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Welcome to the Bitmob Community Jukebox! The Jukebox is a weekly column focused around gathering tunes from the community and celebrating video game music.

This week is a whopper for Square-Enix -- nearly a third of the songs come from the company formerly known as Squaresoft. The Legend of Zelda also has a strong presence courtesy of community members Jimmy Flores and Bryan Glynn, and a few strange selections from titles like Spore and Mr. Driller crept on to the list.. Also, make sure sure to check out the first-ever song of the week from a game I've never played, seen, or even heard of. It's pretty awesome.

Want to share some euphonious love with the community? Hit the jump to find out how to drop me a line.

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Editor's note: I don't usually look at a website and think, "Huh, I hope this fails." But sometimes I do. -Demian

Just when you thought the world couldn’t become a lonelier, crappier place, GameCrush ups the ante on the level of despair the Internet brings to a new generation. What is GameCrush? Let's go to the press release:

“...an entirely new interactive social gaming experience allowing gamers to meet, match, and pay to play online games with other users (PlayDates). GameCrush is the only online service that allows gamers to choose a companion to spice up their favorite online games. Both Players and PlayDates define the experience they want -- either “flirty” or “dirty,” choosing from some of the most popular console titles and casual web-based games.”

Great. And thus opens a new gateway to seclusion, awkwardness, and concepts mildly taboo in American culture. Granted, companionship has always been for sale, but typically it’s for a late night fap session via a 900 number or a dirty street corner....

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Online matches of Modern Warfare 2 are all pretty typical. Sixteen players charge toward one another, firing guns and throwing grenades -- nothing special. But every once in a while, someone gets bored and decides to break the established conventions. YouTube user Wayne Wexford figured that snipers shouldn't have a monopoly on Claymore mines. Tired of using bullets, Wayne equipped a few mines and set himself to work. The following kills are the fruits of his labor:

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Does anyone who's playing the Starcraft 2 beta feel like it deserves an Adults-Only rating?

News Blips:

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Editor's note: How much are you willing to pay for convenience in games? For some cute costumes or a few extra levels? Brendon examines his own threshold for buying downloadable content and wonders whether we should take a concerted stand against DLC. -Brett

On April 15, Blizzard added the Celestial Steed to its World of Warcraft online store, setting off a firestorm of message board comments.

For $25, WoW players can now be the proud owners of a flying star pony. The Celestial Steed will be accessible to all characters, present and future, on the purchasing account until the end of the world (of Warcraft). It scales with riding ability, which has historically been a trait reserved for expensive, rare, or otherwise hard-to-get mounts. It is your Mount of Forever, provided you’re willing to cough up the cash.

A few hours after launch, the download queue stood at 100,000 and change.

For every ten people buying one, there’s at least one player complaining about it.

It feeds on the addiction of mentally unstable fans, those critics say. They contend it marks a troubling turn for Blizzard, who has been slowly introducing paid conveniences over the past few years but said it would draw the line at anything that would directly impact gameplay.

It’s also too expensive. Some critics want it but simply can’t afford it.

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If you follow our Twitter account or our Facebook page, you may have noticed we're getting a little more social with our social networking. From time to time, we'll ask a question relevant to video game news. We're going to collecting the best answers in this new feature, Tweetbook Q&A.

It begins!

Is Splinter Cell: Conviction a day-one purchase for you?

Via Facebook:

James B. Walker on missing the mark: "You know, for all the ads and hype in the last couple of weeks, I'm amazed how many people have been honestly surprised it's coming out today. I am one of those people and also broke as hell, so no. No it is not."

Tim Hoffner on bad ads: "The ad from Gamestop for the preorder turned me off completely."

Kree Calhoun on trying before buying: "Day one rental for me."

Alex Martin on being oblivious: "It is? I guess not then."

Jose Abraham Espino-Arvizu with a not-so-short answer: "I was going to buy it, I already put down 60 bucks on it, but I heard it was a five-to-six-hour game and it kinda turned me away. And I didn't hear much of multiplayer. Taking my money back today, but I will definitely check it out later; I heard good things about it. :) answer is...no."

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Best Crackdown 2 developer quote to take out of context (at 1:42): "There's nothing more satisfying than seeing bodies piling over the car and exploding into particle fireworks." 

Video Blips:

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In this episode, the Internet's ubiquitous funnyman/former Super Friend Seanbaby joins Bitmob's own Dan Hsu, Demian Linn, and Brett Bates to celebrate the Mobcast's 50th episode. The group discusses their favorite and least favorite games, frustrating experiences, great moments in video game history, gaming-related birthday memories, and which titles from the past and present will the crew still be enjoying in 2060. 

Have a community topic you want to hear the crew discuss? E-mail your suggestions to letters@bitmob.com, subject: Mobcast.

Zune Link (must use Internet Explorer)

Direct Download (right click save as)

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The World of Warcraft is changing. You used to buy your flying mounts with gold you earned in the game. I guess now the cool way to do it is with very real money.

Also, this is your last reminder for the Draw The Warcraft Hero Contest. The deadline is this Wednesday, so chop chop!

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Editor's note: A nerdy twist on a classic set up: Who would you want to make your perfect game? I like Chase's approach here, because I feel that the industry -- and games journalism -- needs to spotlight the talent behind the keyboards much more so than they do currently. -Rob

Since the dawn of time, humanity has entertained a little conversation starter. In it, you name three individuals you would like to invite to dinner. Some people restrict it to the living only and others allow anyone; really, it’s up to you what rules you want to follow.

My list has always consisted of Benjamin Franklin, Paul McCartney, and Conan O’Brien. But since this is Bitmob, let’s tweak the game a little.

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Okay, so not really. But according this commercial from the '80s, he might as well be. Chef Boyardee had a line of Pac-Man-themed pastas that came with meatballs, without meatballs, and in chicken flavor. Just see for yourself [via The Retroist]:

I recently had a can of Chef Boyardee pasta. Man, I used to be able to eat that stuff without a problem. I gagged on its contents due to the cloy sauce. I can only imagine what this tie-in food product was like. 

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Time to roll up the ice. You don’t need to play any NHL playoff games this year, because Chicago’s got it in the bag -- according to EA Sports, that is. The company ran a simulation on their award-winning NHL 10, and according to the results, the 'Hawks will defeat the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins in a seven-game series  [via Icrontic]

This reminds me of the 1996 Sports Illustrated cover that said the Super Bowl would be between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Green Bay Packers that year. It wasn't.

In defense of EA Sports, they do a little more than just predict Chicago winning the 2010 Stanley Cup. Video-game companies do simulated seasons on many sports titles every year. For this season, the sports-game juggernaut took the concept a step further. They conducted a computerized simulation using artificial intelligence that takes into account player ratings, line combinations -- even unpredictable occurrences like injuries and hot streaks. Sounds like it's time to take a trip to your local sportsbook! Check after the jump for video highlights of the virtual finals.

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