You used to be able to get Doom 3 for cheap on Steam, on account of the game being pretty damn old. But ever since the release of its updated sibling, Doom 3 BFG edition, the original is nowhere to be found. You can't buy it.

Well, you can, technically, but only as part of the mega-expensive id Software bundle which includes every game the publisher has ever released. So, no thanks.

The removal has rightly been seen by many as a low move, since there are a number of fantastic mods available for the old game that won't work on the new one. Not to mention the fact the old game was cheaper, and did a lot of things the new update adds—like attach a flashlight to your gun—for free.

Responding to a query from Rock Paper Shotgun, id & Bethesda's PR rep says "DOOM 3 and Resurrection of Evil are now only available through the BFG Edition, which also includes the Lost Mission. If you already own the original versions of DOOM 3 and Resurrection of Evil, you will still be able to access them from within your Steam library."

"We do realize that there are fans that would like to purchase the original version of the game, and we're looking into options for them. When there's new info to share, we'll let everyone know."

Wrong answer. Or, to be more precise, wrong non-answer. The right answer would have been either "oh, whoops, mistake, let's fix that", or "hey, you got us, nice work, ok we're putting it back".

Mod-ern Warfare: Non-BFG Doom 3 Yanked From Steam [Rock Paper Shotgun]

The Mass Effect movie has been in pre-production limbo for years now, and looks set to stay that way for a while yet, with Variety reporting that the script handed in by Thor writer Mark Protosevich has been binned, with TV writer Morgan Davis Foehl taking over.

Foehl's an interesting choice; he doesn't have a single produced screenplay to his name, but has popped up on people's radars after winning 2009's "Black List", an award handed out to the best unproduced screenplay in Hollywood.

So why give it to such an unproven writer? Well, in good news for Mass Effect fans Foehl is apparently a fan of the series, and "has also penned action pics with a strong espionage bent", which the producers feel would be a good fit for the project.

Legendary arms 'Mass Effect' with new scribe [Variety]

(Top photo)

Oh, you adorable puppy, you. (I call all dogs puppies, shush.)

Spotted in Tompkins Square Park, NYC at the Halloween Dog Parade, this cutie wagged his tail (or nose?) with increasing ferventness. He looks a little violated, though, when he turns around and notices these random people, including nycpackrat, staring at his butt. It's cause you have such a cute butt, puppy.

Head over to the Talk Amongst Yourselves forum for more conversations, off and on-topic.

Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade [YouTube via Viral Videos]

The wonderful, and mysterious gif master noirlac is to thank for this relaxing end to Wednesday, the 24th of October, 2012.

noirlac [Tumblr]

Downloadable games sold through the three console makers' online services will be rated by what the Entertainment Software Ratings Board is calling a "streamlined, no-cost service," in a statement released today by the ESRB. The new "Digital Rating Service" gives developers and publishers access to a "brief but detailed online questionnaire" to define a product's covers downloadable games on Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, Nintendo's eShop and Wii Shop Channel, and Windows 8.

"The ESRB, expects to broaden adoption of its ratings among game providers of all types," said a statement from the board, "The resulting ubiquity of ESRB ratings will ease a parent's job by presenting a single ratings standard across the many platforms on which their children access games."

Notably absent from the release (pdf), however, was a mention of Steam or the iTunes or Android app stores.

The new Digital Rating Service involves a "brief but detailed online questionnaire to assess not only a product's content and age-appropriateness, but also interactive elements, including the sharing of personal information or physical location and exposure to unfiltered user-generated content," says the ESRB.

John Riccitiello, CEO of Electronic Arts, and Jack Tretton, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America, both made statements in support of the new digital initiative, available through the news release at the link.

ESRB Extends No Cost Rating Service to All Digitally Distributed Game [ESRB via Game Politics.]

The new service will be used first on downloadable games available on Xbox LIVE Arcade, PlayStation Network, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation Certified devices, Nintendo eShop, Wii Shop Channel and Windows 8, with other digital content aggregators, online game networks, streaming and download services to follow. Presumably it will not include games on Apple's, Amazon's, or Google's Android marketplaces.

"Consumers have grown accustomed to using ESRB ratings when making decisions about the appropriateness of the games their families play. With the explosion of devices from which consumers can access games today, our goal is to ensure that those same tools are available everywhere games can be found," said ESRB president Patricia Vance. "More recently, parents' concerns have begun to extend beyond just content to include the sharing of their kids' personal information or location and interactions with other players. ESRB's Digital Rating Service now offers all digital platforms, storefronts and networks the opportunity to empower their customers with consistent, credible, familiar and useful upfront guidance no matter where their family chooses to play games."

