Due for release via Xbox Live and PlayStation Network on Wednesday, Awesomenauts' launch appears uncertain as its publisher, dtp entertainment, declared its insolvency in Germany today, reports IGN. The developer, Ronimo, is not involved in the proceedings, but it couldn't offer any assurances that the bankruptcy won't affect the game's release.

At the moment we're unsure what this means for [Awesomenauts]," Jasper Koning of Ronimo, told IGN. Koning said his studio was working to understand the situation and resolve any potential problems with the game's launch.

dtp entertainment, also published Drakensang, Divinity II and Cursed Crusade. The type of bankruptcy it will seek—liquidation or reorganization—is unknown.

Awesomenauts Publisher Files for Insolvency [IGN]

The famous PAX East ejectee Keith Apicary (a character portrayed by comedian Nathan Barnatt) gatecrashed a backup dancer audition for pop star (and "amazing roller skater") Kimberly Cole earlier this month. ("He was wearing mom jeans, a NASA sweatshirt and he had a sack lunch," she says, "so I knew that there was something special about him.")

Apparently she was so charmed that she brought him back for another practice that KTLA-TV in Los Angeles broadcast live on its morning show Friday.

While everyone appears to be in on the gag (calling Apicary a comedian, and plugging his next appearance are tip-offs), they probably don't understand exactly what they are in for, such as when he compares reporter Allie Mackay to Naomi from Blazing Star, the 1998 sidescrolling shooter for the Neo-Geo (a platform Apicary says he really enjoys). He then asks reporter Mackay if she has ever played that game, to which her best ad lib is to say she'd enjoy getting a lesson from him. Later, Apicary goes and wipes out a water cooler.

He also reveals that he's so good at shadowboxing he risks defeating the air, which would cause everyone to suffocate.

[h/t Jekku]

Kinect Joy Ride was a casual racing game released at launch with Kinect in 2010, and it didn't wow critics. ("Joy Ride might be the equivalent of a new word for spaghetti," wrote Stephen Totilo. "The old one's fine.") Gamers especially didn't care for standing up as they approximate the steering-wheel controls, something they felt was more intuitive if they were sitting down.

Well, you won't have the Kinect controls to kick around any more. There's a sequel—Joy Ride Turbo, coming soon to Xbox Live Arcade—and it appears to have ditched all Kinect support, going over to a standard controller. The game says it'll offer an "all new Stunt Park," where "you can jump off cliffs, shoot out of a cannon, and more." The game will feature new tracks, holdovers from the original, and online multiplayer supporting up to eight.

A specific release date was not given, but it's likely that we'll be getting this game sometime in the summer.

Joy Ride Turbo Is Coming To Xbox LIVE Arcade! [PlayXBLA]

Hey, Americans, did you know that many of the video games that you admired and obsessed over in 2011 were made in Canada? It's true. Deus Ex: Human Revolution? Sword & Sworcery? Assassin's Creed: Revelations? That one super-cute game about ponycorns that a five-year-old made? All crafted in the Land of Poutine.

Such creativity should be celebrated, right? That's exactly what the Canadian Video Game Awards have done for the last three years and you can catch a 60-minute CVA TV special on G4 Canada on this weekend. The 2012 edition was hosted by screenwriter David Hayter, probably better known as the voice of Metal Gear Solid's sneaky protagonist Solid Snake. The clip above shows Hayter getting into a testy discussion with the video game icon with some explosive results. Hideo Kojima probably wished he could do that to his most famous creation years ago.

When the Batman: Arkham City Game of the Year Edition popped up on Tuesday I knew it was an instant 'Shop Contest candidate. Then IGN weighed in with its parody, which got a lot of you guys to create your own. And /v/ pretty much blew the subject out of the water, making this subject, five days later, extremely old. I'm not giving up, however. We just have to come at it from a different angle.

There are no source images this week because it's going to be a rather open-ended challenge. But here is what I want to see: I want to see other products and advertisements as if their packaging was designed by the same idiots responsible for the Arkham City GOTY. Cereal, diapers, books, health insurance, presidential candidates, the naming rights to a stadium, it's all in play.

While I generally lay down no rules against using something in a 'Shop, I will make one just for today's: You cannot use a video game cover. While video game characters, of course, can cameo in whatever you're creating (and fake video game products can get this treatment, too), let's keep this creative and not copycat.

I also foresee a lot of submissions whose humor will be based solely on the words over a picture, rather than the picture itself, so I am going to give extra weight to those who actually do 'Shop something up, rather than just slap text on a poster.

Everybody cool with that? Alright? Awesome. You know the drill: The 20 best will get rounded up and published at the end of next Saturday. Meantime, I and the rest of the starred commentariat will approve and promote as many as we can so folks can see them and pass judgment.

This is your no-frills step-by-step procedure to participation in the Kotaku 'Shop Contest.

