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Image Comic's "The Walking Dead" series has seen explosive success over the past few years even though the monthly comic book has been in production for nearly nine years with its 97th issue due out mid-May. It's been licensed out in almost every way imaginable, highlighted by an adapted television drama that just concluded its second season on AMC.

As a longtime fan and reader of "The Walking Dead," I've realized that what makes the franchise so good is that it focuses more on the human reaction to a worldwide outbreak rather than the carnage an apocalyptic zombie narrative could more easily weave. It's not without a fair share of gore, but its black-and-white pages force you to consider emotions first and bloodlust second.

So while it's no surprise then that "The Walking Dead" has now found its way into a video game, I was curious to see how developer Telltale Games would convert the character-driven series into a game, especially since Telltale's story focuses on a main character not yet discovered in the comic or TV show.… Read more

Sure, the future of gaming may see the end of used games, but it's also ushering in a wave of independent and download-only titles that may not have otherwise seen the light of day.

Current-generation consoles have provided independent studios with accessible platforms like Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) and the PlayStation Network (PSN) that exposes their work to millions of gamers, similar to what the App Store has done for iOS developers.

Microsoft has even taken it a step further with its XNA initiative, ensuring that literally anyone can create a game.

The widespread embrace of these titles has encouraged others to follow suit and has paved the way for indie classics like Braid, LIMBO, Bastion, Minecraft, and most recently, Journey.… Read more

preGame returns with a live demo of the first title off the Microsoft Summer of Arcade line up. Tune in to catch a live in-studio demo of the retro-inspired action-RPG, Bastion!

With summer in full swing, gaming news is a bit scarce, so we've rounded up the best headlines from the past few weeks. We'll get things rolling with a chat about the newly announced Batman: Arkham City Collector's Edition and what gamers can expect to find in the $100 bundle.

Next, we'll discuss the fallout from the ModernWarfare3.com controversy that was forwarding visitors to … Read more

On today's preGame we'll interview Mr. Mortal Kombat himself, the co-creator of the entire franchise, Ed Boon. It's been a few weeks since the latest iteration of Mortal Kombat hit store shelves, and we'll ask Mr. Boon all about the game as well as the series' history.

But first we'll run down the hottest gaming news of the week including word that a new Alan Wake game will be hitting the Xbox 360, hopefully this year.

We'll also discuss what Microsoft buying Skype means for Xbox 360 owners and then run through a new … Read more

MTV Networks has announced the forming of 345 Games, an internal division of the company that will develop titles based on original Comedy Central and Spike TV properties.

345 Games' first two titles will debut this summer, first in July with Spike TV's "Deadliest Warrior: Legends" and then in August with "Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon." Both titles will hit the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade marketplaces for $10 each.

The company has already seen success with last year's "Deadliest Warrior: The Game," a digital-only title that has amassed nearly 400,000 downloads.

345 Games hopes to tap the talent behind some of the network's most popular shows and has had the Ugly Americans creator's pen the script for the upcoming game.

It's no secret that both Comedy Central and Spike TV's demographics are heavily comprised of gamers; Spike TV has hosted the Video Game Awards for the previous eight years. … Read more

Today on preGame we heroically emerge from the summer's gaming drought death-grip with two major titles. Join us as we host live demos of Madden 11 and Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light.

Football is right around the corner and CNET editor Scott Stein joins us today to play a full quarter of Madden 11 between the New York Jets and New York Giants. We'll discuss major changes to the game, and what we think of Gameflow, the new mode that speeds up play-calling.

Though the Tomb Raider franchise has had a healthy dosage of sequels over … Read more

With the summer gaming drought in full swing, we turn to the digital download scene headlined by Limbo, the debut 2D platforming effort from PlayDead Studios. We can't deny the title looks fantastic, but does the gameplay live up to the hype?

Jeff:Limbo represents something in games we haven't seen in far too long of a time period. It's challenging, atmospheric, gorgeous, and, most importantly, totally original.

Perhaps it's the game's overwhelmingly simplistic presentation we fell in love with. Limbo is straightforward enough, a 2D side-scrolling quest that leads our young hero through a decaying and dreary world. There are only two control buttons, so anyone can pick the game up and start playing. Its artistic styling screams noir, with its two-tone grayscale, film grain, and blurry fore and backgrounds.

The sentiment during gameplay is almost always unsettling, with the title's fantastic sound design giving us the ominous feeling that something terrible could happen at any moment. It's true, a lot of the puzzles must be solved by trial and error, and you'll positively witness a fair share of brutal deaths that had us occasionally jumping out of our seat.

Limbo hits the Xbox Live Arcade at a perfect time during the industry's typical summer drought and needs to be experienced by anyone longing for an ultimately satisfying title that can be played in drips and drabs, rather than for hours at a time. Though it's bit on the short side, the campaign is meticulously crafted to such a high standard that we're not sure we'll see a better digital-only game this entire year.… Read more

At the company's E3 press conference, Microsoft announced a new downloadable Xbox Live Arcade racing game that will use your Xbox Live avatar in game. While additional tracks will be available for purchase, Joy Ride will be completely free to download.

Last month, Xbox Live experienced some technical problems. If you played multiplayer games like Call of Duty 4 or Halo 3 between Christmas and New Year's, you probably noticed shaky connections, dropped games, and even the complete inability to sign into Xbox Live. Microsoft noticed these problems, too, and even though the service has mostly stabilized by now, the company is still offering a little something as a "token of appreciation" to gamers who couldn't game.

From now until 11:59 p.m. PST Sunday, you can download the Xbox Live Arcade game Undertow for free. … Read more