The most notable part of the new ratings system is that it highlights games that share information or private data or that may give access to "unfiltered" or "unrated" downloadable content.

This is Shove Pro, a new game that is hitting iPad and iPhone this November. It... well, I think I'll just let this silly trailer speak for itself.

I would never have enjoyed playing Don't Die Dateless, Dummy! if I had played it alone. And yet on Saturday, I stopped by the Revision3 offices in San Francisco to help keep them going on their 24-hour Extra Life charity drive. We played the game. And I enjoyed myself quite a bit.

The weirdly-written dating game is one of those games that isn't "good" by any conventional measure, but is a blast if you play it with a group of friends. It's basically a choose-your-own-adventure kind of thing where all the women have huge breasts and the main character is a mostly depressing shut-in who is determined to lose his virginity before 30, lest he… become a wizard. Because according to the game's mythology, that's what happens if you make it to 30 without having sex!

Anyway, if you want to watch a ridiculous reenactment the game, go ahead and watch this video of us playing it. (Don't say I didn't warn you—it's silly.) But honestly, the best way to experience Don't Die Dateless, Dummy! is to have a few friends over, pour some drinks, and play it together. It takes "So bad it's good" to a new, wizardly level. You can get it for $3 on the Xbox Live indie channel.

Forza Horizon, which released yesterday, introduces a "car club" concept to the game, and it isn't just a leaderboard of your friends. You may share your best rides with anyone else who joins up, and they may take those cars out on the open road of Forza Horizon's Colorado.

What's the catch? Well, only the car's owner can modify them, either in appearance, or in attributes. That's OK, the fleet we have waiting for you has plenty enough horsepower. All but one of these were supplied by yours truly. Matt Hardigree over at Jalopnik, one half of this club's namesake, has only delivered one car. He needs to get cracking, don't you think?

• Ford Mustang Boss 429 (S class 668 rating). Big stupid hoon muscle, painted matte black. Go wreck it.
• Saleen S5S Raptor (R2 894). I was gifted this by Forza Horizon's community managers. Now it is yours.
• Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing Coupe (D 247). Base paint job, This is one of the early barn finds, good for touring the Colorado countryside.
• 2013 Dodge Viper GTS (S 681), Just picked this up with my hard earned moolah. It's yours for freeish, enjoy.
• F-150 SVT Raptor (B 494), You win this off the first boss.
• 2012 Jaguar XKR-S (A 596), here is the one vehicle Matt Hardigree has deigned to loan us.

All that and more is waiting for you inside the Jalopnik Kotaku car club at Forza Horizon. To join up, just go to the Car Club station at the central hub of Forza Horizon, and search for "Jalopnik Kotaku" by name (no quotes) enter JLKT as the club's four letter code. The club is set up to receive requests, Matt and I will approve them as we receive 'em. Just, you know, bring a good car to our automotive potluck. Thanks.

Like clockwork, the coming of Halloween also signals the coming of some special Team Fortress 2 stuff, heralded today by the release of a new comic and teases for a showdown between the mercs and Merasmus.

Doommates [TF2]

This Wednesday edition of Kotaku's The Moneysaver catches all the offers, promotions and bargains that can't wait until the weekend. The Midweek Moneysaver is brought to you by Dealzon.

Software

• Yesterday's release Forza Horizon (360) for $59.99 comes with a $15 Gift Card at NewEgg. Elsewhere no bonus. [Dealzon]

• Yesterday's release Medal of Honor: Warfighter Limited Edition (PS3, 360, PC-DVD) is $49.99, free shipping from NewEgg. Next best is $59. Cheapest PC download is still $48 at Green Man Gaming. [Dealzon]

• Oct. 26 release Lucius (PC download) is $16 from Green Man Gaming. Elsewhere $21. [Dealzon]

• Nov. 13 release RIFT: Storm Legion Combo Pack (PC download) is $34.95 from GamersGate. Next best is $40. [Dealzon]

• Feb. 26 release BioShock Infinite (PC download) for $59.99 at Green Man Gaming comes with your choice of $10 cash back or $15 credit toward future purchases. No bonuses elsewhere. [Dealzon]

• GOG.com has a "Pay What You Want for Interplay Games" deal that starts with eight games. But if you pay above average (varies, but has been around $15), you get 20 games. Or pay $34.99 and get all 32 available titles. [Dealzon]

• This week Green Man Gaming is offering 65% off Men of War series games. There's also a coupon for an extra 20% off, which drops the original Men of War to $4.20 (elsewhere $15) and Men of War: Assault Squad expansion to $9.80 (next best $30). [Dealzon]

