In a move that stunned and amazed role playing gamers everywhere, Wizards of the Coast (WoTC) announced a re-release of the original three hardcover Advanced Dungeons and Dragons books: the Monster Manual, the Player’s Handbook, and the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Just like in the old days, the Dungeon Master’s guide is a bit more expensive at $45 (it was $15 when it was released), with the others at $35 (original price was $12).

Video games are a fun way to de-stress after a tough day on the job. Compared to what our troops fighting overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan deal with, most of us don’t know what a stressful day at work is. Front Towards Gamer’s Operation Supply Drop collects games for the brave men and women fighting real world evil dictators on foreign soil. Operation Supply Drop’s latest endeavor, a care package code named Dragon Punch, was a rousing success. It was the biggest care package yet for the organization, 93 pounds of gaming goodness that cost nearly $200 just to ship. There were eight controllers, two Guitar Hero compatible controllers, two game consoles and a whopping 70 games.

Perhaps the most beloved off all of Wizkids’ tabletop games was HeroClix, a miniatures game that featured battles between comic book characters including Batman, Judge Dredd and even Santa. Collectible miniatures games, even those with high sales and beloved by fans, just don’t seem to survive and HeroClix was no exception, ceasing production after a mere six years.

Like most every other gamer past the age of 30, I spent many an hour in the videogame arcade.

Arcades used to be a staple of every shopping mall, every other strip mall and even a few standalone places to kill some quarters. There are still a few such places sprinkled around but they’re pale shadows of what arcades used to be. even Disney’s Penny Arcade has but a few games of yesteryear.

Much of the fun of being a baseball fan is collecting memorabilia. Fans track down baseball cards of their players’ best seasons, soda cans that commemorate their accomplishments and of course, bobblehead dolls. Bobblehead dolls are a longtime staple for collectors, and the focal point of a cute new baseball game from Konami. Upcoming Xbox Live Arcade gameMLB Bobblehead Pros features all 30 teams represented in large headed form. This baseball experience includes the likeness of all 30 Major League stadiums, a full 162 game season and online play. This game is slated for a June 2011 release, with a DLC pack, MLB Bobblehead Stars, coming in July to celebrate the All-Star Game.

A nice walkthrough of the Videogame Museum at E3 2011.

Quite a number of game companies have had specials offers to help out Japan, but Paizo’s offer would have me reaching for my wallet even if it wasn’t for a good cause.

Remember our good friend Saren from the original Mass Effect game? Ah, that xenophobic madman brings back so many memories.

Well, if you’ve been missing Saren after thwarting his plans in the Mass Effect, you can witness his return to the series. No, it isn’t the next Mass Effect game. He’s showing up in the next issue of the comic book series Mass Effect: Evolution.

Girl gamers unite! This February 2011 is girl gamer month for Evil Controllers and they want to reward lady gamers with some great new gaming tools.

Evil Controllers is starting by unleashing a new Pink Camouflage controller…

Kotobukiya’s fourth installment in its published love of Japanese culture is coming to the US in the next few weeks (February 2011) and this time it will focus on illustrators.

Titled Otacool 4: Worldwide Illustrators, the full color book will feature 160 pages of illustrations, illustrator biographies and interviews with featured illustrators (for example, Okya Hiroya and Kazuki Yone). Unlike the previous three Otacool books, this one was produced in cooperation with Pixiy, a Japan-based illustration community.