Week in Review

This week Borderlands gets in touch with its softer side, Anonymous threats pay off and a little game called Modern Warfare 3 gets released.

Gearbox Remembers Late Fan With Touching Borderlands 2 Tribute

When Michael John Mamaril passed away of cancer at the far-too-young age of 22, his friend Carlo thought to memorialize his late pal by petitioning developer Gearbox Software to permanently inscribe Mamaril in the annals of gaming history. This wasn’t something that Gearbox had to do, nor was Mamarill previously known to the development team, and yet his memory will now live on in every copy of Borderlands 2. (Link)

Zetas Cartel Frees Kidnap Victim Following Anonymous Threats

The Zetas, for those who don’t keep up with the shadowy world of Mexican drug cartels, is widely considered to be the worst of the worst. The group was founded by deserters from the Mexican Army Special Forces who began working as a mercenary army for the Gulf Cartel but eventually grew to become the country’s second-most-powerful – and far and away most viciously violent – drug cartel. They have butchered hundreds of rival cartel members and innocent civilians alike; in 2010, the group killed 72 people in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas and in 2011, another mass grave in the state containing at least 193 bodies was also attributed to the group. These are not guys to be messed with. (Link)

Modern Warefare 3 Nutcase Threatens to Blow Up Best Buy

Call of Duty really seems to bring out the Einsteins, doesn’t it? First we had the criminal mastermind who was picked up at a midnight launch event after abotched robbery attempt and now comes the sordid tale of Lomorin Sar, a 31-year-old man from Colorado who was mightily disappointed when he learned that his local Best Buy had screwed up his Modern Warfare 3 preorder. (Link)

Former Team Bondi Chief Speaks Out

The post-L.A. Noire breakdown of Team Bondi has been well documented but the one man who hasn’t had much to say about it, until now, is former studio head Brendan McNamara. McNamara earned himself a reputation as a tyrant and a bully in the waning days of Team Bondi’s swan song, which he says contributed to the demise of his studio even though it was unjustified. (Link)

Modern Warfare 3 Blows Up Single Day Sales Record

Two years ago, Modern Warfare 2 was a smash hit from day one, selling nearly 7 million copies to make its publisher very happy with $310 million in revenue.Black Ops followed suit the next year by generating $360 million the first 24 hours it was available. This week, MW3 sold an estimated 6.5 million copies for an ungodly amount of $400 million. Everyone wanted to get their hands on the game, including a few weirdos. Activision president Mr. Bobby Kotick is undoubtedly pleased with these results, as the Call of Duty series has come under attack from EA’s Battlefield 3. (Link)