A new Square Enix countdown site has launched, which features only a clock and the Nintendo DS logo. Considering the URL is square-enix.co.jp/ctds, we're going to take a guess and say it's Chrono Trigger DS. It could be a remake, a sequel ... or something entirely different. Chrono Tetris, perhaps?

Screw that. Who are we kidding?

[Thanks to everyone that sent this in! And to Square Enix, for doing something right.]

Update: A winner has been selected and contacted via e-mail. Congrats!

So this "Hideo Kojima" guy totally ruined our copy of Metal Gear Solid 4. He had the nerve to scribble all over it in permanent marker. It looks like he ... signed it? Yuck!

His signature has obviously tarnished our copy. It's worthless now, so we're giving it away in this latest edition of Joyswag: Garbage Edition. Go ahead, take it away from us. We don't want it! Bah!

To enter this giveaway, leave a comment expressing your earnest desire to collect our garbage. Comments must be left before 5PM EST on Monday, June 23rd. Only one comment per person per calendar day -- or else! One winner will be selected in a random drawing. Grand Prize Winner will receive a copy of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (signed by Hideo Kojima and Yumi Kikuchi) for PS3 (MSRP: $60). Click here for complete Official Rules. Eligibility is restricted to the legal residents of the 50 United States (including DC) and Canada (excluding Quebec). You must be 18 years or older to enter.

For another chance to win an autographed copy, visit PS3 Fanboy.

Hideo Kojima stopped by New York City's Virgin Megastore in TImes Square to meet and greet fans at the Metal Gear Solid 4 launch. We got a number of signed copies ... maybe one will go to a lucky reader (if we feel generous enough!). Check out our gallery below, or some highlights, after the cut.

What is Qore? It's a new digital magazine exclusively available via PSN that stars our friend, Veronica Belmont. One slightly delayed launch later, and it's finally available to the masses. Qore promises a number of bonuses, such as entry into the SOCOM Confrontation beta, and a few hidden mini-games ... but is it worth the cost of admission ($3 an issue, $25 for an annual subscription)? PS3 Fanboy thinks it's a pretty good deal, especially with the bonus download of Calling all Cars! for annual subscribers. They've gone through the entire issue, and have broken it down inch-by-inch, so you can determine whether or not its worth your hard-earned digital coin.

Click here to begin the tour and be sure to let us know what you think.

With some trepidation, I walked into Atari's offices today to check out the newest (and quite possibly final) build of Alone in the Dark. With controller in hand, I started a fresh save file ... only to have three hours blur by and be bombarded with a never-ending series of cinematic, adrenaline-pumping sequences. I was totally unprepared for Eden Studios' bold reimagining of the franchise. This is not your father's Alone in the Dark.

A key point that the Atari representative reiterated throughout my play session was the influence of serialized television in the design of the game. The game is broken up into a series of "episodes," each ending on a cliffhanger. Players are able to select levels and sequences via a menu that resembles something you'd find on a DVD. Not only can players jump to any level they want, but they can skip to specific "chapters" within each episode, as well. Each episode ends with credits, and each new episode starts with a very cute "Previously on Alone in the Dark" recap. (Interestingly, all the episodes are unlocked when a player starts the game. This means if you get stuck at a certain point, you can simply skip to the next chapter and use the recap to see what you missed. The reasoning behind this? Eden wants everyone to finish this game, no matter how challenging the puzzles may get.)

These trivial changes to the presentation are amusing, but the TV inspiration runs much deeper. One season of a great television show has a clear beginning, middle and end. However, each episode usually focuses on one specific issue in an overarching story arc. Alone in the Dark fully embraces the serialized narrative, and uses it to create stunning set pieces in every chapter of every episode we've had an opportunity to play. Alone in the Dark isn't survival horror like we've seen in Silent Hill and Resident Evil. No, it's also about platforming. It's about puzzle solving, first person shooting ... and even driving. Alone in the Dark really is a great season of 24, albeit one with a supernatural twist.

Did you notice the European invasion in this week's Rock Band DLC updates? Don't expect this to be a one-shot novelty. International tracks will continue to pour into the peripheral-laden music game, a Harmonix developer told us at last night's Rock Band party in NYC. When one person brought up the possibility of seeing Japanese rock music in the game, we were told to wait "a little over a week" for an official announcement regarding plans for future DLC. We don't know exactly what we'll see, but we do know that Rock Band will become an even more "international" affair. What could future DLC updates include? TM Revolution? Malice Mizer (pictured)? Any excuse for us to dress like Japanese rock stars at our next Rock Band gathering will make us quite happy. Stay tuned.

