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Well, we tabulated the posts, generated the random number, and now we have a winner in our second netbook giveaway!

Congrats to Andrew Nunn, owner of a new HP Mini Netbook courtesy of Virgin America's new in-flight WiFi and Google Apps. Not only do you get a perfectly serviceable computer, but we're also throwing in a teal laptop sleeve that's definitely on the large side. Something to grow into.

Thanks to everyone who participated by making a post on Bitmob.com in the last couple months! Even though we're out of netbooks (or are we? Yes, we are), please keep it up!

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Editor's note: Think video games are a big waste of time? If so, check out Brian's humorous list of other things many people do that are far more boring and pointless. -James

As gamers, we share a sense of identity. We're all lazy man-children (or tomboys) who sit around in our underwear chugging six-packs of Mountain Dew, so that we can stay awake to beat the game. Besides being lazy, we're all unintelligent, repulsive bastards who burn books in bonfires. And who knows, we may even eat babies.

All jokes aside, any of us with an ounce of intelligence realizes that most stereotypes about video games and gamers aren't true. I mean, we all know that they don't really rot our brains, right? They may occasionally distract us from more valuable pursuits, but they don't dumb us down or turn us in to mass murderers.

Since we're now all aware that video games aren't a waste of time, I'm going to provide you with a list of handy alternatives that'll make your days go by faster than an Olympic skier on a training run. If you're looking for activities that'll truly insult your intelligence, I encourage you to keep reading.

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Sure, the PC version of Half-Life was a great game, but I'm more of an old-school guy. That's why I preferred the classic NES original. That game offered a lot of 8-bit, crowbar-swinging good times. I'm also not a fan of those fancy 3D graphics. Nothing beats pixels [via VGBoxArt]:

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Editor's note: I don't know about some of Jeff's "improvements" -- for one, he seems a little too focused on the threat of nuclear holocaust than new, meaningful diplomatic options. Ranged combat existed previously in Civilization 3, only to be removed in the fourth iteration because of the tactical domination the mechanic awarded to artillery and bombers. But axing the small amount of luck in the series' game design? How will I ever stop an invading force of tanks with my lowly spearmen again? -Rob

I'd change very little about Civilization 4 -- even five years after the game's release. But don't mistake that for a lack of desire for Civilization 5; I'm salivating at the prospect of spending more nights conquering the world with my super-cultured, democratic, Jewish Vikings.

I have a few ideas about aspects of the game that Firaxis and Sid Meier can touch up, and I'm going to list them here for your reading pleasure.

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Most of us abhor fanboys. When debates about Mario and Marcus Fenix appear on message boards or IRC channels, we attempt to avoid them entirely. But the sheer number of brand loyalists currently occupying the Steam and NeoGaming Age forums makes ignoring the issue impossible: Modern Warfare 2 and Battlefied: Bad Company 2 are ready to throw down.

Instead of defusing the childish arguments, DICE -- the developers responsible for BC2 -- have egged on the Internet agitators. Throughout the single-player campaign, the members of Bad Company call out and poke fun at the unrealistic super soldiers who star in the Call of Duty series. Take a look:

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If the recent events are any indication, it's not a good time to be Activision right now -- corporate upheavals such as this tend to have some pretty dire consequences.

News Blips:

After a very "confused" situation that arose yesterday at the offices of Modern Warfare 2 developer Infinity Ward, CTO Jason West and CEO Vince Zampella have both left the company. The updated Linkedin profiles for West and Zampella reflect the departures, coinciding with Activision's earlier investigation into what it claimed as "breaches of contract and insubordination by two senior employees at Infinity Ward." The public outcry so far is palpable -- but other minds, like Double Fine's Tim Schafer (Brutal Legend), doesn't believe it will make a difference. [G4TV]

Halo: Reach developer Bungie has teased of new multiplayer details that will be released soon. After remarking on the successful results of the game's first full campaign playtest on Bungie's official blog, Creative Director Marcus Lehto concluded with the promise of an "MP bomb" that will be revealed in about a day. I'm a little confused -- is Lehto heralding our destruction through a thinly veiled terror threat?

After eight years of development, Activision has shut down a fan-made King's Quest project. Initially named The Silver Lining, the project aimed to deliver episodic content that utilized the King's Quest IP. After some brief negotiations, Activision had no interest in a non-commercial license and stopped the project. I get the feeling that Activision is actually buying into CEO Bobby Kotick's comments on sucking the fun out of video games.

Jonathan Blow, creator of the platformer Braid, has started a fund to assist indie developers with publishing costs. Dubbed the Indie Fund, the finances help promote financial independence amongst smaller developers by pooling resources as an alternative to traditional publishers. I'm sure I'm not alone in hoping that Blow's ambitious project will meet with success.

Got any hot news tips? Send 'em over to tips@bitmob.com.

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Every battle-hardened soldier should have the option of piping strangely fitting orchestral music into their radio sets.

Video Blips:

• EA and DICE's launch trailer for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 seems fairly balletic. The graceful tumble of defeated soldiers in slow motion really demands some of those ubiquitous doves you see in action movies. [G4TV]

Continue after the break for an(other) Australian report on video game violence, some snarky words from the Terran army in Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty, and a trailer for MLB 10: The Show.

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I'm having a lot of fun playing the Starcraft 2 Beta, but I can't shake the feeling that the whole experience is missing...something. Now I know what that something is.

Dancing:

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It's always good to have a friend. Can you match these video-game characters to their loyal companions?

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The month of March is starting out with a resounding bang! Bad Company 2 hits stores tomorrow, Final Fantasy 13 comes out in a week, and God of War 3 is looming on the horizon. If anything, this month will leave our thumbs sore and our wallets empty.

But don't worry, I see a light at the end of the tunnel. Despite being tired and broke, we all have a goal to work toward, thanks to Austin Hargrave. Better known as "PeanutButterGamer," the prolific ScrewAttack blogger, has issued a challenge to all gamers. He wants us to beat as many games as we can by April 1st, 2010.

Are you man enough to accept his challenge? If so, hurry -- you only have 30 days left!

In recent weeks, I haven't been gaming as much as I would like. But with school winding down and new, exciting games just around the corner, Austin's challenge is enough to motivate me to pick up the controller once more!

I'll be playing (and hopefully completing) Bad Company 2, Metro 2033, Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2, and Doom 3. How about you?

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Comedians Sheila Bryson and Dave Karraker join Bitmob's Dan Hsu and Demian Linn on the latest and greatest episode of the Mobcast.

The group discusses each person's first professional experience in the gaming industry, Nintendo's recent press event, interesting console launches, personal metrics of nerd cred, and which game hunks Sheila finds attractive.

Have a question you want answered? Want to share some important insight with the world? E-mail the crew at letters@bitmob.com.

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