A disagreement over an Xbox Live Indie game has resulted in what may be the ultimate grief, with one gamer sending a SWAT team to another gamer's home after phoning in a bogus murder-suicide 911 call.

It all happened over a game of FortressCraft, the Minecraft-"inspired" world-building game for the Xbox Live Indies channel, according to a report from the Register-Guard. The victim on the receiving end of the SWAT raid was a FortressCraft player who says he was targeted by another FortressCraft player after refusing to give him some in-game content.

The victim, a 26-year-old resident of Eugene, Oregon, believes his FortressCraft rival was the one who made an emergency call to police, telling them that he'd shot his father and intended to commit suicide. That phone call led to a 14 man strong police force raiding the victim's apartment.

The FortressCraft fan says he was warned ahead of time via Xbox Live that his personal information was exposed, details that were possibly used in the "swatting" retaliation.

Man, whatever happened to simple racial epithets and homophobic slurs? I hardly recognize Xbox Live scumbags anymore...

911 hoax behind SWAT response [The Register-Guard - thanks, Chris!]

The first X-Men films introduced us to marquee mutants like Wolverine and Storm. For the 1960s prequel X-Men: First Class, Kick-Ass director Matthew Vaughn has dug deep into X-Men lore and plucked out some of the comic's most obscure mutants.

You may be familiar with the returning characters (Magneto, Professor X, Mystique, and Beast), but what about the rest of the roster? Here's a primer on the film's lesser-known costars. Read more via io9

Looks like Commander Shepard may be taking Microsoft's motion controller into battle in Mass Effect 3. How do we know? Because the box art for the Xbox 360 version of the game claims this Mass Effect will be "better" with Kinect.

That heretofore unseen artwork was uploaded to EA's online store earlier today, then swapped out with something less feature-revealing. (Incidentally, the Kinect branded one is still up here when we published.) Kinect support for Mass Effect 3 is not a bullet point we've heard officially from Electronic Arts or BioWare, but it's looking like optional motion or voice control is due to be announced soon, likely at E3 2011.

Mass Effect 3 isn't the only game rumored to feature unexpected Kinect support. Last week, box art for Ubisoft's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier boasted the same "better with Kinect" branding.

EA recently announced a delay to Mass Effect 3, which is now expected in early 2012. At the time, CEO John Riccitiello explained that BioWare was "adjusting some of the gameplay mechanics and some of the features that you'll see at E3 that can put this into a genre equivalent of shooter meets RPG."

Last year, BioWare's Greg Zeschuk told GamesIndustry.biz said the company was looking at motion control in terms of how it could fit with Mass Effect.

"What can we actually do in a game like Mass Effect? Can we create a greater sense of immersion during conversations by using gestures?" Zeschuk said. "I think we probably could and I think that's where we'll explore. We're not going to do a party game, we're not going to do Dance Dance Krogan for Mass Effect. The reality is it's going to have a really positive impact."

"There's that impediment of a controller but hardcore gamers are never going to give that up. It might be nice to see a hybrid of a controller used with additional gesture on the side for immersive elements. So we'll see it go from family entertainment and then broaden out."

We're checking in with EA and BioWare to see if they'd like to randomly announce it now, but it's looking like a very good possibility. At the very least, we're going to get some interesting sex scenes out of Mass Effect 3 and probably even more fascinating mainstream media coverage of it.

Compatible with Kinect ? God sake tells me it's bull****... [Bioware Forums]

New comics show up in comics stores (and on many of your favorite portable devices) every Wednesday. But which ones are worth buying?

As always, I have some suggestions.

Comics You Should Consider Buying (from comics shops)

Celluloid I wish I could tell you if this $35 book was good. I don't know, because I don't have it. But I have good reason to include it. First, the official summary: "Dave McKean's first original graphic novel since his landmark book Cages brings to bear the astonishing range of illustrative and storytelling skills that have served him so well on his collaborations with Neil Gaiman and elsewhere. Celluloid is a rare 'erotic' graphic novel that is also a genuine work of art." Cages was great, I can attest to that. And anyone who ever admired a cover to Gaiman's Sandman was admiring McKean's art. Can't say I'm excited about this being an "erotic" work of art. That's not exactly what I need in my life, but it is McKean. (It appears that this book is being released this week alongside a few other heavy hitters from publisher Fantagraphics: Congress of The Animals from Jim Woodring and Isle of 100,000 Graves by the always-excellent Jason, who—a note of caution—only draws, but doesn't write this new book.)

Criminal: Last of the Innocent #1 Ed Brubaker writes reliably excellent crime comics. This is the first issue of his newest one.

Doctor Who Classics: Seventh Doctor #5 I know so little about Dr. Who that I can't even tell you the guy's first name (does he have one?). I do know that this reprint series includes a story written by Grant Morrison and drawn by Bryan Hitch, two of the most acclaimed creators in the business. For that alone, I'll buy this.