Wii may not be known for having the most advanced online capabilities, but the community developed for the upcoming Blast Works looks rather extensive. The upcoming shooter, based on the works of Kenta Cho, allows players to create their own enemies, ships and levels ... and share them with other Wii users. Players will be able to send data directly to their friends, or make it available for all to play through the Blast Works official website.

This Joystiq-exclusive trailer shows how the website integrates into the game. By registering a Wii Code, you'll be able to send levels directly to your Wii from any internet browser (via WiiConnect 24). You can even send levels to your friends whilst you browse the site. You can also add comments and rate creations, just like in YouTube (and the oft-delayed LittleBigPlanet for PS3).

Certainly, Blast Works has much potential in a "Game 3.0" era, and we think Wii owners should be pretty interested in the game. We'll see how well this community can thrive once it officially hits stores next week.

Uwe Boll. It's a name that strikes fear and anger into the hearts of at least 248,969 gamers worldwide. Through his continued efforts in bringing critically bashed adaptations of video games to our attentions, he's earned an online reputation that's only rivaled in the community by the likes of Jack Thompson.

To be honest, I didn't know what to expect when I was invited to an early screening of Uwe Boll's latest film, Postal. Perhaps I'm in the minority, but I have never experienced an Uwe Boll film. Perhaps it's because Boll has never touched any of my most beloved game franchises. Looking at his past films, it appears he hasn't made as many films to justify the fervor that surrounds him. Is anyone really angry that the House of the Dead film wasn't A-grade cinematic material? Is the film somehow a disgrace to the game's "legacy?" Doubtful. Are people really up-in-arms over how he "ruined" BloodRayne, or Alone in the Dark?

Postal is also an interesting choice for the German director. Very few have actually played the game (neither have I) -- but those that have don't really like it. Even if the film amounted to a terrible disaster, it wouldn't disgrace the game, or the "genre" of the video game film (if such a thing should be considered). With all of this in mind, the curtains opened and Uwe Boll's Postal screening started.

Heard of Roogoo? Don't worry if you haven't. It's fallen a little under the radar, but our recent hands-on with this XBLA title has us hankering for more. Describing the game's premise does it little justice, simply because it seems like something that would barely entertain a three year old. However, under the game's cute exterior and almost-mindlessly simple gameplay lies a lot of depth and fun.

Roogoo follows one of the cardinal rules of the puzzle genre: inexplicably, things are falling from the sky. Blocks of various shapes will descend from above, and players must rotate platforms to allow these shapes to continue their journey downward. We're certain you've played with preschool toys that are similar to this: star goes in star, triangle goes in triangle, box goes in box, etc. The shoulder buttons rotate the platforms, and the A button lets you accelerate the falling piece.

As we warned, this description does little to make the game sound very entertaining. Trust me, I had the same reservations as you're probably thinking when approaching this title. However, things get surprisingly (almost embarassingly) difficult later on. Enemies will spawn in holes, and can only be knocked off by accelerating blocks on their heads. Blocks won't only come down faster, but they'll come down more than one at a time, forcing players to look at multiple levels of play at the same time. Jumping to one of the later levels had us reach miserable failure in a matter of seconds, as we collapsed under the overwhelming weight of colorful children's blocks.

Chances are, you're on one (or all) of the major social networking sites out there -- MySpace and Facebook, being the two that stand out most. Vancouver-based Gnosis Games wants to utilize the time spent on these sites towards developing retail video games. Already, it plans on bringing one of its casual Flash-based games to the Wii. Candy Arcade is a (shock!) collection of sugar-themed mini-games.

Facebook has allowed Gnosis Games to share a small taste of these games, such as the surprisingly addictive "Sugar Blitz" (pictured, above). Not only does the application offer organic word-of-mouth marketing for the team, it gives them valuable feedback on what players like and dislike. Yes, the comments and Wall posts offer good clues, but Facebook's tracking tools offer even more insight into the habits of gamers. Through the Facebook application, Gnosis can see how players find the game, how long they play, and where they go within the application. If a cheap Flash-based game does well on Facebook, will it translate to retail success? That's what Gnosis is hoping for.