• This week BestBuy.com offers "Buy 2, Get a 3rd Free" sale on games $59.99 or less. Hundreds of titles to choose from. Excludes PC, pre-owned, pre-order and digital games. [Dealzon]

• Toys 'R' Us has a "Buy 1, Get 1 40% Off" sale on video games and accessories. Excludes pre-order games. [Dealzon]

• Lollipop Chainsaw (360, PS3) is $29.99, free shipping from Amazon. Next best is $39. [Dealzon]

• Asura's Wrath (360, PS3) is $16.99, free shipping from NewEgg. Next best is $24. [Dealzon]

• Catherine (Pre-owned: 360) is $14.99, free shipping from GameFly. Next best is $35. [Dealzon]

• Battlefield 3 (Pre-owned: 360) is $12.99, free shipping from GameFly. List price is $40. [Dealzon]

• Total War: Shogun 2 (PC download) is $14.99 from GameFly. Normally $30. [Dealzon]

• Dishonored (PC download) is $47.49 from GamesRocket. Next best is $53. [Dealzon]

• XCOM Enemy Unknown (PC download) for $44.99 at Green Man Gaming comes with your choice of $5 cash back or $10 credit toward future purchases. Elsewhere $45, no extras. [Dealzon]

• Risen series sale at GamersGate, including PC downloads and DLCs. Standout offers are Risen for $4.99 (normally $20), Risen Complete Collection for $31.55 (normally $93), Risen 2: Dark Waters Collection for $22.10 (normally $73), and Risen 2: Dark Waters for $16.98 (normally $50). [Dealzon]

• Viking: Battle for Asgard (PC download) is $12 from Green Man Gaming. List price is $15. [Dealzon]

• S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl (PC download) is $4.99 from GameStop. Next best is $20. [Dealzon]

• Ghostbusters: The Video Game (PC download) is $4.99 from GameStop. Next best is $10. [Dealzon]

• Amnesia: The Dark Descent (PC download) is $4.99 from GameStop. Next best is $20. [Dealzon]

• Alice: Madness Returns (PC download) is $4.99 from GameStop. Next best is $15. [Dealzon]

• Skydrift (PC download) is $4 from Green Man Gaming. Next best is $10. [Dealzon]

• Scene It? Box Office Smash Bundle (360) is $11.66 from Amazon. Next best is $24. [Dealzon]

• Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (PC download) is $4.99 from Amazon. List price is $20. [Dealzon]

• Need for Speed: The Run (PC download) is $4.99 from Amazon. List price is $20. [Dealzon]

Hardware

• Xbox 360 250GB 2012 Holiday Bundle with Skyrim and Forza Motorsport 4 for $249.99 now comes with a $20 Gift Card from BestBuy.com. [Dealzon]

• Mad Catz Wireless Force Feedback Racing Wheel for Xbox 360 is $169.99, free shipping from NewEgg. Next best is $246. [Dealzon]

• Corsair Vengeance M90 Gaming Mouse is $34.99 after rebate, free shipping from NewEgg. Next best is $50. [Dealzon]

• Tatsuo Ergonomic Gaming Mouse is $19.99, free shipping from Adorama. Next best is $41. [Dealzon]

• Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB GDDR5 PCIe Video Card is $269.99 after rebate, free shipping from NewEgg. List price is $310. [Dealzon]

• EVGA SuperClocked GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB GDDR5 PCIe Video Card is $269.99 after rebate, free shipping from NewEgg. Next best is $300. [Dealzon]

• MSI GeForce GTX 550 Ti 1GB GDDR5 PCIe Video Card is $89.99 after rebate + $4.05 shipping from TigerDirect. List price is $115. [Dealzon]

• Asus 23-inch VS238H-P 2ms LED Monitor is $139.99 after rebate, free shipping from NewEgg. Next best is $156. [Dealzon]

• SanDisk 256GB SSD is $159.99, free shipping from NewEgg. Next best is $185. [Dealzon]

• Lenovo 14-inch IdeaPad Y480 with Ivy Bridge Core i7-3610QM, 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD, GeForce GT 640M LE is $699, free shipping from Lenovo. Previous low was $749. [Dealzon]

• HP updated two customizable laptops with Windows 8 and added the "Envy" moniker. The 17.3-inch HP Envy dv7t-7200 Quad Edition starts with Quad Core i7-3630QM, GeForce GT 630M, Blu-ray for $979.99 after coupon, and the 15.6-inch HP Envy dv6t-7200 Quad Edition starts with Quad Core i7-3630QM, GeForce GT 630M for $879.99 after coupon. [Dealzon]

As always, smart gamers can find values any day of the week, so if you've run across a deal, share it with us in the comments.

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