THQ has announced that WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 will not only come with multiple covers, but a devastating clothesline to used game buyers. The manual will include a code that can be redeemed for "online access and the game's first DLC package," with Chris Masters as a playable character and Halloween-style costumes for Rey Mysterio and Kelly Kelly. Those who buy the game used (presumably without the code) will need to buy the DLC for 800 MS points, or $9.99 on PSN. "Project Ten Dollar"? Isn't that the new TLC match team?

Elsewhere, in the list of features actually available on the disc itself, wrestling fans will find a WWE Universe mode, an updated Road to Wrestlemania feature, more than 70 different WWE personalities and a custom character creator, plus the usual roundup of punches, kicks and sweaty holds in more than 100 different match types. Check them all out in a trailer after the break -- no in-the-box redeem code necessary.

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Since its release, the PS3 has put up a strong wall against hackers. The piracy problems that have plagued other systems -- including Sony's own PSP -- just haven't been an issue. Now a group purports to have designed a USB plug-and-play device that defeats Sony's copy protection.

The PSJailbreak device is intended not only to allow retail PS3 games (and not Blu-Ray movies, DVD movies, or backward-compatible games) to be played from a hard drive, but can also block Sony's mandatory (and frequent) firmware updates, effectively protecting itself against obsolescence. For players with an interest in opening up their consoles for homebrew development, and not necessarily swashbuckling, it also enables the use of homebrew games and applications. (Seriously, don't be a pirate.)

At least, that's according to PSX-Scene and OzModchips.com, the latter of which posted a video of the technology in action (seen after the break). The technology's effectiveness hasn't been definitively proven and Sony has yet to provide comment. Perhaps that comment will come in the form of a new PS3 firmware update?

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The demo of LittleBigPlanet 2 that was shown at Cologne's Gamescom this week was similar to the build shown off to great effect at E3 a few months ago. But there was one significant level-editing feature that was being demonstrated for the first time here: a music sequencer that's also quite a bit more.

LittleBigPlanet 2 Technical Director Alex Evans demonstrated the sequencer, which lets you arrange notes on a four-measure grid with the beat at the bottom and multiple octaves of notes running vertically. You choose from a selection of instrument samples including a honky tonk piano, acoustic guitar, drum kit, beatbox, and roughly 30 more that were shown in the demo (more are expected for the final game, Evans said). Notes can be built into samples, which can then be repeated and mixed further via a larger timeline object in the level creation screen.

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We've been told before that the Xbox 360's Kinect would work when "an experience is developed with sitting in mind," but we hadn't had the opportunity to really test that. In a Gamescom meeting, where we saw the Kinect version of the Xbox dashboard, we tried out the menu system and movie controls to test its recognition of seated users:

• Sitting in a chair: Definitely works.
• Sitting on the floor: Works.
• Reclining while facing the Kinect: Works.
• Reclining with the Kinect at our side: We couldn't get this to work, but we've been told that it will by launch.
• Using another human as a coffee table (should have taken photos!): Kinect recognized the person behind the human coffee table trying to control the movie.

According to Microsoft, Kinect was running on an improved version of the software used during E3 in June. The manufacturer is set to make further improvements before the camera's November debut.

We're all for super tough, magical knights with transforming sword/scythe weapons. Snarling 15-foot beasts, though? Not so much. The latest trailer for Knights Contract features both. This could pose a problem for us, juxtaposing two things that we, respectively, like and despise. When we saw the magical knights brutally murder a handful of the beasts ... we'll be honest: it made us feel a lot better. Hopefully you'll click past the break and it'll have the same effect on you.

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It's time for some straight talk. When we saw the above image – part of Namco's Splatterhouse Gamescom press blast today – we were simultaneously both grossed out and in stitches. We had a lot of gags (both because of and featuring) Rick and his monster pal but we couldn't settle on just one. So we're using this post to bring them all to you. Bon appétit!

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