Plans for integration with social networking sites goes beyond simple market research data. The community encourages competition and bragging. Imagine if unlocking an achievement in the retail game unlocked avatars for display on one's Facebook page. The Xbox 360 Live Gamercard application already has us showcasing our conquest for more Gamerscore. The interaction between social networking and video game marketing has only begun -- expect it to become prolific as more marketing teams jump on board.

These user-generated levels from echochrome terrify us. We can't wait to try them. Also: Are you ready for the first details of the US SingStore launch? Find out how much DLC songs will cost, and more, in our extensive report.

Previews/Hands-on

• SingStar (PS3)
  First official details about the upcoming US release.
  
• Siren: New Translation (PS3)
  We get our hands on the Japanese demo.
• Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit (PS3)
  Hands-on with the upcoming anime fighter.
• Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution (PS3)
  We play Sid Meier's next big console game.
• B-Boy (PSP)
  Breakdancing arrives on PSP ... a few years late.
• Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 2 (PSP)
  Ramen-eating ninja gets another fighter on PSP.

Downloads

• Bleach: Heat the Soul 5 (PSP)
  Get a small taste of this PSP-exclusive fighter. Get the demo here!

While there were a number of video games available at New York Comic Con, one game stood out as the most fun thing we played at the show floor. It was a Call of Duty game, yes -- but it wasn't a video game. The Call of Duty card game is a nice surprise, especially for someone that's grown tired of the repetitive (and expensive!) CCG market.

You can read Stephen Totilo's excellent write-up at MTV Multiplayer to understand how the game is played -- but needless to say, this is an easy game to pick up and understand. It's a bit daunting at first, especially with its radically different design. The "real time" card engine forced players to be quick of mind, as a constant barrage of attacks can overwhelm the opponent, and lead to victory. Players can continue drawing and using cards until one of two cards is played: Pause and Nightfall. Pause cards will simply don players a special power, such as laying a mine, or throwing a grenade. However, Nightfall is where all your actions are tallied up, and casualties can accumulate.

In order to recreate the chaotic feel of the Call of Duty games, the card game is designed to make players throw down as many cards down as possible. However, no card takes effect until Nightfall. For example, I may have a soldier at risk of dying, as a Fire card is thrown on him. However, if I get a Move card, I can move him out of the way. If by Nightfall, the soldier is clear of any fatal cards, he'll survive for the next bout. It's a fascinating concept that forces very quick, strategic use of each card.

In preparation of the upcoming release of Mario Kart Wii, Nintendo held a rather quirky promotion in front of the Sheraton New York hotel in Midtown Manhattan. Confused tourists and businesspeople walked by as a giant costumed Mario, Wii Wheel in hand, gave away free cab rides for the willing.

Many, afraid of a potential scam, simply ignored Mario's kind offer. Others, however, were far more willing to jump in a cab hailed by the Italian gaming icon. Nintendo's offer of $10 to the cab drivers, while generous, would probably get most riders down to Times Square, before the gridlock of traffic consumed Nintendo's free fare. Ouch.

While megatons were nary to be found at Epic Games' Gears of War 2 panel at this year's New York Comic Con, Epic president Michael Capps and writer Joshua Ortega nonetheless revealed a few tidbits that are sure to pique the interest of the Gears faithful.

Immediately after production on the first Gears wrapped up, the team had to ask itself what it could to make the game "bigger" and "more badass." For example, they saw how people responded to the last-minute addition of the chainsaw. What could they do to improve the chainsaw? Chainsaw duels, perhaps?

Cover, which is admittedly inspired by the oft-forgotten Kill.switch, will also be expanded upon in the sequel. Players have already taken cover behind inanimate objects: rocks, walls, etc. But, what if players could take cover behind moving, living things? What if players could kill a massive enemy and then use it as cover? This ultimately led to the development of massive worm creatures for the sequel.

This weekend was the premiere of PS Nation's first joint podcast with PS3 Fanboy. For our Joystiq recap, we thought we'd give you an early look: check it out. Also, read our early before-the-beta impressions of Metal Gear Online.

Previews

• Metal Gear Online (PS3)
  We play at New York Comic Con and come back to tell you about it.
  

Downloads

• Secret Agent Clank (PSP)
  Brand new screenshots of upcoming PSP exclusive.
  
• Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2 (PSP)
  It's golf. In English. On the go.