[Update: Portal 2 is now installed on every single one of our machines. Like the post below says - and you should totally read it 'cause it was a good one - come on in to try out Portal 2 and get yourself a free hour in the process. But don't let me twist your arm. Just watch the video.]

We don’t suppose any of you guys are even a little interested in the upcoming release of Portal 2, so we apologize if this falls on deaf ears.

As of two hours ago, a countdown timer appeared, projecting the launch of the aforementioned and not-at-all eagerly-awaited game. The funny thing is that GLaDOS – that calculating b!7©# – is apparently consolidating CPU resources while folks play the games included in the recent Potato Sack bundle. Now hold your unwarranted cries of “socialism” for the Q&A, please, because this does yield a pretty solid benefit:

The more people playing the games = the more processing power dedicated to the launch of Portal 2 = Portal 2 releases EARLIER than projected.

So, in honour of not only Portal 2′s release, but also the fact that it might very well drop sooner than anticipated (whoo~), we’d like to offer a little something something for those few of you that are looking forward to playing.

For every person that would like to play Portal 2 here at Game On!, we will happily offer one free hour!

Oh, and in case you missed our previous announcements, we also have a super terrific movie day coming up, not to mention the return of Bawls energy drinks to our concessions.

The title pretty much highlights the thrust of it:

You can now try the demo for Left 4 Dead 2 in our LAN.

Also available is a Borderlands showcase (one free hour just to check it out).

This post is pretty much to let you know that it’s all up and running. There’ll be a more official, promotional announcement in a couple of days.

Courtesy of iGames and the S2Games, we are now running the showcase for a standalone DotA game called Heroes of Newerth. Much like the Warcraft III original map, the game encompasses a map, a variety of unique heroes and items with which to upgrade them. The game play is eerily similar, a combination of knowledge, quick thinking and solid strategy, although the characters themselves have been vastly modified and the game has been brought up to speed graphically. It’s also now stands on its own, no longer reliant on WC3. At this time, Game On has five beta accounts, so please inquire with an employee if you are interested in trying this new game out.  Once the game comes out of beta, it will cost $30 to get an account and it is our understanding that the software itself is free. The accounts will have stat tracking and, unlike DotA, multiplayer games will be much easier to both find and join.

Gameplay Screenshot

To understand where Heroes of Newerth comes from and how it plays one has to be somewhat aware of how it came about. Originally, a custom map was created for Warcraft 3 that features heroes and items battling against each other. The sheer number of heroes and items made the game a steep learning curve (go memorize a thousand possible permutations) but once familiar, we hear tell that it’s a very fun map to play. Defense of the Ancients, however, was limited by both the tile sets, which comes from Warcraft itself, and battle.net which had problems both with multiple PCs on one network and game joining. Heroes of Newerth takes this idea one step further and turns the single map into a full gaming experience. They’ve had the opportunity to create better grapgics, add heroes and items, and do so much more that just wasn’t part of Warcraft 3. This game should and does stand in its own right.

One Hero in the land of Newerth

To note, this does not mean that DotA will no longer be available at Game On! This is just another opportunity to play with friends.

In the style of any other MMO, welcome to a world where nothing is quite what you might expect. Select between the light-blessed race of Elyos or the twilight-dwellers of Asmodae and join the battle against the ever encroaching enemy. Yet, even as you fight for your survival, darker forces still lurk in the depths of the Abyss.

Tower of Eternity

Visually stunning, Aion encompasses Atreia, a world split into two, where the opposing sides fight each other in the space between. It features PvE and a great deal of quests, but the ultimate goal is the PvP battles that occur between the two races. While in some respects, the game does feel pretty average, it stands out both of its storyline, its beauty (courtesy of the CRY engine), and the diverse and very malleable character creator. Unlike most MMOs that feature a limited set of faces and bodies, in Aion, almost anything can be made virtual flesh.

With Wings

For more information about the game itself, please visit the Aion website at http://na.aiononline.com/.

Game On! specifically is running a two-week showcase to show off the game’s abilities and hopefully get the players addicted to this lovely new MMO. We are providing trial accounts, courtesy of NCSoft and iGames, that will let you get at least a feel for how the game plays and what it looks like. The accounts are limited but should suffice in showcasing the game. In addition, anyone interested in playing will also receive one (1) free hour on the machines.

Spirit Master

Also, since DWMagus and I have full account and like the game, we invite you to join us specifically. Our Elyos characters reside on the Siel server and the Asmodae live on Nezekan. Anyone interested can check out this thread in the forums and join us in-game.

Asmodae & Elyos