Second place was, apparently, a separatist nation-state known as "BioWare Community," with Canada and Poland in third and fourth place, respectively. Good ol' U.S. of A finished ninth, not lasting past stage three. BioWare Community was in the lead through stage four, when it was overtaken for good by Hungary.

Here's your full results. The main site has team interviews and stats.

1. Hungary
2. Bioware Community
3. Canada
4. Poland
5. UK
6. Netherlands / Belgium
7. France
8. Spain
9. USA
10. Czech Republic / Slovakia

Dragon Age: Origins Wardens' Quest [Official Site, via VG247]

The Dragon Age: Origins Warden's Quest is taking place on October 28th at 10:00 AM GMT, with 10 teams of 4 players each representing 9 different countries in a day long battle at the County Hall in London, England. Teams from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Netherlands and Belgium, Spain, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland will be participating, along with a team that BioWare hand-picked from among the company's most dedicated fans.

"We're extremely excited about the Dragon Age: Origins Wardens' Quest – it's going to be an awesome chance for gamers to band together to prove they're the best at navigating the world of Dragon Age," said Mark Darrah, Executive Producer, Dragon Age: Origins. "In the game, putting together a strong team is essential to success - in the same way the overall strength of the competing teams will decide who walks away with the money."

It's unclear as to what this 24 hour quest will entail, though the announcement does mention that leader board stats and highlights would be shown on screens about the Debating Chamber in the Country Hall, helping visitors determine who is ahead in the race for the grand prize - $12,500 per person on the winning team.

For more details on the competition, visit the Warden's Quest web page, where information will eventually be available.

The Road to Retribution Tournament will have players going head-to-head in the third-person shooter in 2v2 and 4v4 ladders.

The tournament kicks off today and runs through May 10. Prizes include SonyStyle gear, PSP system prize packs and a Resistance: Retribution leather bomber jacket.

Prizes include:

2v2 Competition Prizes
• First Place (2 players): Leather Bomber Jacket (ARV $180), $500 in Sonystyle® Gift Cards, and PSP® TV Prize Pack (32" XBR TV, PSP®-3000, 16GB PRO Duo and Component AV Cables. ARV $1420) for each player
• Second Place (2 players): Leather Bomber Jacket (ARV $180), $500 in Sonystyle® Gift Cards, and PSP® Pack (PSP®-3000, 16GB PRO Duo. ARV $370) for each player
• Third Place (2 players): Leather Bomber Jacket (ARV $180), $500 in Sonystyle® Gift Cards for each player
• Fourth Place (2 players): Leather Bomber Jacket (ARV $180), $500 in Sonystyle® Gift Cards for each player

4v4 Competition Prizes
• First Place (4 players): Leather Bomber Jacket (ARV $180), $500 in Sonystyle® Gift Cards, and PSP® TV Prize Pack (32" XBR TV, PSP-3000, 16GB PRO Duo and Component AV Cables. ARV $1420) for each player
• Second Place (4 players): Leather Bomber Jacket (ARV $180), $500 in Sonystyle® Gift Cards, and PSP® Pack (PSP-3000, 16GB PRO Duo. ARV $370) for each player
• Third Place (4 players): Leather Bomber Jacket (ARV $180), $500 in Sonystyle® Gift Cards for each player
• Fourth Place (4 players): Leather Bomber Jacket (ARV $180), $500 in Sonystyle® Gift Cards for each player

Road to Retribution

The stage will be home to Rock Band nights throughout the year where people can get on stage and faux jam.

The new addition is part of the Total Rock, Total Rewards Rock Band Competition that MTV and Harrah's Entertainment is kicking off that month.

Throughout March and April seventeen Total Reward casinos will host local, weekly Rock Band competitions where gamers will have a chance to win an Xbox 360 and Rock Band Bundle as well as other Total Rewards items and Rock Band apparel and accessories.

The winning band from each location will then have a chance to go head-to-head at celebrity-judged competitions in Las Vegas (April 16), Chicago Area (April 24), New Orleans (April 30), and Atlantic City (May 7) for a chance to win more than $50,000 in prizes.

The ultimate winning band will open for the B-52's at the House of Blues in Atlantic City on May 9th and win $10,000 in prize money.

