The Best of Big Download: February 2-8

Yet another busy week for PC gaming and we were all over it here at Big Download. Let's check out the highlights from the first full week in February:

Exclusive Features

• The 20 Most Influential PC Games: We pick our choices for the top 20 PC games that have had the most influence on other games that have come since. Check out our picks for the games we rankied in the 20-11 spots and for the top 10 games on our list.
• 10 Things We Know Will Improve PC Gaming: We know there are things that can be done to improve the PC game industry. Here are 10 such ideas (plus one extra).
• Previews: We go hands-on with a build of the upcoming sci-fi game The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena.
• Reviews: We check out a new voice command software package for PC gamesl Say2Play.
• IGF Finalists Showcase: We conclude our series of spotlights on the nominees for the 2009 Independent Games Festival with a look at the games that are the finalists for the Seamus McNally Grand Prize.
• Mac Monday: Our weekly Macintosh column goes to the fishes in its look at the fish store sim FishCo.
• MODMonday: Our mod column this week is about the Max Payne 2 mod Mona: The Assassin.
• Big Ideas: Our weekly column on game themes takes a look at if modern games are just too easy to play.
• Big Iron: Our weekly hardware column returns with a preview of some cool 7 inch USB powered PC monitors
• Freeware Friday: Our weekly column on free games has a look at the unusual shooter title Tag: The Power of Paint.

Downloads

• Grand Ages: Rome demo: Play a sample of the upcoming historical city sim game from Kalypso Media
• Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box trial version: You can download and play the entire arcade racing game from Criterion for a short time period; you can then go and pay in the game's store for ultimited play.
• Call of Duty: World at War patch: This 1.2 patch for Activision's WWII shooter adds a new multiplayer map.
• Battlefield 1943 trailer: It's the first gameplay trailer showing off this graphical remake of Battlefield 1942.
• F.E.A.R. to F.E.A.R. 2 trailer: Check out this primer to next week's release of the shooter sequel.
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen game trailer: It's the first game trailer for Activision's transforming movie-based action game.

News

• E3 2009 reveals first exhibitors: NCsoft and Codemasters still missing
• Ensemble's unannounced games revealed
• Ubisoft: No Prince of Persia PC DLC for you
• The Sims 3 delayed until June 2
• Dragon Age: Origins delayed until second half of 2009
• Mass Effect 2 officially announced; coming in early 2010
• The Source Engine: It could save your life
• Stardock expanding; reveals plans for "old school" RPG
• Big Download chats with GameFly co-founder about Shacknews purchase
• EA brings Battlefield 1942 and Battlefield Bad Company 2 to the PC
• Left 4 Dead Expansion plans revealed
• Blizzard to bypass E3 2009
• Final two Fallout 3 DLC packs delayed
• Eidos working on financial sim game