Now, more than ever, we need things to help us evade our daily little problems and dream. Yeah, I know - the global cooldown is getting colder with each day, but that doesn't mean we have to feel down. Just remember there's always someone who's in a worse state than you, and you should feel better - at least that's what I usually do, when I get into a dark mood. Anyway, we're not here to talk about thinking, but about gaming, so let's check out the latest rumors about Fable II, shall we?

Since the game reached gold master status on September 22, 2008, and was released a month later - only for Xbox, unfortunately, there's no point in talking about its release date...unless we're going to see a new distribution method becoming available! Why? Well, back in October, Fable 2 became available on DVD-DL, and now the future is here - those who missed it so far will be able to grab <-125x125 Button - right->it as a digital download!

Talking to GamesIndustry.biz about a possible full digital release of Fable II, Lionhead Studios' boss, Peter Molyneux, said "I think it would be a great thing for this studio to work on," but didn't go further. Why? This is the really funny part - "I can't say anything else on it – I would be killed to death," he concluded.

So...like it or not, at least for the coming months, I think the digital download is a great idea for those gaming companies looking to cut costs. I am not talking about Fable II, since this distribution model could be applied to the entire industry. That's fine with me, as long as "classic" games will still be available, although their prices may be a bit high, as it currently happens with vinyl records still being issued here and there - and those are, without any doubt, priced collectors items!

What gamers need these days is games able to successfully blend more genres that were clearly separated until now, and a first-person adventure game sounds exactly like that. To be more specific, we're talking about Mirror's Edge, and today I'll give you a few details about it.

First of all, it seems the Mirror's Edge release date is going to be some day of January, 2009, but I have no idea about it. Basically, Mirror's Edge release date is still a mystery, so let's check the minimum system requirements, <-125x125 Button - right->shall we?

Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP SP2/Vista
Processor: Intel Pentium 4 3.0GHz or 100% compatible equivalent
Memory: 1GB RAM
Video Card: 256MB memory with Shader Model 3.0*
HDD Space: 8GB
DVD Drive: 1x DVD Drive
Soundcard: Soundcard with DirectX 9.0c compatibility
DirectX: DirectX 9.0c
Network: An online connection is required for access to Leaderboards

Even more, it seems this game would optionally support Nvidia's PhysX graphics technology, but we'll see how does that impact on its performance next month. Until then, I guess we should be happy without Mirror's Edge release date, and - if needed - upgrade our computers so we can face this challenge the right way!

...is not enough to help you survive, but it can surely help you enjoy the view, don't you think? Although I would really enjoy going to see the top of the world, I know I don't have the training required, so I'll pass for now. After all, there are faster suicide methods, but since I have no suicidal tendencies, let's see what can be said about the map of Himalayan mountains...turned into a virtual landscape and involved in a horror survival game!

Today, Sproing Interactive Media GmbH from Vienna announced that, together with Deep Silver, they are developing a Wii survival horror game called Cursed Mountain. In the game, you are taking the role of a mountaineer in search of his lost brother, and while ascending the mountain, you encounter an ancient curse...the souls of those that died in the region before are caught in the Shadow World, obviously.

Harald Riegler, Sproing's CEO, said "Aside from the challenge to develop an innovative title with spectacular levels and new controls, the focus in Cursed Mountain is the overwhelming environment of the Himalayas. <-180x150 Small Rectangle - right->It is really important to us that the player experiences nature's powers as realistically as possible, and that the game's viewing distance allows the player to see the monumental landscapes at all times. We are also going to great lengths to make the dead souls look as convincing as possible in order to deliver the level of immersion necessary for really effective and believable survival horror."

Leaving gameplay aside, you should also get ready for the "Athena" game engine, able to provide "HDR-Rendering, shader simulations developed especially for Wii in order to display ice, heat and water (realistic reflections and refractions), an ultra-fast particle system for amazing snow storms, soft particles for realistic fog and smoke, depth of field, motion blur, dynamic soft shadows, spherical harmonics lighting, as well as a high performance level-of-detail and streaming system in order to provide long viewing distance of the entire surrounding."

I am not crazy about horror games, but all the above made me really curious about this project. If only they would add some videos and screenshots to that website faster...because I'll get tired of studying the map of Himalayan mountains, sooner or later!

I am not crazy about games based on movies, because in most cases, they are completely messed up, but this time, I will leave my opinion aside, especially since the Harry Potter franchise sells a lot of products, and EA Games already released pretty successful games based on it. Now, EA and Warner Bros. announced the launch of the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince video game later this year, at the same time with the new Harry Potter movie...

"We believe that the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince video game represents a milestone in the movie tie-in genre. Building on the technological advancements of previous games in the series and with a particular focus on the unique control system of Nintendo's Wii, the team here is working closely with the filmmakers to create an immersive interactive experience that captures the story, the action, the excitement and, above all, the fun of the film," says Harvey Elliott, Head of EA Bright Light studio in the UK, where the Harry Potter franchise has its home.

Humm...we should live and see it! Doesn't really sound like my kind of thing, but since Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is scheduled for release on the Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PSP, Nintendo DS, Windows PC, Macintosh and mobile devices, I guess virtually everyone should be able to play it, no matter their favorite gaming device...as long as they are crazy about such games, of course!

Do you like horror games? To be honest, I am not crazy about such things, although sometimes they can give you exactly that kind of cheap and quick fun you won't get anywhere else (well, maybe only a quick Minesweeper round...). Well, this time it's not only horror, because Ignition Entertainment announced its comic sci-fi game Teenage Zombies to arrive on the 15th of April, only for the Nintendo DS. So...what's this game all about?

Check this out - "The Big Brain is threatening mankind and the only hope to save the world is the Teenage Zombies!" Teenage Zombies: Invasion of the Alien Brainy Thingys allows you to "help the un-dead heroes - Finnigan "Fins" Magee, Lori "Lefty" Lopez and Zach "Halfpipe" Boyd - as they use their insatiable zombie hunger for brains to help save mankind from the Big Brain!" Could you say "no" to such an invitation?

Rated E10+, Teenage Zombies: Invasion of the Alien Brain Thingys! is developed by InLight Entertainment, and will be available for $29.99.