While the listings no longer exist, IGN says Buy.com had the Hardened version priced at $79.99, and the ultimate Prestige version priced at $149.99, although there were no details on what these versions would supposedly include. When asked for comment, Activision wouldn't confirm or deny the existence of the deluxe versions, with a representative only saying that "we haven't made any announcements to date."

You will of course recall that the Prestige version of Modern Warfare 2 last year included no less than a real, working pair of night vision goggles, which certainly sets a high bar for whatever items a Prestige version of Black Ops may include. If Activision does indeed release such a deluxe version for the game, we can only hope the bonus item is a Vietnam-era flamethrower. Or at the very least a KA-BAR knife?
]]> http://www.gamehuddle.com/comments.aspx?nid=271677 Fri, 30 Jul 2010 09:30:00 GMT http://www.gamehuddle.com/comments.aspx?nid=271677

A newly signed deal between Lovefilm and streaming technology provider Widevine will enable the European film rental service to offer movies on demand via game consoles and other devices.

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"From my group, which is the internal Bethesda development team, probably not," Howard said in response to whether there's any consideration for Wii development. "The stuff we're doing is a better fit on the other platforms. You can never say never, but I think for the kind of games that we like to play and make, it fits the other platforms."

And as for the once-considered iPhone development, Howard says those plans changed some time after Bethesda parent company ZeniMax acquired id Software last year. "Initially, we were like, 'OK, we're going to do something; we have a really cool design for a game,'" Howard explained. "Once the id thing came about, they were doing enough mobile stuff that I kind of felt, 'OK, they're doing some really good stuff right now; let's see how that market goes before I start putting my own time or other people's time into something that, at the end of the day, might be a distraction from the bigger game that we need to be making.'"

As the declaration reads (via Gamasutra): "Now, therefore, I, Martin O'Malley, Governor of the State of Maryland, do hereby pay tribute to the outstanding achievements of Sid Meier on this day, July 28, 2010, and hereby recognize September 21, 2010, as Sid Meier's Civilization V Day, and call upon the people of our State to join in celebrating this salute."

So how do you get a state to declare an entire day in the honor of your new game? Spend decades developing successful games in one, evidently. "Sid Meier is known throughout Maryland and the world as a pioneer of electronic gaming," the declaration further reads, "having co-founded his first studio in Baltimore County, Maryland in 1982, and today continuing a tradition of developing the talent and creativity of future generations." Governor O'Malley also lauded Meier as "a longtime and celebrated Marylander who has spent his full professional life in this State."