"We're thrilled to be working with such an energetic and iconic company like MTV Games to further help bring Rock Band to the masses through our Total Rewards venues," said David Norton, chief marketing officer for Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. "We look forward to giving thousands of Rock Band fans a new reason to jam and take part in an event unlike anything they've ever experienced before."

"Harrah's is known for extraordinary entertainment and we are pumped to see the first of our fully equipped Rock Band stages hit Total Rewards casinos across the country," said Christina Glorioso, vice president of sales and marketing partnerships for MTV Games. "The full scope of the Rock Band and Harrah's program represents a great relationship between our two brands and will create significant value for our shared consumers."

Here's the break down of casinos that will soon sport Rock Band stages:

Eastern Region
Bally's Atlantic City
Harrah's Atlantic City
Showboat Atlantic City
Harrah's Chester (Philadelphia)

Southern Region
Harrah's New Orleans
Horseshoe Bossier City (Shreveport)
Harrah's Tunica (Memphis)
Harrah's Metropolis (Nashville)
Horseshoe Southern Indiana (Louisville)

Central Region
Harrah's Joliet (Chicago)
Harrah's St. Louis
Harrah's North Kansas City
Horseshoe Hammond (Chicago)
Harrah's Council Bluffs (Omaha)
Caesars Windsor (Windsor, Ontario,
Canada/Detroit, MI)

Western Region
Harrah's Rincon (San Diego)
Harrah's Las Vegas

Hit up the site for the official rules.

Harrah's Rock Band Site

Granted the study used gambling games to monitor brain activity, but I think it could also offer some interesting insight into what motivates video gamers as well. At the very least, it reminds us why we often care more about beating or losing to a group of online players than dying in a single player campaign.

This was more pronounced, not surprisingly, in men than it was in women.

Women may not have been as engaged playing an alleged soulless computer. Furthermore, male and female subjects always believed they were playing a male contender in the 'human partner' tests. It has been documented previously that men and women play games differently in the presence of a male partner". However, in this respect more research is required to give any definitive answer to this question.

It would be interesting to see what a similar study would show in online video games, like Call of Duty or Killzone 2.

Effects Of Brain Exercise Depend On Opponent [Pic]

To enter, you have to be a student or someone who really, really wants to make a Serious Game. The jury prizes are 5000, 2500 or 1000 euros worth of gift checks in the winner's local currency, while those voted Most Popular by internet users will score 500 euros worth of gift checks. There's also the prize of fame and something shiny to put on your resume.

Hit the jump for full details on the contest.

To enter, participants have to choose one of three topics: 1) improving players' knowledge of telecommunications; 2) encouraging players to be eco-citizens using telecommunication technologies; or 3) ending isolation and exclusion via telecommunications.

Once you've picked a topic, create a Flash game that sticks to the theme. And, not that I'm a judge or anything, but I recommend making your game fun.

Next, contestants should head to whosegame.com to register their game. And finally, contestants need to upload their entries before midnight on March 31, 2009.

Full details are available at whosegame.com. A big thanks to Professor Henry Lowood for pointing this out.

It's worth a read — a lot of issues readers raised are brought up, such as "What's wrong with games as simply entertainment? If you want intellectual stimulation, why not turn to something else?":

Nothing is wrong with viewing games as entertainment, but there is so much more that could be done! Games have the capability to be incredibly experiential because of their capability to provide interactivity.

As designer Dan Cook from Lost Garden wrote, it's the difference between hearing about the time someone decided not to pull the trigger, and deciding for yourself not to pull the trigger. Actually going through experiences yourself is much more compelling and personal than reading a story. The opportunities are too ripe not to pursue the possibilities.

Additionally, it's sad for someone who loved games while they were younger to have to turn away later in life because the days become busier. Other activities, sports for example, are still viewed as a worthwhile use of time, but only because of some other benefit in addition to being entertainment, such as exercise.

Video games also have the capability to provide the same kind of peripheral benefit. This doesn't mean entertainment should be shown the door, but I think even popularizing the idea that games could be something more is a good step.

He also appends a challenge at the end, a game design competition — it's pretty open-ended, and you can find more information at his blog.