Fear Itself: The Deep #1 Marvel's big crossover continues this week with a new issue of Fear Itself, but I'm more interested in this spin-off mini-series that involves an underwater attack on the Sub-Mariner that brings the mystic Dr. Strange to his rescue. The selling point for me is writer Cullen Bunn, whose work I recently discovered via a superb Captain America back-up story and a strong run in Superman/Batman that involved the DC icons in a future where the forces of magic reigned. I've not read enough of Bunn to say his work is guaranteed to be good every time, but I've liked all that I've read of his so far.

Flashpoint Batman: Knight of Vengeance A new issue of DC Comics' big crossover series Flashpoint is out today, along with the first of dozens of spin-off issues, most of which will form a batch of three-issues mini-series. All occur in an alternate version of the standard DC universe of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, a version where everyone but the Flash and Booster Gold are somewhat different. Of all the tie-ins released this week, the Batman one is the most deserving of attention, for two reasons: 1) It appears that, in this universe, Batman's alter ego is Bruce Wayne's dad and 2) the creative team of writer Brian Azzarrello and artist Eduardo Risso are among the finest duos working in comics. Readers of 100 Bullets can confirm this.

Comics With Video Game Connections (new this week in comics shops)

DC Universe Online Legends Official summary: "Coping with his failure to save Metropolis and the loss of Lois and the Daily Planet, Superman makes a tactical mistake that could cost the JLA dearly. Plus, a new hero has emerged to save the day on Earth—and his name is Lex Luthor!"

Sonic The Hedgehog #225 Official summary: "One Step Forward...' Sonic's 25th-anniversary celebration begins here with a double-sized gatefold cover! Dr. Eggman's newest creation threatens all of Mobius, forcing Sonic to team up with the evil Ixis Naugus. It's a race against time with a world-changing ending you won't believe! The prelude to 'Genesis' starts here with this anniversary issue!"

And Over On The iPad/iPhone/Droid…

The most interesting new releases on ComiXology's iOS/Android/browser app for downloadable comics this week are: The four-issue run of Nova, a Marvel sci-fi series written by Keith Giffen, whose Marvel sci-fi work was universally strong; another batch of Walt Simonson Thor issues, and the first three issues of Paul Grist's The Weird World of Jack Staff. (Can anyone vouch for Garth Ennis' Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe? Any good?)

Best Comics I Read Last Week

Wolverine #9 by Jason Aaron. This was a standalone issue featuring a very angry Wolverine fighting the shape-shifting Mystique, while they both suffer the interference of a new character named Lord Deathstrike. This new character, a master assassin, is introduced early in the issue when he murders a man in China by aiming a powerful gun that he is holding in Argentina and shooting it into the ground at just the right angle. Ridiculous? It works. It's a great issue that shows why Jason Aaron is one of the best writers of monthly comics today.

About that DC re-boot thing…

The top people at DC Comics announced on Tuesday that they'll be re-numbering their super-hero comics and launching 52 new first-issues in September, as part of a revision of their super-hero universe that will introduces changes big and small across their line. A Kotaku reader asked what I thought of this.

My reaction is mixed. It disappoints me to see a comics publisher use the easy crutch of new first issues to grab readers, and I'm concerned that some of DC's pockets of excellence, Grant Morrison's stunning Batman Inc. run, Scott Snyder and Paul Cornell's strong Detective and Action Comics, and even Paul Levitz's delightful Legion of Super-Heroes will be disrupted unnecessarily. As a fan of those comics I'm unhappy that DC hasn't yet bothered to explain what will happen to them. On the other hand, I'm eager to see fresh talent on DC's books and hope that these re-boots/re-launches/whatever will allow some of comics' better writers to shine. It's impossible to tell, and it's not a guarantee, given DC's inability or unwillingness to keep superb, young writers like Jason Aaron and Nick Spencer from going to Marvel. So here's hoping DC puts deserving talent on its new books (including that old-timer Keith Giffen, who was writing circles around most of his peers in his recently-cancelled Doom Patrol.)

I'm most excited by DC's promise to release new issues of its super-hero comics digitally on the same day they're sold in comics shops, starting this September. Some see it as an insult and possibly an injury to retail shops. I do believe it's the latter. I will probably shift most or all of my DC super-hero comics purchasing to digital. I'll happily to support my local comics shop by purchasing graphic novels and collections of the best stuff I read, but for most monthlies, I would prefer purely digital versions. My home has finite space, space I don't want to over-stuff with comics any more than I want to with CDs or cassette tapes. This is the way things are going.

Tell me what you're reading this week and which great comics I'm missing.

Aliens Vs. Nerf Guns | A Colonial Marines gun shipped to our offices today. (Photo by Crecente.

The Modern Warfare 3 Files: Team Perks, No Nukes, New Killstreaks

It's a fair guess that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will follow in the footsteps of last year's Call of Duty: Black Ops, shattering sales records and bringing even more people to video games.
But it's typically not the single player campaign, detailed here, that draws in those record-breaking... More »

Knight Defense is Chess with a Pac-Man Championship Edition Overhaul

Almost four years ago today, the people who made Pac-Man tried to make Pac-Man better, by giving the game a techno aesthetic and altering-intensifying-its rules of play. More »

What Games Can Be Played When One's Thumb Goes Astray?

