As we enter September and look on the horizon for the fall there seems to be quite a few big name co-op games coming out for the Xbox 360.  Whether it's Gears of War 2, Fable 2, or Left 4 Dead - there are plenty of big name titles to fill that co-op void.  There's another title that kicks off the season though, one with a broader appeal.  Rock Band 2 is the sequel to the wildly successfull game without the 2 after it, and the Xbox 360 will get the new version earlier than the rest of the consoles on September 14th. 

One of the surprise games of the show for me was a little PC title from Stardock and Gas Powered Games called Demigod.  I've been loosely following the title for some time, and of course when I saw it had co-op, my interest picked up.  The one turn off for me was the fact I thought it was an RTS, something that's not exactly my favorite genre.  Turns out, it's anything but. Demigod is actually something closer to a Diablo than say a Warcraft.  Sure the screen is filled with hundreds of troops at a time, but those troops are directly under your control.  Instead you control a demigod, and your goal is to turn the tide of the battle by helping those troops.  There's a whole RPG meta element over the game as you earn experience for killing enemies and completing objectives.  As you level up you'll unlock new abilities and even earn money to use to buy items for your character. 

The folks at Insomniac are breaking a lot of ground with Resistance 2.  Not only will the game support over 50 players online in team based gameplay, it will support 8 players online in a special cooperative campaign.  In fact, the co-op campaign is so special in Resistance 2, it's been decided to have a public beta of it sometime in early October.  To gain guaranteed access you'll need to pre-order Resistance 2 at Gamestop or subscribe to the PSN Digital Magazine Qore.  If neither of these options are suitable for you, perhaps simply registering on the website will suffice - entry to the beta is not guaranteed though.

Some questions will be hotly debated throughout time.  Which came first, the chicken or the egg?  Who was a better Starship captain, Kirk or Picard?  But possibly the most important question of all can be answered tomorrow: which are better, pirates or ninjas?  Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball hits XBLA for 800 points in just a few short hours.  As if pirates and ninjas weren't good enough, you can also choose to play as robots and zombies!  (Sounds like the last level in Too Human, eh?  Sorry, been playing that a bit as of late.)  The Gamecock developed title will feature 4 player local co-op, and up to 8 player co-op online, plus some versus modes as well.  I'll definitely be grabbing the demo; let's hope it plays as fun as it sounds.

Well, as some people have noticed recently, Castle Crashers some online issues. This is a shame, since the game is really a fun game. But for some people the game is just local-only for now. Thankfully, The Behemoth is aware of the issues and is addressing it. Joystiq interviewed The Behemoth's lead programmer, Tom Fulp and their art director, Dan Paladin. Amongst the myriad of topics discussed, including popularity and pricing, they also addressed the online issues. When asked about a patch, Paladin replied:

We've got a double co-op feature this week.  First up is Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise for the Xbox 360.  The title features a recently announced 4 player co-op mode for both online and offline play.  The game is similar to the Animal Crossing series from Nintendo, but has some zany humor and plenty of gardening goodness with pinatas to pop and populate.

Co-Op Classics Serious Sam - Why So Serious? Vendetta - Not based on the movie. Area 51: Site 4 - Shouldn't it be area 55 then? TMNT IV: Turtles in Time - Cowabunga This Week in Co-Op LEGO Star Wars II Geometry Wars 2 Alien Hominid Castle Crashers Reviews, Previews, and Features Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 Review - High scores like crack Get your Co-Optimus Shirts and Buttons! - Gets you women...for realz. Wild West Guns Review Co-Op Couples Part 1: How to Cope with Loss Co-Op Couples Part 2: Introducing Gaming into Your Relationship Too Human Review - time to finally see how it rates The Good Gears of War 2 Family Friendly Mode - no blood, no swearing, still fun! Fable 2 Release Date and Collectors Edition Info - October-ish Crackdown 2 a Possiblity - PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Duke Nukem 3D XBLA Has 8-Player Co-Op - you'll need a whole pack of gum for this one Fable 2 to Feature Master Chief, Chicken Kicking and Orgies 4 Player Co-Op for Viva Pinata Confirmed (also only $39.99) New Diablo 3 Screens The Bad No Story Co-Op In Ghost Busters - Yes, someone isn't the brightest. Nevermind Never Officially Confirmed for Rock Band DLC - boooooooooo Releases Monster Madness: Grave Danger Space Siege Bionic Commando: Rearmed Too Human Castle Crashers

PAX 2008 has come to a close, and the entire event was a total rollercoaster ride.  We'll be posting some coverage from the event all this week, our first piece went up last night with our Left 4 Dead Preview.   But now as my body attempts to recover from time changes, lack of sleep, and a lack of any healthy food I thought I'd...

"Close the god damn door!" shouts a character from Valve's four player co-op zombie shooter Left 4 Dead.  Frantically the players scramble towards a safe house before it's too late and they are overrun by the zombie horde.  As the last player gets inside his team mate closes the door as the line of zombies behind him slam into it snarling.  At this year's Penny-Arcade Expo, that's exactly what the line looked like at the booth for the game.  Long lines of zombie gamers pounding on the doors eager to get their hands on the thrilling shooter.  When they finally got there?  Simply sitting back and watching them play the game it was easy to tell one thing; this shit is fun.

For those of us who are Americans, today is Labor Day, marking the official end of summer.  However, here at Co-Optimus, such is our devotion to co-op gaming that we bring you news up a few recent announcements even when we are resting from our labor.  (Actually, I'm just putting off mowing the lawn.)

Earlier this week, you, the Co-Optimus readers, voted among three games to be the topic of this weeks Classic Co-Op.  The result was a tie!  So, I was forced to make a decision myself, and I voted for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time.  Next week, we'll take a look at Altered Beast, I promise.  However, the cheesy voice samples and awesome weredragon action will have to wait.  For now, our focus is on an iconic co-op title, and one of, if the THE best TMNT game of all time.

The crew at 1up have spent some time at Valve's offices playing Left 4 Dead. I know, I'm jealous, too. The crew has played the game and walked away with some interesting information, such as the fact that two of the game's levels are based on real-life cities (Philadelphia and Pittsburg). However, a more interesting tidbit of information was revealed to them. According to 1up, Left 4 Dead will have dedicated servers for the 360 version.