If you'd like to take part and link up with everyone (including some DICE guys) you can hop on any of the Somali Hunger Relief tagged servers provided by i3d.net. There's also a Teamspeak server up with IP: 213.133.97.214, password: "benefit". Here's a little more about the effort so you know what you're supporting:

The food crisis in Somalia continues to worsen. For the second planting season in a row, the rains have been inadequate to ensure a proper harvest. The number of people in need of food assistance in Somalia is now 3.7 million, more than a third of the country’s population. It is time for the Battlefield Community to come together to lend a hand to those less fortunate.

Donations will be taken through GamersOutreach, a video-game industry charity organization that works to use interactive entertainment in ways that improve the lives of others. They are a 501(c)(3), tax-exempt non profit that specializes in working with gamers for charity. We will then be passing on 100% of the donations to the World Food Programme in support of their Somalian relief operation.

Now please check out this live action TF2 flick to get your day started just right!

Alduin Statue. Created in conjunction with the IP Factory, this collector’s only statue stands 12” tall and is made of high quality PVC. Modeled from actual in-game 3D digital files, it showcases Alduin, the World Eater. He stands perched atop one the game’s many dragon walls that teach the player the lethal language of dragons.

‘The Art of Skyrim’ Official Art Book. Featuring over 200 pages of striking, full-color illustrations, sketches and models, this stunning 9 3/8” x 12 1/8” coffee table book showcases the characters, creatures, environments, and weaponry of Skyrim. With a foreword by game director Todd Howard and commentary from Bethesda Game Studios artists, readers will be guided through the game’s iconic visual style.

‘The Making of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’ DVD. This documentary DVD contains exclusive, behind-the-scenes footage, including interviews with the Bethesda Game Studios team as they take you from concept to creation and provide insights into the story, gameplay, setting, legacy of the Elder Scrolls franchise, and much more.

Tropico 4 sees you return as El Presidente, the tyrannical (or benevolent) dictator of the island paradise of Tropico. The world is changing and Tropico is moving with the times – geographical powers rise and fall and the world market is dominated by new players with new demands and offers - and you, as El Presidente, face a whole new set of challenges. If you are to triumph over your naysayers you will need to gain as much support from your people as possible. Your decisions will shape the future of your nation, and more importantly, the size of your Swiss bank account.

Minimum Required:
• Operating System: Windows XP SP3 (32-bit), Vista / 7 (32 or 64-bit)
• Processor: 2 GHz Dual Core CPU
• Memory: 1 GB RAM
• HDD: 5 GB free hard disk space
• Graphics: Shader Model 3.0 (Geforce 6600 or higher, Radeon X1600-Series), 256 MB, DirectX 9.0c

  Recommended:

• Operating System: Windows Vista / 7 (32 or 64-bit)
• Processor: 2 GHz Quad Core CPU
• Memory: 2 GB RAM
• HDD: 5 GB free hard disk space
• Graphics: Shader Model 3.0 (Geforce 8800 or higher, Radeon HD4000-Series or higher), 512 MB, DirectX 9.0c

Tropico 4 will also support NVIDIA's FXAA technology on both console and Windows PC, which offers advanced anti-aliasing features with a minimal effect on system performance.

Featuring lush and imaginative artwork in full 1080p resolution, as well as an innovative reactive narration system that responds to players' actions in real time, the game challenges players to build a new world after a cataclysmic event shatters the land to pieces. As players journey into the wild unknown, they will confront savage beasts, forge an array of customisable weapons and gain new powers from specially-brewed spirits as they become immersed in the game's rich atmosphere.

• DCS: A-10C Warthog - $40.19
• DCS: Ka-50 Black Shark - $26.80
• Flaming Cliffs 2 Upgrade - $20.01

On the topic of free-to-play games, I wonder how pirates about them. I'm sure it doesn't feel quite as hardcore leeching a game when the developers actually want you to take it without spending a cent. It's almost ingenious really since it opens the door for all, eliminates the need for DRM, and sets up a situation where a game can continue to make profits off not only new customers but also existing ones for years to come. Back when I was super active in League of Legends I met more than a few people who admitted to spending hundreds of dollars on character skins. That's nuts!

Anyways, I best be moving on to the video of the day. A few guys started up a new Youtube channel called "Simple Pickup" that's dedicated to picking up chicks, and what better way to do it than with Starcraft 2 lines. Idiocracy here we come, they actually get some girls to go for it. Afterwards don't forget to check out their "How To Touch Girls" video for some cringe worthy pick-up advice moments.