what the world will see, let alone those let inside the event. Are you ready for Portal 2? I sure am.

For everyone rabid for some more of the same zombie whackin’, you’ll be pleased to know that The Passing DLC for Left 4 Dead 2 will be released next week. For me personally, as an owner of Left 4 Dead 2, I’m only vaguely tickled by the news, the game seeming to exist on some other far off planet… You know what I mean? I might boot it up to see what its all about, but it might just get swept up in the undertow.

Also, the new episode will only feature 3 of the old survivors, which is slightly backwards to me. I mean, there is something to be said for innovation, but won’t that mean we’ll know which survivor died? I think the linear story arc hasn’t been worn out enough to warrant the revelation of the dead survivor before we see how they die. But perhaps I’m wrong.

Check out the original blog posting here, along with some pretty cool Valve game mashups.

It appears that Cataclysm will contain Mount Hyjal as a zone with plenty of different odd encounters and activities related to the Cataclysm storyline events. The online pet store has expanded to include plush toys (with in-game mini pet counterparts) as well as mounts (in this case a celestial steed). The sunken city of Vashj’ir has also been more extensively revealed. I just can’t wait to walk around underwater and bite off some naga heads.

This is kind of cool, though slightly sledgehammer to the fourth wall type of deal. Sam and Max are coming out with another episode, and to celebrate that Valve is releasing a bunch of Sam and Max items with the purchase of the new Sam and Max game, The Penal Zone. The first you can see above being Max’s severed head. The rest are as follows. Check out the whole post at the Team Fortress 2 blog.

Max’s Severed Head

It’s not often you’re given the gift of a beloved character’s decapitated head by the very studio responsible for that character. Still, we’re not complaining. It’s soft, it wicks away moisture in the heat of battle, it highlights our eyes. It’s got us thinking about all the other game characters we could be wearing around as clothes.

Max’s Pistol

Who wouldn’t want to squeeze off a couple rounds with the murder weapon of choice of a sociopathic cartoon rabbit? Probably quite a lot of people, when you get right down to it. Luckily, those people are all well-adjusted contributors to society with no police records, spotless credit ratings and few unresolvable moral failings. They also probably have no interest in playing TF2, so that means more murder-rabbit gun shooting for the rest of us.

Sam’s Revolver

This might look like an ordinary revolver, until you realize that it helps a talking dog solve crimes. How many crimes has YOUR dog solved lately? And let’s face it, his revolver kind of sucks too. Man, we want to talk about this gun more, but we can’t get over how much your dog sucks.

Newly revealed scans from a (somewhat) exclusive Japanese magazine show us exactly what Pokemon Black and White shall look like. Well, the overworld, anyway.

This isn’t the first online game to close its doors to the support of the cyberwebz. Its kind of a sad thing. You expect there to be some kind of everlasting heartbeat to these worlds that frame our memories. Alas, these things go. At the same time, it makes me as a gamer aware of my input to any current or future titles. Is my interaction all in vein? It won’t last in a virtual world. Still, we won’t stop bonking murlocs for fear of having our virtual bodies return to the digital aether from whence they sprung.

Get in a few more rounds of Halo 2 guys, the Live support is ending tonight at midnight. Here’s to another endless battle put to rest.