The free MOD pack comes with Age of Chivalry, D.I.P.R.I.P., Insurgency, Synergy, and Zombie Panic.

"Valve has been supporting the MOD community since the company's inception, offering updates to the SDK, holding MOD Expos and being the first to bring a MOD to retail with Counter-Strike in November 2000," said Doug Lombardi, vice president of marketing at Valve. "The debut of these MODs on Steam marks the beginning of a new level of support for the MOD community by putting the leading MODs at the finger tips of over 15 million targeted gamers."

Once the MOD pack, available now, is installed it will appear in the Steam "My Games" list and the MODs will receive automatic updates just like other games on Steam. Also, the MODs support Steamworks, providing stat tracking and tighter integration with the Steam community.

Steam Powered

Tokyo-jogging [Official Site via Digital World Tokyo]

Haven't used Twitter myself — just Facebook. I imagine my Twitter updates would be rather boring: Sitting, blogging, stood up, more blogging, drinking lemon tea. So thrilling.

Twitter on Nintendo DS with DSTwitter [PMP Today via Pocket Gamer]

[Project AM2R - Another Metroid 2 Remake]

The process is far from simple as once you modify a save game it requires it be to signed with 3 keys. Here's some info from Bushing.

"Once the Wii decrypts the save game, it checks its signature. Every Wii has its own private key which is used to sign save games, and when you save a game, the Wii actually saves three bits of data:

* The encrypted save game
* The signature for the save game (using your console's private key)
* A copy of your console's public key, signed by Nintendo."

Of course, the end user wouldn't have to go through this process unless they were wanting to inject their own code into the save game, but that shouldn't be necessary...

The sound track is provided by Vocaloid software.

I didn't even know they made Nerf guns like the one he used as a base. And parents are worried about the Wii Zapper?

A Texas man, described in television reports as a gamer and out-of-work computer whiz who redesigns video games, received an early morning call from the FBI and Nuclear Regulatory Commission after word got out that he was trying to build a small nuclear reactor in his house.

The feds were alerted after the man blogged that he had some uranium and that the background radiation in his home had doubled.

The man is an out-of-work computer whiz who redesigns video games. He said he started studying physics around the eighth grade. He said he is a science buff who is fascinated by nuclear reactions and radiation.

"These things are in your tap water, you know, in the dirt," he said. "You could hold a Geiger counter up to a banana and get a count off of it."

He said he has always been curious about how things work and likes to do his own experiments.

The man decided to create a small-scale nuclear reaction in the same room he plays his video games as his latest experiment.

"People do it in universities all the time," he said. "It's just not usual that somebody does it outside of a university."

After a brief inspection of his contraption the feds left the man alone, taking his experiment at his parent's request.

Rockwall Man Tries To Build Nuclear Reactor In Home [NBC 5, via Game Politics]

PS: It can't be a picture you found on the internet...

Epic's Mark Rein dropped into the Epic forums last night to let people know that the PS3 cooker for the Unreal Engine 3 editor is in the final stages of testing and could be out as early as next week.

Folks,

I just wanted to give you an update:

We're very close to releasing an update to the Unreal Engine 3 editor, that comes with the PC version of UT3, that will allow UT3 mod-makers to cook their mods into the required PS3 format. We've been doing some internal testing and we're hoping to expand to a wider group tomorrow or Friday. If all goes well then we should see the update released next week which is what I expect will happen. Obviously the process works, as we put out a few mods before Christmas and people seem to be playing them, but it is the update to the editor that we're testing.

Happy New Year!

I can't wait until the mods start flooding the PS3, I'm hoping it could convince a lot of companies build in their own truly user-created content into console games.

PS3 mod cooking update [Unreal Forums, via Evil Avatar]

Zombie Panic Source [Official Site via FileFront]

Those really harsh Super Mario mods are bad enough, but this one goes out of its way to use all of that knowledge learned at the hand of the originals to torment gamers. I could probably take everything but the nastiness that happens at the flag pole, that's just plain wrong.

The official site also promises "a surprise in store that is currently in late stages of production and will be done very soon." At this point, I'd really just appreciate it Valve would just cut them a check to fund proper, uninterrupted development or bring them on board. The wait is starting to become unbearable.

Black Mesa Source Media

ONE OF A KIND Nintendo Blue & White DS Lite Zelda Mod [eBay]

Remember that kick-ass God of War-themed Playstation Portable we wrote about last month? The one with the crushed velvet case, the chains, the copper-leafing? Well it finally sold at the end of the month for a whopping $1,725, but that's no surprise, something that beautiful deserves a high asking price.