A Response to 'Outgrowing Games', With A Bonus Competition

This year was apparently a record year, with entries up across the board for a total of 226 entries in the main competition (up 30% from last year) and 145 for the student showcase (up 15%). On the entires, there was this to say for both parts of the competition:

Examples of the entries span already announced indie titles, including Jason Rohrer's Between, alternate reality RPG Barkley Shut Up and Jam Gaiden, visually lush point and click adventure Machinarium, and art-game I Wish I Were The Moon, through previously little-discussed titles such as Pieces Interactive's "first walk'em up" Walkie Tonky, new Nifflas-designed title Night Game, and Lexaloffle's "ecological action game" Conflux.

... a great diversity of student-made games with original concepts are showcased, with examples including GumBeat, in which you "...blow bubble gum and gather enough supporters to your cause to topple the anti-gum government", High Moon, a "abstract post-apocalyptic zombie western robot romance in 3 acts", and It's MimeTime, in which "you are a female mime artist in Paris, who must earn as much as possible, by miming your way through an invisible maze."

Both the '09 main competition entries and the student showcase entrants are available for viewing; I'll be looking forward to the final results.

2009 IGF Announces Record Entries For Main, Student Competitions [GameSetWatch]

Rather than selling them on eBay like any sensible person, the fools are putting them up for grabs on this very Internet. To stand a chance of winning, just go to the forum link below and post a reply in the thread - 5 random posters will be plucked from an imaginary hat on Halloween.

Please note, though - most of the thread is made up of one line 'gimme' posts. As Kotaku readers we trust you can do better than that. Make us proud.

Penny Arcade Adventures Giveaway! [Evil Avatar]

To celebrate the release of the standalone expansion to their space sim X3: Reunion, Egosoft has announced details of the X3: Terran Conflict video competition.

Up for grabs is a Matrox Triple Head2Go adapter (it lets you connect 3 monitors to your PC at once) plus loads of DVDs, games and scifi novels for runners up.

All you need to do is create a short (< 10 mins) science fiction movie that relates in some way to the X3 games. It can be a space battle, ha-ha-hilarious comedy clip or sober character study - whatever you like, really. Just make it good.

The X3:TC Video Competition[Egosoft Forums]

To 'celebrate' (i.e. promote) the launch of Midnight Club LA, Rockstar are working with Pizza Hut (one of the companies product-placed extensively in the game) to offer a custom Saleen Mustang worth $100,000 to gamers who enter via the 'Hut website from September 22nd. A Saleen Mustang is apparently some kind of car. I honestly have no idea.

"Video game enthusiasts love pizza and are some of our most loyal customers." said a 'Hut spokesman.

Alright - we get it. I'll be renewing my gym membership on payday. Jeez.

[PizzaHut.com]

Anyway, what we have here is a cracking little collection of musical experiments created using the KORG DS-10 emulator for the Nintendo DS, for a competition at MP3Death.us/diplodocus.

I listened to all twelve tracks on the way home tonight and it is mainly what you would expect - squirly, twiddly synth sounds and squelchy beats. Some tracks have quite an 8-bit soundtrack feel — Aliceffek's 'Toneworks' is great fun and would not sound out of place on a Commodore 64 platformer — while the brilliant 'DSTennis' by A Rival is reminiscent of Hexstatic's 'Bass Invader.'

It may not be to everyone's taste, but you have to be slightly agog that this stuff started life on a little handheld games console. The competition to create this took place over just 24 hours - imagine what could be done with an extra couple of days..

Presented here for your listening pleasure - 'Sand' by Starpause.
Boomp3.com

KORG DS-10 Compo [Mp3deaqth via Boing Boing Gadgets]

As well as five categories for different types of remake or tribute retro game (see here for the full list), this year's competition features a special 'Game For Helen' category that challenges coders to create a retro videogame for children who cannot play arcade type games using conventional controls due to disability.

The Game For Helen project is a collaboration between the Helen & Douglas House children's hospice and Special Effect - a charity dedicated to making computer games more accessible.

The Retro Remakes 2008 Big Compo [Retro Remakes]

While EA believes that its proposed transaction with Take-Two would not be anti-competitive, the FTC has not yet reached any conclusions regarding the proposed acquisition and has indicated that it needs further information and additional time to conduct its review.