Commenter BrawlKarter subjected his left thumb to the real-world sport of basketball, resulting in a strain that leaves him effectively thumbless for weeks. More »

Aliens: Colonial Marines, a 'True Sequel to James Cameron's classic Aliens,' Out in 2012

The long-in-the-making first-person shooter Aliens: Colonial Marines is still alive and coming out in the spring of 2012, according to a chest-beatingbursting announcement from the movie studio behind Aliens, the publisher of Sonic the Hedgehog and the creators of the award-winning game... More »

Nope, the Zelda 3DS Cartridge Isn't Painted Gold

Nintendo sent us a copy of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D a bit early. The game launches later on June 19, but we'll be able to play it some and tell you about it. More »

Magicka: Nippon Trades Virtual Items for Real World Disaster Relief

Paradox Interactive drops a dollar's worth of downloadable content today with Magicka: Nippon, three Japanese-flavored items (and a Team Fortress 2 Demoman cowl!) to aid your wizard's quest, with 50 percent of revenue going towards the Japan Relief Support program. More »

These are the Big Role-Playing Games of E3 2011, We Think

Where would we be if there were no roles to play, no experience points to earn, and no levels to gain? Well we certainly wouldn't be here, looking over the biggest role-playing games of E3 2011. More »

Volition's sometimes beautiful, but thoroughly twisted purple fantasy Saints Row: The Third is coming to the PlayStation 3, PC and Xbox 360 later this year. We'll have gameplay impressions soon. But for now, all we have is a trailer.

This is purely a vibe-setting look at Saints Row: The Third, devoid of giant purple dong attacks but filled with the cast and crew of Steelport causing their own brand of violent chaos. Stay tuned for more.

Saints Row: The Third - Official CG Trailer [YouTube]

Link faces the original Legend of Zelda boss Ganon and gets an upgraded style while doing so by Eric Proctor.

The Final Boss by Eric Proctor / TsaoShin (deviantART) (Twitter)

Need your daily fill of geek eye candy? If so, head over to Justin Page's Rampaged Reality and get your fix. Republished with permission.

Bo Jackson. Jeremy Roenick. Even casual players know what those two mean to games like Tecmo Bowl and NHL '94. But Cliff Ronning? Old-school sports game cognoscenti remember he was NHL 93's fastest player, with an overall rating well north of what you'd expect for a 25-goal scorer.

Ronning finally revealed why today on a podcast with Yahoo! Sports' Puck Daddy; he was, naturally, good pals with someone involved in the game.

"I went to school with the guy that started EA Sports," Ronning said. "We were buddies. I think he thought it'd be comical if he made me 99 out of 100."

Ronning doesn't name the EA Sports figure-it's unlikely he's referring to EA Sports (and EA founder) Trip Hawkins, who is 10 years older than Ronning and grew up in California. Ronning, however, is from Burnaby, British Columbia, home of EA Canada, which opened in 1983. So perhaps he means someone from that studio's early days.

"Eventually he made me back to what I was," Ronning said. "As you know, when you get into a fight, I don't do too good. One punch and I'm usually down for the count."

Mystery solved: Cliff Ronning reveals why he ruled in NHL '93 [Yahoo! Sports, thanks sobjw]

Konami combines Gradius-style, side-scrolling shoot 'em up gameplay with anime fetishes in Otomedius Excellent, coming to the Xbox 360 in North America on July 19. Not content to simply release a video game, Konami will also release a pillowcase.

The special edition version of Otomedius Excellent comes with the standard goodies—an exclusive art book and game soundtrack—as well as a "2-sided pillowcase featuring the girls of Otomedius." That's not something we get very often on these shores, so we're thankful—even if we're decades behind Japan on girls-printed-on-pillowcase technology.

The standalone version of Otomedius Excellent will retail for $29.99 USD. The Special Edition will be available for $49.99 USD. Konami promises more details on the Special Edition at a later date.

Activision may be handling the official movie tie-in games for Transformers: Dark of the Moon as far as consoles and handhelds are concerned, but the iPhone, iPad, and Java/BREW version is all EA Mobile.

In the mobile version of Transformers: Dark of the Moon, players step into the giant metal feet of Optimus Prime or Bumblebee as they battle their way through 14 levels of misguided but lovable Decepticons. It sounds just like the movie! Ops and Bee can transform into their vehicle modes at will, taking advantage of what little stealth is afforded by being a giant blue and red truck or a gleaming yellow sports car. Along the way they'll upgrade their weapons, because it seems like the sort of thing a game like this should offer.

EA Mobile's Transformers: Dark of the Moon will hit app stores on May 29, the same day Michael Bay's giant-robot-insects-laying-eggs-on-the-moon movie hits theaters.