What is surprising, and more than a bit neat, is that the buyers were none other than Ready at Dawn, the studio currently working on God of War Chains of Olympus for the PSP. How very appropriate. Not only did the RAD folks give a chunk of cash to Child's Play (15 percent of the proceeds went to the charity), but they also decided to fly the PSP-modder out to Southern California to hand deliver the thing and meet the team. While there they let him get a little hands-on time with the upcoming PSP game.

We're passionate people and we like passionate people so we were all super jazzed to meet the guy behind this one-of-a-kind handheld. Of course, getting to see the game in action before anyone else wasn't bad for him either

Now that's what I like to hear from a developer.

PSP Mod Creator Visits RAD [RAD]

The only catch is that the mod only works with 3rd or 4th gen iPods. But that's all right. It was all downhill after generation three when build materials became cheaper, and buttons transformed into a "click wheel."

NES Controller iPod Remote [via playgadgets]

Jeremy sends word of this amazing God of War-themed Playstation Portable mod created by Morpheon Mods, the guys behind the Zelda-themed Wii and DS mods. The PSP has been airbrushed metallic bronze and then tarnished to give it a worn look. It comes with hand-sculpted symbols that have been copper-leafed onto the handheld ad real chains edge the system. Even the buttons were removed and replaced with copper versions. Finally the shoulder buttons have been replaced with crystal red buttons that house tiny red LEDs.

The whole shebang comes in a custom made case and sports a spare "Kratos tattoos" faceplate. The best part, this eBay auction is donating 15 percent of the proceeds to Child's Play. Hit the link for the full run down of the mods tweaks.

ony PSP ONE OF A KIND God of War MOD - Morpheon Mods [eBay, thanks Jeremy]

Epic's Lead Producer Jeff Morris took a second to talk with me last week about the decision to allow mods to make their way from PC to PS3.

We talked game modding until Mark Rein showed up with the script of the Gears of War movie and got me all flustered. Morris says that's why Rein isn't allowed to go to press events "It always turns the discussion back to Gears of War." I think he was kidding.

I've always felt that user-created content has long been a sort of holy grail for console shooters. It is mods, I think, that help extend the life of shooters on the PC and it's the last thing, well one of the major last things, you can't do on a console shooter.

Not anymore.

When Unreal Tournament III makes its way to the PS3 it will bring with it the ability to import user-created content including maps, weapons and, yes, mods.

Morris said that the mods will be created on a PC and then "cooked" to work better on a PS3 using a built-in option. That file can than be slapped onto a Memory Stick and imported into the PS3 version of the game with the console's built-in MS reader. He said the company is also looking at ways of making the mods downloadable through an in-game browser on the PS3 and perhaps even Home.

The current plan is for the content not to be filtered by either Sony or Epic, leaving it to the gamers themselves to be the arbiter of what is and isn't worth playing on the console. I suspect one of the companies will retain the right to remove content they deem offensive.

Morris told me that one of the reason's this ability to import mod content is currently only announced for the PS3 is because Sony was the only company willing to allow it. Microsoft has historically been a bit gunshy when it comes to unfiltered user-created content and Nintendo is downright paranoid.

Marathon:Resurrection 2.0 Complete Release [Official Project Site, via BeyondUnreal]

Joa Ebert and Thibault Imbert are the creators of WiiFlash, a "a project dedicated to the Wiimote and Flash applications" including this one called, Training Sculpture. Although their how-to is a pretty good tutorial on how to do some of their projects in the comfort of your home, some kind of description on what these projects actually are would be helpful to say the least. For most people, dancing around in their living room in a leotard is probably already the norm, but how do they would they know for certain if they were actually creating art. Doesn't mean I won't try this experiment. I'm just saying tall socks are as far as I am willing to go. Kim Phu

Training Sculpture [WiiFlash.org]

Tilt sensing is pretty useless.

Okay, not exactly true. A game built around tilt sensing like flOw or that damn duck game can be downright entertaining, but the 360 doesn't have any of those games...so why? Should you void your warranty, crack open your controller and drip solder onto the circuitry to create something far more complex than you'd ever need?

Everything required to enjoy the latest sensation in console gaming on Xbox 360™ comes in a convenient package and requires only seven wires to solder.

