Videogames Lead to Behavioral Addiction Mike Tyson’s Paparazzi Punch-Out!! Video GameStop Buys Majority Stake in Video Game Digital Distributor Jolt Miyamoto: 3D Isn’t Everything Are You A Video Game Junkie With Mad Writing Skills? Write For Ripten NFL Super Bowl Champion Steelers Connect with Soldiers in Iraq for Guitar Hero Competition

A recent Neogaf post and subsequent video published by the gaming world’s mash-up of Carson Daly and 50 Cent (aka: The HipHopGamer), gave reason to believe that there would be a Splinter Cell: Conviction demo included with purchases of Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed II for the Xbox 360, however hot on the heels of an anonymous tipster, /gamer recently posted a few voucher images they believe debunk the demo rumor. Read more…

EA, and developer Visceral Studios, issued a press release today announcing that a demo of Dante’s Inferno (a third-person action-adventure game set in the fiery chasm of Hell) will be available this December.

No specific date was given, but they do have a nice developer documentary series of videos highlighting the circles of hell within the game to hold you over. Definitely worth checking out if you haven’t seen them. Watch the video below and access the other segments through the interactive menu that pops up towards the end. Read more…

Oh how high society frowns upon you! If you happen to be an Xbox LIVE Silver Member that enjoys decapitating zombies when you aren’t drowning kittens in your bathtub, you know that the Left 4 Dead 2 demo wasn’t available to you last week. Well, put the kitten down and power up your 360. Valve’s zombie fest sequel is waiting and your clogged tub drain will thank you.

Sega is offering early access to the Bayonetta demo to registered Sega Pass Members. Signing up for the Sega Pass is free and takes about 10 seconds (I did it while posting this).

They have a limit of 40,000 codes and they will be given away on a first come first serve basis. If you aren’t a Sega Pass Member, you can sign up right here.

If you weren’t fortunate enough to get your hands on the demo of God of War III at E3, you may still be able to play the game before it’s official release. Those who reserved the game early will be able to access the PlayStation 3 exclusive pre-order E3 demo of the game on the PlayStation Network. Check out the awesome demo footage below. Read more…

Like the original, Assassin’s Creed 2 will not have a demo. This report comes direct from a Ubisoft representative on the floor of the Eurogamer Expo, and while gamers may not be too happy with it, at least one analyst predicts that Ubisoft’s sequel will still outsell the overachieving original. Read more…

In the latest effort to secure more preorders, GameStop posted Battlefield: Bad Company 2 promotional copy on their site promising:

“free overnight shipping, plus access to the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Beta beginning November 19th, 11PM PST.”

GameStop later pulled the page down, surely after being contacted by EA, and BFBC2 developer DICE was quick to add the following via the Official BFBC2 Twitter: Read more…

Weighing in at 2 gigs, the Left 4 Dead 2 demo is available on Xbox LIVE for all Gold Members as of today. As in right now. Seriously. What are you still doing here? Go download it.

In a recent interview with G4TV, Quantic Dream Co-CEO and Heavy Rain Writer/Director David Cage, revealed that the company is working on a playable demo of the game. The hang up for the team at the moment is finding the right scene for the demo.

Because the game is a mix of action and exploration, Cage explains that finding “one scene that can convey what we are trying to achieve with Heavy Rain is something really difficult.”

He goes on to say that the company understands the importance of releasing a demo, in that if you don’t release one “players may think that you have something to hide”, but also stresses the importance of putting your best foot forward. Read more…

Is that headline a bit critical of Band Hero? No. Is that headline very critical of Band Hero? Absolutely.

The demo for Band Hero hit the Xbox Live Marketplace a few hours ago, and though it’s getting rather mixed impressions, through and through, Band Hero is a family game, with family songs, targeted at a family market. Of course, with artists such as Taylor Swift, Maroon 5, and Jesse McCartney heading up the set list, you didn’t need me to tell you that.

But that’s not to say the setlist is a stinker; In fact, I really like it. Obvious mainstream appeal aside, songs like “Black Horse And Cherry Tree”, “Let’s Dance”, and “Kung-Fu Fighting” make me want to at least give the game a try, when it comes out Nov. 3rd. If this seems like your type of thing, or you’re just looking to quench your music game, button-mashing thirst, hit up XBLM and download the 3-song demo now.

The God of War collection smashes onto the PS3 in less than two months featuring the full version of the first two games in the series. While that was enough to make me run out and preorder it (I actually powerwalked), the pot has just been sweetened: the collection will also come with a voucher to download the E3 God of War III demo. That’s right! There is a God. Of War. And he’s on his way.

