Asking people to donate, whether it’s money or time, is not a simple task. I find that clear, concise messages work best, but sometimes it takes more than that to convince people that a cause is worthy of reaching deep in their pockets. The Extra Life marathon is definitely a worthy cause, but people tend to get hung up on a few details. When I ask people to donate or join, I often hear the same excuses or questions. Here’s a quick rundown of those, and why you shouldn’t worry.

Halo: Spartan Assault was released for Windows Phone and Windows 8 devices last year. The only way to get the game was to be running the latest version of Microsoft operating system or have a Windows Phone or Surface tablet. The "scarce" availability is about to become more widespread as an Xbox 360 and Xbox One version of the game has been announced.

Yesterday, the highly anticipated Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag was released. Gamers everywhere simultaneously unleashed their inner pirate, buckled their swashes, and practiced twirling cutlasses as a result. While you might expect pirates to act in a purely selfish manner, being, you know, pirates and all, even a land lubber knows that teaming up with a few other scurvy dogs can increase your chances of landing plunder and booty without losing a leg.

Every other Monday the regular podcast crew gets together to stream a game via our Twitch.TV channel. We then post it to YouTube. How's that for social synergy? This week we checked out the brand new zombie mode in Monaco: What's Yours is Mine which was released as a free update for the PC version of the game.

If you’re fixing to get your hands on the next gen digital versions of the best co-op launch titles, then you’re in luck. Sony recently added Call of Duty: Ghosts, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and Killzone: Shadow Fall to the pre-order section on the PlayStation Network.

The new expansion for Diablo III just keeps looking better. The team working on Reaper of Souls must have been listening to a ton of fan feedback. Barbarians got tired of finding pants with intelligence on them (how does that even work?!), so they scrapped the old loot system in favor of one that ensures all britches will be relevant to your class' needs. Then they announced a new class with the stalwart Crusader. And now they've given adventurers a new ally in the war on evil: the Mystic.

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes was released last week on a variety of platforms with next-generation version of the game on the way. We'll have our review of the two player couch co-op game up shortly, but in the meantime, we thought you might like to get your hands on a copy. 

In school I was taught the three Rs; Reading, Writing and Arithmetic.  I was not taught the three Ds; Death, Dismemberment and Destruction.  The class of Final Exam should count themselves lucky that they were taught how to apply violence as zombies have just taken over the school.  The new co-op trailer shows just this.

The first official Ryse: Son of Rome TV trailer hit the air yesterday, revealing portions of storyline, along with another complimentary video showcasing the armor and weapons designs found in the game. Needless to say: Ryse is looking to be an artistically detailed game.

You know, robbing a bank is probably a lot like trick-or-treating. You show up some place with a large sack, you and your friends wear masks, say the magic words (in this case, "trick or treat" is replaced by "give me all of your money"), thank them, and then leave! Of course, they're going to be noticeably less happy about the exchange, and probably not inclined to tell you how cute your costumes are.

The beta test for the PS3 versions of Dark Souls II was planned to take place last Sunday, October 27th. Unfortunately, players from North and South America were unable to log into the servers for that test. Happily, Namco Bandai has rescheduled the beta test for November 9th and 10th.

Valve is holding a Steam sale to celebrate Halloween with many of the titles on sale featuring horror elements. Valve will use any holiday as an excuse for a sale. There's an INCREDIBLE number of titles discounted at least 25% off, with many offering 50% to 75% off their normal price. We've compiled a list of all of the co-op titles you can acquire. Weep for your wallets ladies and gentlemen, weep for them.