Sony finally saw fit to confirm that Killzone 2 will begin its retail assault on Europe the week of February 25. "PAL regions" will receive the game on Feb. 25, while the UK and Ireland can get in the zone two days later -- same as North America. As Eurogamer points out, the Feb. dates have been listed by retail for a while, but we all know it's never official until the fat lady -- about to experience serious liposuction -- sings.

Killzone 2 will also receive a special PS3 bundle in the region. Now, how about that European demo date?

How much do you want to know about Guerrilla Games, the team behind the upcoming Killzone 2? If you're a hardcore KZ nut, you may want to check out this Dutch interview on Gamekings. Don't worry! It has subtitles, so you'll be able to grab some popcorn and watch the developers of this anticipated FPS talk about their game.

[Thanks, NewDust!]

The UK will receive its umpteenth PS3 bundle with the release of Killzone 2. The package will cost £300 ($416) and be available ... actually, Europe still doesn't have a confirmed release date for the title. If this bundle were released in North America -- and that seems unlikely -- it would hit alongside the game on February 27. Hopefully, Sony Europe will see fit to announce a launch date sometime soon.

Sony, Guerilla – our hats voice headsets are off to you. After all, you tried to deliver the total online play experience with your official Killzone 2 multiplayer trailer at Leipzig. The only problem is ... well, it sounds too much like real mutiplayer. Or maybe someone's polite approximation thereof.

Oh, we like what we see (and say, are those auto-turrets from Aliens?) but the "radio chatter" not only sounds forced – it's totally free of racial slurs and/or comments regarding the sexuality of those playing. Now, how can we expect to take that seriously?

According to Shack News, THQ has today officially announced Red Faction III which will be released under the title Red Faction: Guerilla. The news of a Red Faction sequel was let slip quite recently when it was mentioned during a THQ conference call to investors. Times have changed since the last incarnation of the Red Faction series was on the PS2 in 2003 and the gameplay of Guerilla, as a result, will be very different to the previous games.

Set on Mars, Guerilla will feature an open-world and the game will be controlled from a Third-Person perspective. That's right, it's another Grand Theft Auto clone - but this one is set on Mars! It will also "expand the signature destruction elements of the series", so expect plenty of next-gen environment destruction. Expect the game to be released sometime during THQ's financial year of 2009 (which begins April 2008). We look forward to seeing more.

With its April 29 debut only three agonizing months away, it's time for Take-Two and Rockstar to up their marketing for Grand Theft Auto IV. Citizens of New York City may stumble across wanted posters (pictured above at Lorimer and Grand in Brooklyn) asking for tips in capturing Niko Bellic (GTA IVs protagonist). If you've seen the guy -- or just want a special jpeg from Rockstar -- send an email to tips[at]libertycitypolice[dawt]com. If anyone stumbles across or can scan a cleaner image of the viral ad we'll be sure to post it.

1UP Editor Luke Smith has posted a bold prediction on his blog: "Expect a playable Killzone 2 demo to be released ... before gamers are participating in the beta for Halo 3." Smith's reasoning descends from a string of rumors, which suggest that Killzone disappeared, in part, to direct the spotlight on Resistance. The rumors also indicate that while on the down-low, Guerilla has transformed its "Halo-killer" from a pre-rendered heartthrob into a developed game; some rumorists even suspect that Killzone has been playable online for nearly a year.

Smith points to Phil Harrison's GDC keynote address as an opportunity for Sony to steal (in typical from-out-of-nowhere fashion) some mindshare away from Microsoft and the mid-March Halo beta test by dropping *GASP* the Killzone 2 bomb demo! Never mind that the Killzone franchise has yet to deliver a noteworthy game; is the first half of 2007 really gonna be defined by a clash between a beta test and purported demo? If I'm a developer not working for Bungie or Guerilla, I'm about ready to hire a new PR agency -- that, or beg Sony to let my game piggyback on the Killzone demo's shoulders.

Update: In response to comments that Killzone: Liberation (PSP) is "very good" or has "gotten great scores all around" (etc...), we simply offer up evidence that the title ranks 56th among current PSP games (233 in all) listed in score order. While we respect the opinions of those who enjoy the game, generally speaking, we maintain that Liberation is hardly noteworthy beyond its tie to the ridiculously over-hyped Killzone franchise.

A fictionalized comment: "Hey guys! I know this is a post about Atari, but I think this is the perfect time to tell you about this super awesome game I played yesterday: Rock 'em Sock 'em Space Wars! You gotta check it out ^_^ k thx bye!"

If only it were that easy to spot an online guerilla marketer -- one who assumes the identity of John Q. Commentor and sells a product to his "fellow posters." In reality, OGMs are a lot more cunning and a lot more clever than we might realize. The Escapist managed to interview one such OGM, a particularly devious soul we'll call Jack. For four years, Jack has been working to infiltrate online communities and earn their trust, eventually pushing them toward titles favorable to his employers.

Jack will spend anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks earning trust in online forums under different avatars -- "my personalities range from a 10-year-old girl to a 78-year-old man and across different ethnicities, stereotypes and ages," he remarks. Each with its own IP address from across the globe (thanks to IP spoofing, Jack can pretend he is a soldier stationed in Kuwait, for example). He even returns to recent posts and continues conversations, just to give the impression that each of his characters are real.

We've caught sleazy marketers before, but their methods are a lot sloppier than what Jack has described. Jack is very good at what he does and claims to have never been caught. He reveals a guilty conscience, which is probably why he agreed to be interviewed, but he isn't quitting his day job. Should we really fault him, though, or should we be angry at the source?

It's an inevitable phenomenon and one people are just going to have to be careful and avoid. The guerillas are amongst us -- many will probably flame this guy in the comments while privately laughing at the irony. Just be careful whose opinions you trust.