Over at camp Media Molecule, LittleBigPlanet 2 has just passed Alpha and is on schedule to hit stores in time for the holiday shopping season on November 16. For those of you that won’t be waiting for Santa to bring your copy down the chimney, there are also several pre-order options available.

Pre-order from Amazon, and you’ll receive 6 Sackboy costumes including exclusive access to 2 Ratchet & Clank costumes, four new animal costumes. If you decide to pre-order from Best Buy, you’ll receive a Toy Story alien costume in addition to the animal costumes. Finally, for those that prefer to do your pre-ordering from GameStop, you’ll receive a Clu Sackboy costume from Tron: Legacy, in addition to the standard animal costumes. Media Molecule also reports that they plan to have to some Muppet costumes available as DLC down the road.

3Dchat has extended its promotional free trial until October 1. New 3Dchat registered players can enter the virtual world for free up until October 1, giving them an opportunity for more than two free months to check out the feature-laden 3Dchat that will eventually be accessible only to paying users. Players who sign up any time after October 1 will still receive the standard 30-day free trial.

3Dchat is a comprehensive virtual world geared toward a kid-free audience that has something for everyone and offers varied gameplay options and interaction.

Citing concerns that the upcoming Steam release of Burn Zombie Burn, doublesix’s 2009 PlayStation Network zombie slaughterfest, would touch off a new wave of aggression and brutality against the undead, has prompted an undead civil rights group, the Brotherhood for the Restriction of Attacks, Ammunition And Injury of Necrotic Species (B.R.A.A.A.I.N.S.) to renew its demands for an annual World Zombie Amnesty Day.

“For years, the undead have lived their second lives in fear that some overzealous gun nut would mow them down simply for being a little paler than most of the rest of humanity,” said Romero A. Bubb, head spokesman for B.R.A.A.A.I.N.S. “The undead are not that different than any of you – they like to stroll through the streets, gather together with their friends and sometimes enjoy a brain or two – if the opportunity presents itself. However, the release of Burn Zombie Burn on Steam is a threat to ghouls everywhere, since it celebrates the destruction of the undead in all sorts of creative ways including bashing with baseball bats, chainsawing, lawnmowering, and don’t even get me started about the Brain Gun! We’re asking everyone living and dead alike to join us in protest of this gaming abomination when it’s released on Steam.”

Live and breathe as Ezio, a legendary Master Assassin, in his struggle against the Templars. He must journey to Italy’s greatest city, Rome, the center of power, greed and corruption to strike at the heart of his enemy. Defeating the corrupt tyrants entrenched there will require not only strength, but leadership, as Ezio commands an entire Brotherhood who will rally to his side. Only by working together can the assassins win.

For the first time in the Assassin’s Creed series, there exists a multiplayer layer that allows you to choose from a wide range of unique characters, each with their own signature weapons and assassination techniques, and match your skills against other players from around the world.

It’s time to join the Brotherhood!

Max Baptist of D-Dub Software is this week’s guest for episode #91 of the Avault Podcast, and his latest game BoneTown (yes, it’s about what you think), is the reason for this week’s Adults Only rating. He also dropped some information about their upcoming browser game Satan vs. Jesus. This prompts a pretty intense discussion of what actually constitutes a mature game. What do you think? What do you define as a mature game?

Billy returns this week, and jumps right back into the conversation with tales of his adventures in World of Warcraft. The guys also chat up Dead Space, DeathSpank, Peggle, OnLive, Plants vs. Zombies, and Dragon Age: Origins (one more podcaster nerdified – one to go).

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Mafia II will have a downloadable demo available worldwide on August 10 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC. Set in a 1940s and 50s American urban cityscape of Empire Bay, soon all gamers will be able to experience the atmosphere, shooting and driving gameplay, and character narrative in the game that is set to be released August 24 in North America, August 26 in Australia and August 27 for everybody else.

The Mafia II demo invites gamers to dive into the Buzzsaw level, where Vito and his buddies, Joe and Henry, are sent to take out a mobster known as The Fat Man. While the game spans two decades, the Buzzsaw demo takes place during a 1950s summer, a time considered the Birth of Cool, and with it, rock ‘n’ roll, hot rods, and rebellious attitudes. The demo showcases both the action and a slice of Empire Bay during that colorful era.

Fresh from San Diego and Comic Con, we have video proof that after three years of teasing, LEGO Universe really does have a story. Imagination is in jeopardy, and it’s up to your mighty mini adventurer to save it. How this is accomplished, depends on which Nexus Force faction you decide to join!