It’s not often you get a demo that’s packed with content, but EA have announced that the PC demo for their attempt at a serious racing game has been released and can be downloaded here. The demo includes a lot (for a demo) of cars, and even an unlockable Zonda:

• BMW M3 (E46)
• 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10
• 2006 Lotus Elise 111R
• 2008 Nissan GT-R
• 2006 Pagani Zonda F (unlockable)

A PS3 and Xbox 360 demo is also coming early October, or of course you could just go out and buy the game, if you’re made of money.

For those of you out there who never picked up the full version of Battlefield 1943, the demo timer has been reset, giving players another 30 minutes to enjoy the slam-bang action. For Xbox 360 users, the server issues seemed to be fixed now, so if you couldn’t get into a game before, you should be able to now.

Gamers Digest

RPS reports that the PC demo of the huge open-world racer Fuel is out now for anyone to try- you can download it from here if you’re interested. I’m downloading it as I write this, as I’m eager to see what the game is like. I’ve been playing Burnout Paradise on my PC a lot recently, and I’m hungry for a version on rough terrain; Fuel seems pretty perfect.

Still, there’s no chance that it’ll be better than Burnout, and the generally average review scores it has been getting don’t bode well. Of course, the fact that there’s a free demo means everyone can just see for themselves whether they’re going to get the game or not.

See, this is the kind of stuff that I would never even notice. Some eagle-eyed gamer out there managed to take a picture of this little tidbit from the inFamous demo, showing a matinee listing at the game’s Cineplex. Among the titles at the matinee are Harold & Ranjith, Honor Among Thieves, and… Sly Cooper 4. Oh, Sucker Punch. That game’s not real!

…Right?

Because if it were, then I’d probably go into endless convulsions. I completely with TVGB’s assertion that it’s the best pIatformer of the last decade. loved the first three Sly Cooper games, and the although fourth (which was announced two years ago) was put aside to work on inFamous, I’m sure that everyone would enjoy a fourth installment of Anthropomorphic Hippo, Turtle, and Raccoon Steal Stuff and Run From Fox Cop. Sucker Punch, don’t toy with my emotions.

Plants vs. Zombies, the brand new puzzle/strategy game from Popcap Games, has been released. You can download the game from here or here, at $9.99 and $19.99 respectively. Why you’d pay $10 more for the non-Steam version I have no idea, but if it works for Popcap, good for them.

Popcap, of course, are the creators of both Bejeweled and Peggle, two games that are renowned for their ability to drain away time at an amazing rate. PvZ looks set to do the same thing. You can see for yourself with the demo (which you can get from either of the above links).

In an article explaining the issues around Demigod and the recent fixes, as well as some workarounds for connectivity issues, Stardock’s Brad Wardell has announced that there will be a demo coming soon. He has suggested that the demo be multiplayer only, although this isn’t set in stone at this point. The article’s got a lot in it, so I suggest that if you own the game (or are just curious), you read the rest of it, too.

Wardell also mentions that early adopters, those who have purchased the game before May 10, will receive a 50% off coupon for Demigod, presumably so you can get one for your friend and play together. A pretty good deal if you ask me, since from what I’ve played of the online mode you really do need a friend to play it with.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II now has a demo available on Steam. The demo is single-player only, but if you’re looking for more multiplayer, the game is 25% off until Monday April 20. The game seems to be getting plenty of acclaim, and this is the best chance you’ve got to try the game out (and if you like it, it’s a good price). I know I’ll be doing so, anyway.

GameZine reports that the early demo, released with Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children on Blu-Ray, has a special message at the end: “Coming Winter 2009″. The game will release at some point in 2010 for Western fans, but in the meantime it might comfort some to know that the Japanese version will be ready for release this year, at least on the PS3. Final Fantasy fans who can read Japanese will be interested in this as well, no doubt.

It’s no secret that we here at Ripten are fans of Red Faction: Guerilla. Sure, the builds we’ve seen have got a couple of bugs to sort out, but for the most part, the game’s destructive nature is just pure fun. With this in mind, you can understand why we’re happy that THQ has set a release date for the game.

The game will be releasing for the PC, Xbox 360, and PS3 on June 9th, with a demo being released on April 23rd. Those of you that bother to preorder from GameStop will get access to the beta a full 20 days before, on April 3rd. I wonder how different the game will be from the beta builds we’ve already played, but you can bet that we’re anxious to find out come this June.