Wouldn’t it be easier if all the good stuff was cut down into, say, 7 minutes and 53 seconds?

In this highlight reel of the inFAMOUS 2 Comic-Con panel, the Sucker Punch team talks about the creation of Cole and the changes he’s gone through since the first inFAMOUS (including his voice), how New Orleans is an influence on inFAMOUS 2’s setting of New Marais, and, the all important question of why Cole can’t climb chain link fences:

And round of applause for IGN’s Greg Miller – huge inFAMOUS fan and panel host extraordinaire. Nice job moderating, Greg.

One last bit of inFAMOUS-related business: tomorrow is the last day to register on inFAMOUStheGAME.com to get an exclusive PS3 theme. It’s made from concept art for the game and this is the only way you can get it.

In DC Universe Online, you’ll be able to team up with legendary DC heroes like Batman, Superman, and Green Lantern… or pledge allegiance to the Joker, Lex Luthor, and other classic villains to determine the fate of the DC Universe. During the struggle for supremacy, you’ll team up with thousands of other players online from your PS3, customize your own skills and abilities, and ultimately create the most powerful super-being ever depicted in a videogame setting

So now that we know that gamers can become the next great legend of the DC Universe, the next question is whether or not they’ll save it, or conquer it? Guess we’ll find out when the game hits the PS3 on November 2nd.

Here’s the voucher code for the True Blood teaser: EKJ6-TQBN-4T9Q.

To get a better taste of what to expect, check out the blog entry below from the co-writer of the True Blood series, Mariah Huehner.

Vampires seem to be one of the few mythological creatures we just can’t seem to get enough of. They’ve become the embodiments of many of the darker impulses in the human condition and our need to express/explore them. They can be metaphors for the lonely “outsider.” They can represent the scarily tempting, deeply disturbing, and often repressive side of human sexuality. They can be impossibly beautiful or hideously monstrous. Whether they’re soulless atrocities or tragically misunderstood, they’ve managed to capture our collective imagination like very few other horror creatures, and they’re portrayed in a more nuanced way than most of our nightmares ever are.

True Blood is no exception. But it isn’t quite like Ye Olde Vampyre Tales, either. While many of the metaphoric elements are still intact, they don’t really mess around with being coy. It’s a very raw look at vampires, and in many ways a very raw look at humanity and life itself. It’s more passionate, more violent. More everything. And it’s not afraid to dip into the larger pool of myth, either, with shape shifters and werewolves and Greek goddesses…and who knows what else still to come.

Working on the comic with Alan Ball, Kate Barnow, Elizabeth Finch, David Tischman, and David Messina, has been one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. Not to mention my first official writing gig in comics. It’s very exciting and scary and most of all: fun. There are very few “worlds” as creatively open to play in as True Blood, and the team really let us explore the characters in ways I hope fans will enjoy. There’s still plenty of sex, violence, and gore…But, just like the show, there’s a lot more going on. There’s a mystery to be solved, a creepy new monster to deal with (where we dipped a bit into local Louisiana mythology ourselves), and all the characters are forced to reveal secrets from their pasts they’ve never shared with anyone before. Things most of us would be happy to go to our graves never telling even our nearest and dearest.

Personally, vampires have never really “scared” me in that booga-booga sense. But they do horrify. I mean, drinking blood seems incredibly gross to me, for one thing. Not to mention the fact that you have to kill another person to keep “living” your undead life. Lack of daylight I’m mostly okay with, though I’d miss sunsets over the ocean fiercely. But it’s losing everyone you love to age and death, while you stay the same, that’s truly horrifying. Because I kind of like the idea of immortality sometimes. Doesn’t everyone? You know, when it’s late at night and no one else is around and you realize that you’re going to cease being at some point and there are so many things you’re going to miss. That’s when the idea of never growing any older, of never dying, is most tempting. And maybe that tradeoff is worth a little blood sucking, right?

Maybe that’s what’s so intriguing about Bon Temps and the characters that inhabit True Blood. The sense that, deep down, a lot of them are thinking the same thing.

I hope you like our little True Blood story. I hope you find it as fun, romantic, scary, funny, sexy, and raw as the show. And if it makes you wonder, even a little, if you might make a good vampire, well…I won’t judge.

Tonight, GameTrailers TV is hosting a special God of War: Ghost of Sparta preview on SPIKE TV. The episode will showcase new gameplay video and details on the eagerly anticipated action epic being developed by Ready At Dawn Studios, aka the folks behind God of War: Chains of Olympus.

The SPIKE TV special will air tonight at 12:30am Pacific Time (check SPIKE.com for local listings).

Also, if you’re attending Comic-Con in San Diego, the Ready At Dawn team has a special treat for you. Drop by the San Diego Convention Center on Saturday to catch the “The World That is God of War” discussion panel and Q&A session — anyone with a badge should be able to attend, space willing. Here are the full details for the Comic-Con panel:

The World That is God of War — Ghost of Sparta Panel Q&A

• Time: Saturday, July 24: 1:00 — 2:00PM
• Location: San Diego Convention Center (Room 7AB)

111 West Harbor Drive
San Diego, CA 92101

• Description: Ru Weerasuriya and Dana Jan are back, along with their talented team at Ready At Dawn Studios, to expand upon this blockbuster mythological world with God of War: Ghost of Sparta. Join Ru, Dana, and team for this one-on-one interview and Q&A session.

Finally, in related news, I got a chance to go one-on-one with Ghost of Sparta at the NYC PlayStation media day earlier this week. The action is classic God of War: fast, brutal, and epic. Kratos was packing plenty of new gear, too. The Spartan Spear and Shield grants Kratos a longer reach and the ability to hurl spears at distant foes, though his trademark Blades of Chaos still hold the edge in overall attack speed. I also experimented with the Eye of Atlantis, a new magical attack that gushes a stream of chain lightning at nearby enemies.

