The July issue of the mag touts a deep dive into 2K Games' sequel to the original BioShock, offering "first *real* gameplay and story details," which would lead us to believe everything we've seen and heard about the game to be falsehoods and fabrications. Bummer!

GamePro also promises "spoiler alert" caliber details, revealing the "ultimate plasmid combo," first impressions of BioShock 2's online modes and Big Daddy's "biggest secret." Presumably we'll have to wait for months to determine exactly how the game's fun factor ranks.

Other spoiler alert worthy details—don't look! you'll ruin everything!—include a write-up on BioShock 2's main villain (which is not the Big Sister, GamePro says), impressions of multiplayer modes set in a time period before the original BioShock, and much, much more.

BioShock 2's Big Daddy unveiled in July 2009 GamePro [GamePro]

The venture, according to a report from GameDaily, will see games published for the iPhone as well as through Microsoft's XNA initiative. Telling GameDaily that GamePro Labs will be "fueled by grassroots independent game developers," it sounds like the mag-turned-game label has designs on moving beyond indie development.

GamePro plans to reveal some of its games at the upcoming Game Developers Conference.

With GamePro one of the few remaining print publications still thriving as magazines and web sites go under, it's not surprising that it's looking to expand. The "Regular promotion in GamePro Magazine" perk for signing up with GamePro Labs is probably going to rub some people the wrong way, however, no matter how much disclosure the magazine's editors provide.

GamePro Reels in Ziff Sales Staff, Launching Games Publishing Label [GameDaily]

The mag reveals the first concrete details on Terminator Salvation, the video game adaptation of the movie directed by McG and starring a mentally unhinged Christian Bale. Developed by Bionic Commando devs GRIN, Terminator Salvation apparently has an "epic story," "numerous menacing Terminator machines" and "weapons," according to GamePro's preview.

Halcyon Games announced its intentions to bring the GRIN-developed Terminator Salvation – The Videogame to the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, and PC in November, promising "a visceral story with extremely polished production values to create a fully interactive Terminator experience.”

It also has a very scary look at the T-600, the massive Terminator new to the apocalyptic sci-fi franchise. It's huge! And its eyes glow!

Warning: GamePro says the issue is "about to blow your face off like the enormous Earth-incinerating blast depicted in Terminator 2: Judgment Day." Read carefully and with a spare face.

GamePro's Terminator Salvation cover story revealed [GamePro]

Among the many things the guy has to say, I'm most intrigued by the stuff about the Rookie's place in the overall Halo story.

Halo 3: ODST is the first Halo game to not feature a playable Master Chief. Will The Rookie ever bump into the Chief? Or see evidence of his handiwork?

No, you won't ever meet the Chief. Basically, Halo 3: ODST happens while the Chief is away from Earth — after he leaves for the "Delta Halo" in Halo 2 and before he crashes into the jungle at the start of Halo 3. ODST doesn't cover all the Chief's absence. But it does fill a very interesting part of that gap.

Is there a villain in this new storyline?

Yes, but like the Chief, the Rookie never meets him. Put that in your speculation pipe and smoke it, Halo fans!

So he never meets the Chief and never meets the villain. What exactly does this guy do for the whole game - and will there be a book on it?

Halo 3 ODST: Bungie's Joseph Staten talks Halo 3 expansion [GamePro]

The issue teaser also hints at some sort of secret. The adjective "colossal" is used. We're instructed to sit down, it's that serious. What could it be?! Surely there's a countdown clock out there that will provide us with more information!

See GamePro's new Resistance 2 cover, win a beta code [GamePro - thanks, James!]

In the meantime, the online arm of the publication has released four new Halo Wars screen shots—four obscenely watermarked and painfully blurry screen shots with a very odd perspective, but four screen shots nonetheless.

Halo Wars Screenshots [GamePro]

UNSC Forces

Marines
Flamethrower Marines
Spartans
Warthogs
Scorpions
Cobras (anti-vehicle artillery)
Hornets
Wolverines (anti-aircraft vehicle)
Elephants (!!)
Cyclops (enormous UNSC mech unit)
Vultures (mysterious, enormous vehicle)

Covenant Forces (not all units revealed)

Grunts
Jackals
Hunters
Ghosts
Banshees
Scarabs
Elites

GamePro July 2008 [thanks Tom!]

Anyway, this is hardly news, but AC has a control system that will take me a week to get comfortable manipulating. The game is a perfect example of how increasingly complex controllers will give rise to increasingly complex-to-control games. GamePro has a list of 5 suggestions for paring down the buttons and options.

• Reduce the number of face and shoulder buttons
• Merge "Start" and "Select" into one button
• Lose the D-pad
• Use motion-sensing controls (Newton, anyone?)
• Add attachment peripheral (Newt-chuk, anyone?)

Sounds good to me, but I think this is more a question of developer discipline in keeping character control lean and uncomplicated. A lot of extra buttons on a controller will eventually be used of course, so a redesign that strips out some of the lesser-employed options can't hurt. But the controller is not the game.

Five Easy Ways to Fix Complicated Controllers [GamePro]

It is complete nonsense. We have not announced a sequel to Gears of War to Gamepro or anyone else for that matter.

Gear Of War 2 [Announced?] In Special Report In Next GamePro [Epic via NextGeneration]

So without starting a flame war, which systems are your current must-have picks and why? I'm inclined to agree with GamePro, though no Nintendo DS on the list? Are they freaking crazy? Once again, are they freaking crazy??