New pieces of conceptual art for BioWare’s much anticipated sequel to Dragon Age have been released. The first (left) depicts a character wielding some fire spewing staff – also useful for paint stripping around the house one would assume. The second shows the latest fashion items and accessories. The third confirms that despite all the wealth and magic in the world, the furniture is still basic. Just as well. There isn’t time to loaf around too much in this game!

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Electronic Arts and the Premier League today announced that EA Sports has become the Official Sports Technology Partner of the Premier League. Under this partnership, EA Sports will expand its current relationship with fans of the English Barclays Premier League with exclusive enhanced experiences and even greater authenticity inside of FIFA products. EA Sports branding will be featured on all live on-screen broadcasts of English Barclays Premier League matches, and they will work with broadcasters to develop enhancements for match day broadcast analysis and increased fan interaction. EA Sports will also sponsor the Player Performance Index and will explore new ways to utilize more in depth Barclays Premier League statistics than ever before in future iterations of FIFA products.

Considering what happened with the NFL, do you think other Soccer title publishers have cause for concern?

Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom, Namco’s upcoming action-adventure title for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, will be available in North America November 30.

Featuring a storyline of enduring friendship, Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom takes players through a world where an agile protagonist and a powerful AI controlled monster must forge an alliance to battle enemies and solve puzzles. Though each character has their own objective, teamwork is essential for survival as the hero and Majin must fight in tandem to persevere over any challenge that lies in their path. This complementary relationship will only continue to deepen and evolve as the story unfolds.

Rulers of Nations, a geo-political simulation game for PC created by Eversim, puts players in President Obama’s shoes starting in September when the game will be available at retail stores nationwide in DVD-ROM format and online in digital format.

Players must solve the same complex issues that face the President, including the global financial crisis, the US budget deficit, Afghanistan, Iran, and global warming. Rulers of Nations, also includes such challenges as managing refugees after a catastrophe, colonizing countries, buying black market weapons, and creating energy sources, from solar power to deep-sea oil drilling.

Governing the U.S. on a constantly changing, perilous world stage is the ultimate challenge. Play solo or with friends (up to 16 online players) and decide if other human or simulated Heads of State are your friends or enemies. Not only can you play the President, but your avatar looks like him! Eversim has created 3D clones of the heads of major political leaders to add a pinch more realism to the game.

Today gamigo will introduce one of the most important features of the upcoming clan warfare MMORPG King of Kings 3 – town building. After all, isn’t it every guild’s dream to build a thriving metropolis and take advantage of everything it has to offer?

But the path there isn’t easy. Once guilds have joined to form a legion, they can lease land to build a camp. Then, only after a kingdom is founded can players also found their own town, earning them not only prestige but also a number of special in-game advantages.

The construction site for the future town is nearly empty at first. Only the main building and outer walls exist. Then the fun part begins, and there are plenty of options for buildings to choose from, including the barracks, the alchemist’s hut, trees, statues and fountains. Each object can be placed and its appearance changed to suit players’ preferences. Just make sure to have enough of the right resources on hand.

This week finds Stevie in the Emerald City for Casual Connect 2010, and Dan Taylor reading Sarah Palin and conjugating Latin verbs (amo, amas, amat). Rumors fly free in Seattle, and Stevie feeds the gossip flames of Playdom’s possible sale to Disney? Oh, and Uncle Steve Jobs says, “Don’t like it? Don’t buy it.” Stay tuned and on top of the tech life every week on Stevie FTW!

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Get ready to throw down with your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad! Dallas-based Blockdot, in conjunction with Universal Pictures, has launched Pilgrim’s Punch-Out, a free game based on the upcoming action-comedy Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.

In Pilgrim’s Punch-Out, you must help Scott Pilgrim battle it out against Ramona Flower’s seven evil exes as they arrive to kill him! Execute punches by pressing your fingers on the screen, and use two fingers to block those of your opponent. The game also provides access to the movie trailer and images.

The closed beta for MicroVolts will be starting August 12, and everyone who signed up on via the game’s website should check their emails to see if they are among those to receive a key for the closed beta phase.

MicroVolts features third person shooter action and pits players against each other in the roles of action figures in a war that’s been waged in our own homes unnoticed. Game modes include Team Deathmatch, Item Match, and Capture the Battery. Starting July 23 check out the official website for daily updates which will reveal different elements of the game.