While you’re waiting for the SPIKE TV special and Comic-Con panel to start, you might want to take another look at the first Ghost of Sparta gameplay footage below. And yeah, that’s running on a PSP. Wait until you see it in person, free from web video compression.

Lead Writer Jeffrey Yohalem revealed more about AC: Brotherhood’s structure: it’s going to chronicle the struggle that leads to true leadership, based around the principles of Machiavelli’s The Prince. It takes more than just charisma to be a leader, but you’ve got to make a lot of right decisions before people put their life in your hands. In AC: Brotherhood, we’ll see how the returning Ezio will exemplify those qualities in the continuing struggles of the Assassins vs the Templars. Expect almost everyone that you met in ACII (but didn’t kill, natch) to return, albeit through deepened relationships. Characters that seemed merely helpful or 1-dimensional in ACII will reveal themselves to be more complex now.

The writers stressed that it’s important that everything fits into the story of Assassin’s Creed. Even the game’s menus are part of the Animus machine that Desmond channels the past in. Multiplayer mode is no different: “Abstergo has been busy,” said Yohalem. Remember that room filled with Animi (Animuses?) during the escape scene at the beginning of ACII? That’s the Templar-controlled company’s training ground for new, counter-assassins. They’ve been uploading the skills that actual Assassins like Desmond have been unlocking into their most adept pupils, and their training simulation is our multiplayer.

However it fits into the story, it looks like a good time. I’ve heard it described as a modern videogame take on hide-and-seek, and that seems accurate. But with more stabbing. Oh, and two new characters were revealed: a Blacksmith and a Soldier, and based on the Q&A that followed the panel, there’ll likely be more revealed between now and the game’s November release.

Some more highlights from the fan Q & A section:

Q: Will there be more Desmond gameplay in ACB?
A: Yes, it’ll take a very unexpected turn. Things will change quite a bit in the present day. He’ll also be changing his look.
Q: Will there ever be any female assassins?
A: Yes, wait for November.
Q: Will we learn more about the ancient assassins from that room where you place the seals you collect in ACII?
A: Yes. Everything that we have started will resolve… Eventually.
Q: How many multiplayer characters total?
A: A lot. (but not Ezio or Altair, as that wouldn’t make sense in the scope of the story)
Q: Any plans for DLC?
A: Yes, there are plans in the works.

Oh, one last thing. That Russian/red star Assassins logo that popped up a week or two ago was not a hint that the next Assassin’s Creed game would take you to Russia. It’s actually a new comic book based on the Tunguska explosion hinted at in ACII.

There’s actually a lot more from that conversation, so maybe we’ll have to do an unedited director’s cut some time down the line…

If you want to hear more from David and Scott soon, you’re in luck: they’ll be speaking *today* at Comic-Con. They’ll be revealing some of the characters of the new game, share early looks at the game’s twisted end stories, and show concept art of ideas that never saw the light of day.

The “Twisted Metal Returns!” panel starts at 1PM this afternoon in Room 8. It should be awesome in person but, if you’re not going to be able to make it to Comic-Con, we’ll be recording it and sharing highlights with you next week.

As senior artist on the title, I work with the art teams to help production run smoothly and tackle the huge task of drawing every frame of our graphic cut scenes. It’s time consuming and a lot of hard work but, in the end, I hope InFAMOUS 2 will reflect our love for comic books and give fans the experience of being a super powered hero. It means a lot to both me and the team to see all the love you have for InFAMOUS. In addition, we may have some Comic-Con panel highlights next week to share as well.

Before I forget, go and register on infamousthegame.com to receive an exclusive InFAMOUS 2 PS3 theme!

But first, check out the teaser video below for a taste of what’s in store on Spike TV this Friday night.

This trailer gives a peek at the backstory you will experience when you kick off your experience in DC Universe Online. PS3 players will instantly recognize some of the star-studded voiceover cast we have assembled to give you the ultimate DC experience. Highlights include Mark Hamill as the Joker, Kevin Conroy as Batman, James Marsters as Lex Luthor, and more.

Stay tuned for the full trailer this Friday night at 12:30am on Spike TV. And remember: the next legend is you!

It’s called “From Origin to Evolution: The Making of a Modern Day Superhero for the Videogame World,” and we’ll be discussing topics like how we made inFAMOUS, our comic inspirations, and of course some insights into what we hope to accomplish for inFAMOUS 2.  We’ll be showing some cool artwork, plus one of the first 2D cutscenes from the new game. Greg Miller from IGN fame will be moderating the discussion and you’ll be able to ask us any burning questions you might have. Here’s the summary:

inFAMOUS 2 Panel & Q&A
When: Thursday, July 22nd, 6:30pm – 7:30pm
Where: Room 7AB

On top of all that, all panel attendees will score a sweet InFAMOUS 2 shirt!

For those who can’t make it to Comic-Con this year, have no fear, check out our first behind the scenes video leading up to our panel discussion to see how much comics have been a factor in the creation of Cole and the InFAMOUS universe.

Fortunately, we’ll be featuring the latest build of the game at our Comic-Con event on Thursday (invites just went out for that, btw – check your email). And Scott Pilgrim vs The World’s (PSN-exclusive) debut isn’t that far off, either – August 10th.

In the meantime, and just in time for Comic-Con, take a look at the latest trailer.

We’ll have more on Scott Pilgrim vs The World shortly after Comic-Con.