1. Create your 'Shop.
2. Upload it to a free image hosting service. I suggest imgur. It's stupid simple. No account is necessary.
3. This is very important: You must use the URL of the image itself. In imgur, this is the second URL it gives you after you upload the image. It's under "Direct Link (email & IM)"
4. At the beginning of the comments roll, click "Start a New Thread"
5. To the right of your name, select "Image."
6. Paste the imgur URL in the image URL field. It's the field that says "Image URL."
7. You can add editorial commentary if you want, but then just hit submit and your image will load. If it doesn't, paste the image URL as a comment.
8. This is important: Keep your image size under 1 MB. It will not upload to comments if it is over that size. What's more, we're getting reports that if your 'Shop is more than 1000px tall (vertical), it won't upload. If you're getting the broken-image icon, try resizing to a smaller dimension.

Now, Gentlemen, start your 'shopping!

Note: Confused about commenting on Kotaku? Read our FAQ.

Pan1da7's gone poaching at the end of the week and carves another TAYpic notch on his belt. Good morning and welcome to Weekend Talk Amongst Yourselves.

Feel free to discuss anything on the subject of video games in our comments below. If you've got a good idea and the skills, tomorrow represents your last shot at this month's #TAYpic. Post your masterpieces in the #TAYpics thread. Don't forget to keep your image in a 16:9 ratio, and add liberal amounts of funny. Get the base image here. Don't add the Talk Amongst Yourselves badge to it, either. We'll take care of that, as it goes in the upper right corner. Most of the time.

Welcome to your Sunday read of the week's best in web comics. Make sure to click on the expand button in the bottom right to enlarge each comic.

Virtual Shackles by Jeremy Vinar and Mike Fahmie published April 27.—Read more of Virtual Shackles
Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich published April 23.—Read more of Awkward Zombie
Nerf NOW!! by Josué Pereira published April 26.—Read more of Nerf NOW!!
Penny Arcade by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik published April 27.—Read more of Penny Arcade
Manly Guys Doing Manly Things by Kelly Turnbull published April 23.—Read more of Manly Guys Doing Manly Things
Brawl In The Family by Matthew Taranto published April 24.—Read more of Brawl In The Family
Another Videogame Webcomic by Phil Chan and Joe Dunn published April 28.—Read more of Another Videogame Webcomic
ActionTrip by Borislav Grabovic and Ure Paul published April 23.—Read more of ActionTrip
Legacy Control by Javis Ray published April 25.—Read more of Legacy Control

When society is annihilated by World War IV and archaeologists from the year 3,000 examine the paperwork our society left behind, what will they think of us? Twenty smart 'Shoppers put their best and brightest foot forward, including overall winner seivewright inside!

arniejolt (2) had the best of the Earthworm Jim homages. musickkid43 (10) gets a nod for his WarioWare reference. halfbeast (7) blended the 'Shop Challenge with Fez, getting a finalist's bid. xX_cringer_Xx (18) had a topical reference using multiple images.

I'm loath to call out self-referential 'Shops but the one from RevRain (12) was particularly inspired. BigMike McCarthy (4) had the first and best of the thrown-remote memes. The 'shop from Kobun (8) requires some knowledge of Looney Toons, preferably acquired on Saturday mornings. Pan1da7 (11) supplies a lesson we can all learn from, in animated-gif form.

My overall winner, though, is seivewright. Maybe he's bludgeoning a video game meme, but that falling adventurer/non-adventurer looks like the icon for the old NES Adventure series, and the irony is good enough to get a final thumbs up from me.

Thanks to all who entered. New 'Shop contest tomorrow.

Angryrider
arniejolt
AttorneyAtMusic
BigMikeMcCarthy
EdificeComplex
GiantBoyDetective
halfbeast
Kobun
Laodicea-Dude
musickid43
pan1da7
RevRain
seivewright
Shockdrop
Stuart.C
The Password is Taco
Trojan211
xX_Cringer8_Xx
Zachary Jera
zHammer

Promising "a few juicy bits of never-before-seen Diablo III cinematic footage," the game's worldwide TV ad will broadcast sometime during Family Guy tomorrow, which is on Fox at 9 pm EDT/8 pm CDT. Diablo III is scheduled for general release on May 15.

Not a day passes we don't get some "rumor," wishful thinking, or outright bullshit about Half-Life 3's imminent arrival. This "tip," sent by "Igor," now adds numerology to the mix. Hell, it's at least as reliable as all the other nonsense we hear.

Here it is, verbatim:

Gabe Newell's Rank on Forbes' Richest Men List: 864

Years between HL and HL2: 7 Years
Years between HL2 and L4D2: 5 Years
Years between L4D2 and Portal 2: 3 Years
Total: 753

864 - 753 = 111

1 + 1 + 1 = 3

3 = HL3 or Episode 3 (or E3)

Well there you have it. It's as good as confirmable unimpeachable proof to me. Someone go pick apart Nostradamus' texts, I'm sure we can find a corroborating statement in there, too.