The Best of Big Download: October 12-18

We are just a few days away from the official launch of Windows 7. Will it create the push that gets more console gamers into PC gaming? Only time will tell. While we wait to find out, Big Download takes a look at the previous seven days of news for the already converted:
Exclusive Features

• A Brief History of Windows Gaming: We look back at the various versions of Windows as they related to PC gaming history.

• Black Ops Games Redux Part 1: In the first installment of this multi-part series, we look back at some former games that were unannounced last year that finally were officially announced.

• Hands-On with Torchlight: We got to play the upcoming downloadable fantasy action-RPG from Runic Games before its release on October 27 and wrote up our impressions!
  

• Big Versus: City of Heroes Vs Champions Online: Our Versus feature returns as we compare the new super hero MMO with the first one.

• All You Need To Know: This week our game info feature looks at Bioware's upcoming RPG Dragon Age: Origins.

• Mac Monday: Our weekly Mac column takes a look at two titles this time out: Machinarium and QuantZ.

• Boot Disk: Our weekly retro game feature looks at the classic Shiny Entertainment-developed title, Earthworm Jim.

• Playing For Free: Our weekly look at free-to-play online games checks out the space-based title DarkSpace.

• Freeware Friday: Our always popular free PC games column checks out a game with the unusual title RRRRRPG.

Downloads

• Dragon Age: Origins Character Creator: Make your RPG character now before BioWare releases their title on November 3.

• Wolfenstein Demo: Check out a brief portion of Raven Software's FPS that was released back in August.

• Football Manager 2010 Demo: We have both the "vanilla" and "strawberry" demos for the upcoming management sim game

• Grid 1.3 patch: Download the latest patch to Codemasters' 2008 released racing game.

• CryEngine 3 Beauty trailer: It's the latest trailer to show off Crytek's new game graphics technology.

• Aliens Vs Predator "Alien" Trailer: Check out what it's like to play as an Alien in the upcoming FPS.

News

• Remedy to revamp Death Rally . . . kind of

• Look for two years of Dragon Age: Origins DLC

• Former Microsoft Flight Sim devs form new studio

• Left 4 Dead 2 boycott group breaks up

• Galactic Command officially revealed

• Dragon Age Flash game coming

• Borderlands goes to the zombies for first downloadable expansion

• January 26 release date for Mass Effect 2; pre-order specials revealed

• Only PC version of Dragon Age: Origins has top-down viewpoint

• John Romero's MMO game company suffers layoffs

• PC version of Saw to be exclusive to Steam

• No dedicated servers for Modern Warfare 2 PC; Infinity Ward to run matchmaking service