Talismoon's Xbox 360 Tiltboard [Product Page at Talismoon]

Back when the Xbox 360 first went on sale, folks went crazy with case mods. Seriously, there were new mods popping up every hour. Since then, things have cooled and the mods have become few and far in between. Here's a newish one called "Christ 360: With 3 Ring of Life" and, guess what, fairly pedestrian for a case mod. Best part of this clip? The end "J Dizzle Productions" credit. Now that is awesome. Brian Ashcraft

Case Mod For Christ [The Xbox Domain]

Not only that, but 15% of the proceeds will go to charity. That's right, you can own this and win some Brownie points in the process. The money will benefit Child's Play, a gamer community organization that typically donates toys and games to childrens' hospitals around the world as well as fund pediatric health research. You might remember them as being the recipients to a mountain of goodness from Nintendo not too long ago, so this is a legit charity with a worthy cause.

I can't see any downside to this buy. The shield rotates for gravy's sake! Kim Phu

Pretty Much the Best DS Lite Mod Ever [DS Fanboy]

If you're the kind of gamer who likes to get your hands a little dirty, why not try out the simple, do-it-yourself region switching mod? It requires little more than a soldering iron, some wire and a CD-burner. I'm a bit late to the party on this one, but it's still worth mentioning if you're tired of disc swapping prior to sessions of Ikaruga or Shenmue II.

The process looks fairly straightforward, simple enough to warrant a back-up Dreamcast purchase and an hour of your time.

I'm off to find my rose-tinted glasses, play some Cosmic Smash and reminisce. Michael McWhertor

Convert the region of your Dreamcast! [Lyris Lite via Namako Team]

I think about two minutes into this modded Super Mario I would have either a) killed someone or b) screamed until I wet myself and passed out. Brian Crecente

the most diabolical Super Mario mod ever...... [Endangered Gamer]

Super Mario 64 Classic NES Edition [YouTube - Thanks Xehirut!]

Not only does it look way more fun with the wii-mote, but it's also nice to see a game that was way ahead of it's time still being enjoyed today by some one who took the time out to revive it .

This is what is most exciting about the Nintendo Wii - that it has the ability to go past the novelty of the of its own console's games. For some users, it lets them revisit the way that people look at old games, or the ways in which music is made. I get a way bigger kick out of seeing what people are doing with it rather than playing it myself. Kim Phu

Rez Being Played with the Wii Remote [Arcade Resistance]

Super awesome crafty deliciousness that doesn't involve cakes! Let's just get off the sugary snacks for a second. We're mature adults, we don't just lie around eating cake and playing video games (...on weekdays). We're creative people, we also do amazing things WITH our video games.

The Amazing Rolo has made an incredible hack/app that uses the handheld wii-mote with the software he's created for a computer to make and edit loopable MUSIC. Each function of the wii-mote (the buttons, the swinging action) all conforms to create different effects of the samples on the app. You can download the software he's created here, but I'd watch the video first, which is an amazing tutorial on what can be done with it. Kim Phu

The Amazing Rolo [The Amazing Rolo via Make Mag]

While this isn't exactly my style, I do appreciate the incredible paint job on this Premium 360 done by artist, Jeremiah Thiring. Jeremy's other work on PC cases was recently featured on the covers of several PC related magazines. Now he's expanding into custom painted video game systems and this is one of his first.

This one of a kind "MASTER CHIEF" Xbox 360 is completely hand airbrushed! (No photo Prints or Stickers Here Folks!) Not only does this 360 Depict Detailed Master Chief and engraved water filled "3" murals, It has a realistic stone effect and water drops that look like you could wipe them off!! As with all of our systems... Both of the wireless controllers have also been wrapped in 360 degrees of matching art!

Engraved water filled murals? Damn! The master chief portrait is impeccable, but I'm not sold on all those water droplets. They're extremely well done, but on the controllers it just looks kind of crusty, but that could just be the photograph.

This little beauty can be yours for $925 plus shipping and includes two wireless controllers, a game and all the necessary cables. More pics after the jump. Flynn De Marco

Xbox 360 custom painted HALO 3 THEME!! [eBay]

Just like Paddington Bear, this mod hails from Peru and popped up online last summer. Apparently, we missed it the first time, and it's once again making the internet rounds. It's DOOM mashed with Mario, and every time Yoshi screams right before he dies, I feel sad. Brian Ashcraft

Mario Doom [The Last Boss]

Cathode Tan located this impressive and very shiny PC case mod over at MAKE. The case, we're told, is made from canary wood, copper, lead and stained glass. That is really amazing, though the choice of stained glass is sorta crap. Brian Crecente

Stained Glass PC [Cathode Tan]