In the short term we will invest a lot of effort in the training courses that we will offer gamers. This is a new thing, we're offering, and we also have some things to learn here. Also, it's very important for us to get the entire infrastructure involved in our online activities to run really well right from the start. In the intermediate term we will be adding content as well as new courses to GaminGSchool and in that way open it to more people. We will arrange some great tournaments, and help develop a proper fan culture to give the gamers a real sense of being a part of something great. In the long term ... well. We might organise a national gaming league and even a world championship.

Perhaps even loftier aspirations than the usual 'teach using games!', which is what I thought of initially. It's an interesting interview - concepts like this usually get at least an eyebrow raise out of me, but it's making a little more sense in context.

The Gaming School - Rasmus Pedersen [ZoneRank]

For the third year in a row Seagate is taking to a dozen cities to pitch their harddrives.

The tour schedule includes Denver, New York, LA and plenty of places in between and each stop will feature several daily gaming tournaments. This time around the Frag Dolls will also be making an appearance at the New York, Dallas and Las Vegas events.

Hit the site for the full break down of locations.

Seagate Digital Experience Tour

As predicted, we lost the first ever Kotaku versus Gizmodo Halo 3 challenge last night, 4 to 2.

While the games were close, we should have had a clear, spotless victory since Kotaku alum and Bungie superstar Luke Smith was on our team. I blame, besides our general suckatude, the fact that we never played as a team prior to last night while Giz made the right decision to train as a unit nightly leading up to the event.

Hit the jump for the full report.

Game One
Team Slayer on Guardian
Score: 50:40
Kotaku Win

As you can see we died an awful lot in that first game. Sure we managed to pull out a 10 kill-spread victory, but the lots of dying was a sign of things to come.

Game Two
Team Slayer on Construct
Score: 50:42
Gizmodo Win

In this second game we managed to have the tables completely turned on us, losing by a 10 kill-spread. I will point out that I am the only one (LUKE) who didn't have a negative kill/death spread.

Game Three
Team Slayer on Snowbound
Score: 50:49
Gizmodo Win

This loss was, for me, devastating. Mark and I had practiced quite a bit on the map and had come to the conclusion that getting ahead early and then holding the ridge was the way to win. But come game time, the entire team ran for the caves. Still it was a very close game.

Game Four
Team Slayer on Epitaph
Score: 50:44
Gizmodo Win

We should have talked the map choices through more ahead of time, because Mark, Mike and I had almost never played on this map, and it showed.

Game Five
Team Slayer on The Pit
Score: 50:39
Kotaku Win

This is one of my favorite maps, it also happens to be the one that Mike, Mark and I practiced most together on. While we won the match, by quite a spread. I still wasn't happy at all with how I did, getting killed a full dozen times and only killing eight.

Game Six
Team Slayer on High Ground
Score: 50:48
Gizmodo Win

This last match was a real nail-biter. We were trailing by quite a bit and then managed to come back strong, but not strong enough. In the final minutes of this final match we got within two of a win, but then Luke got popped by Team Gizmodo, while Fahey and I cowered in the garage trying not to get in the way.

2008 IGF Student Showcase Competition

Who Is Eligible: Open to all student game developers worldwide, including student mod makers (see student-specific rules).
Competing For: 12 'Student Showcase' winners for top game ($500 travel stipend), and for the second year, an overall 'Best Student Game' ($2,500 cash prize).
Entry Fee: None.
Submissions Due: October 15th, 2007 at 11:59pm PDT - submit here.
The IGF's Student Showcase, for which the entry deadline is October 15th, 2007 at 11.59pm PDT, will highlight a total of twelve games this year.

IGF Student Showcase Winner ($500)

In addition, for the first time this year, there will be a prize for best overall IGF Student Game awarded as part of the IGF Awards, with the finalists comprising all of the Student Showcase winners:

Best Student Game ($2,500)

The jury for the IGF Student Showcase is headed by student-experienced game veterans, and consists of a number of indie experts committed to picking the best student games, given that games created for educative reasons often have a different emphasis than commercially released titles. [Please note that both games using middleware engines and mods of existing games are both eligible this year, but the judges will take whether the engine was coded from scratch into account when judging.]

IGF Entries [Independent Games Festival]