Feature: Game Console Report Card — Fall 2007 edition [gamepro]

The newest issue of GamePro magazine has a little feature on Halo 3 revealing screenshots of some heretofore unseen items like new weapons, maps and vehicles. But the real news comes in the form of the revelation that there will be customizable armor. You can finally give your soldiers the makeover they so richly deserve. I haven't received my issue to check it all out yet, but the folks over at The Hushed Casket are pretty excited about it. And if they are excited, I'm excited. You should be too! Aren't you?

Gamepro: create custom armor in HALO 3 [The Hushed Casket]

Blake Snow over at GamePro.com has written an article that explores this tactic, citing the famous example of Twilight Princess for the Gamecube, delayed in order to move more Wii's at launch. He speaks with industry analyst extraordinaire Michael Pachter on the subject.

But even though quality is a major reason for game delays, it's far from the only reason. "Delays occur for both strategic and quality reasons," says analyst Michael Pachter. Contrary to what you may think, publishers are just as likely to delay a game for strategic reasons as they are quality ones.

The Real Reason Behind Game Delays [GamePro.com]

"Great," you say, "but this is Gamepro. Am I really going to learn anything?" Maybe! Sure there are a few opinions disguised as "myths", such as the stance that console first-person shooters are on par with their PC brethren.

However, the fallacy that porn will settle the upcoming battle between HD-DVD and Blu-ray? Nonsense! Michael McWhertor

Feature: 14 Gaming Myths Exposed [Gamepro]

Gamepro sat down with Nintendo of America prez Reggie Fils-Aime to talk about the Wii, its success, its public acceptance, and its future. Reggie admits to be taken by surprise at how well the latest Nintendo console is performing:

We knew Wii was a system for the masses, and yes, we were confident that was going to happen-but this fast? Personally, I'm just blown away.

Reggie doesn't drop any major bob-ombs in the interview, but does give hints about new Wii colors (after "once we've managed to meet the overwhelming worldwide demand for our current color"), the DVD-movie playing Wii ("available in the future in some markets"), and his thoughts on Sony and Microsoft. Fils-Aime sadly takes the high road for the most part when discussing his competition, meaning traffic grabbing headlines will have to wait.

Read on for more Wii insight and carefully worded answers. Michael McWhertor

Nintendo Q&A: Reggie Fils-Aimes talks future of Wii [Gamepro]

Is it funny? Not really. In fact, it's filled with fanboy ranting and corporate master nudge-nudging. Half the "jokes" are just lifeless readings of console spec bullet points. And cardboard cut-outs on popsicle sticks sticking up couches behind which crouch dorks squealing in falsetto is more depressing than entertaining. Although I think I have a soft spot in my heart for foul-mouthed, Brooklyn-accented Jeff.

I think I want to beat Dan Loht and Brian Stone clean to death now. Florian Eckhardt

Played Out! A video game sitcom for humans. [Games.net]

Gentlemen, this is your punishment for cramming my Kotaku box with approximately 600 comment requests in the past half-day, outstripping even the pleadings from exotic royalty, the promises of prodigious semenal output, and the offers for very reasonably-priced t-shirt manufacture.

I want you to stare deeply into the distended anus of the early nineties, come face to sphincter with the darling child-yous who probably looked up to these men, and I want it to hurt.

This is, as far as I or Nicholas Fricke over at Siliconera know, the only episode of GamePro TV currently available online. And it sounds like he spent a long time looking.

Watch how about halfway through, the surfer boy loses most of his accent. I guess he got tired. I know how he feels. Thanks for the tip, FurikiiEliza gauger

Read the entire harrowing tale here. [Siliconera]

This is my new favorite game-related ad. It shows, in a series of crappy cartoon panels, what life as a GamePro Editor is like. Apparently, as Kyle at VGMWatch points out, there's a lot of hot girls and sunglass wearing involved. For a sneak peek at life as a Kotaku editor see panel one. Repeat. Brian Crecente

Pimpin' Like a GamePro Editor [Video Game Media Watch]

Metacritic attributes this quote from page 38 of the mag s January issue:

If looks could kill, DOA4 would be called Murderer's Row. This game is beautiful; even while you're beating the tar out of your opponent, you'll notice that your surroundings are among the finest you've seen in any fighting game... Hands down the best installment in the series.

I suppose they could have gotten an early version, but could they have received a finished (and apparently perfect) title if it s being delayed repeatedly? Who knows, maybe...

Either way, this couldn t have come at a worse time.

Hsu on Hsu [Kotaku]

IDG Entertainment sends word that they have inked a deal with Ask Jeeves. Why do I care, you may ask? Well, under the agreement IDGE's Gamepro and Games.net will provide reviews, images, walk-throughs, links and FAQs to Ask Jeeves for use in their search results. In other words, Gamepro and Games.net will now be the top results in all videogame-related searches on the Ask Jeeves site.

I'm not a big fan of this concept, but it seems to be the way search engines are heading. Heck, newspapers started selling advertising on their front pages years ago, why not search engines?

A Search for Halo 2 [Ask Jeeves, thanks Rich]

Mad magazine and GamePro are teaming up in September. That issue of GamePro will include a mini Mad magazine supplement which will mock GamePro and gaming in general. The mock issue will include a feature called the 50 Worst Things About Video Games, some satirical ads and an "expose" on the hidden socially redeeming features secretly added to Grand Theft Auto.

Talk about timely.

GamePro Magazine Collaboration Is A Little Bit Mad MediaPost]