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SAN FRANCISCO--If ever there was pressure, it falls on the shoulders of development teams trying to follow up a smash hit with a sequel.

That's the position that the folks at Epic Games find themselves in right now as they put the finishing touches on their forthcoming video game, Gears of War 2. And that's because the original Gears of War sold more than 5 million copies, becoming one of the most successful titles for Microsoft's next-generation video game console.

On Tuesday, Gears of War 2 was one of the featured games at the Microsoft Games Studio Spring Showcase … Read more

In a few minutes, I'll be heading over to Dogpatch Studios in San Francisco for what seems to be an annual showcase of new Xbox 360 games from Microsoft Game Studios (MGS).

I'll have more on this later on Tuesday, but for now, I'll give a brief peek of what I'm expecting to find when I get there.

The gorilla in the room, as it were, is surely going to be Gears of War 2, developed by Epic Games for MGS and the sequel to one of the biggest games in Xbox 360 history.

"Attendees … Read more

Today we talk about the infamous $30 a month Sprint SERO plan, the 3G iPhone, and the new BlackBerry Bold. Also, we gladly watch as Speed Racer crashes at the box office and cry as Jimmy Fallon gets the late night love he doesn't deserve. Plus, we pimp Legends, Myths and Hieroglyphs, a brand new play by one of our favorite guests, Demetrius Wren.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

As witnessed by the unfortunate travails of R2-D2, Star Wars product merchandizing can go horribly awry. So sometimes it's safer to go with a simpler product for branding purposes, even if it means going analog (gasp).

Case in point: These Lego Star Wars Pens as seen on Uber-Review. The set pictured here includes Yoda, Darth Vader, and, yes, even the hapless, chirping R2-D2.

In addition to serving as perfectly serviceable writing instruments, these pens can be dispatched so you can mix and match their various parts while waiting for the next blockbuster arrives from the Lucas Empire. Because there … Read more

Stories about animals are a staple for the nightly news and frequently make their way to the front page of news sites such as Digg and CNN. Not to be left out, Purina, purveyors of food for dogs and cats has its own social news site devoted to all things domestic pet with Pet Charts, a self-proclaimed "definitive guide to the best pet stuff online." It features news stories, videos, and photos for dogs and cats.

Users can swap between either species or view both at once. Content is ranked numerically and can be voted on by clicking … Read more

Google App Engine Blog: Introducing Google App Engine + our new blog http://googleappengine.blogspot.com/2008/04/ introducing-google-app-engine-our-new.html

California Lawmaker Proposes Music … Read more

The men of the 404 go the distance with Frank Warren, compiler of Post Secret, one of the coolest sites on the Internet. We talk about the project, how it started, most common secrets, and even infidelity. Yes, we said it.

Plus, if you still want to win an edition of Weird USA, send us your best animal-human hybrids of the 404 hosts, Randall, Jeff, and Wilson. Free invitations are available to A.viary, if you click on the link from the 404 page.