On behalf of the staff of GamesFirst!, we would like to take this space to wish all of our staff, readers and colleagues a happy, happy holiday season. We wouldn\'t be here without you, and we know that. On our 10th holiday season, we are thankful for all the people who have helped make GamesFirst! what it is today. Our staff is among the best online, and we value your efforts. To our fellow websites (especially the ones who kick down the kind links), we thank you. You know who you are, and you inspire us to do better. To all of the game developers, PR reps, and publishers who work with us on a daily basis, we want to extend our most sincere gratitude. We couldn\'t do what we do without your continued support, and life wouldn\'t be as much fun without you.

And, of course, we want to wish Happy Holidays to our readers. We are proud to be able to serve you for the past 10 years, and we look forward to number 11. Without you, we\'d just be posting up articles for our mothers to read, and although they never complain about our reviews or call us idiots, GF! would feel pretty empty without you. Thanks.

Konami has announced that they will begin selling their products directly to customers via their new online storefront, KonamiStyle.com. The online storefront launches with a catalog of 75 Konami titles, including fan-favorite franchises Castlevania, Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill, Yu-Gi Oh, and Dance Dance Revolution. The move to a direct-sales website will also open up possibilities for Konami to offer customer incentive and reward programs, which Konami hopes will help maintain a community of loyal gamers around the publisher\'s many games.

Sony recently confirmed to Playstation Magazine that they will utilize a non-centralized system for online multiplayer on the PS3, sticking with their departure from Microsoft\'s Xbox Live or Nintendo\'s Wi-Fi Connection services. Sticking with an online gaming strategy similar to how the PS2 currently handles online gaming means that game publishers have much greater flexibility with their online content. It also means that gamers will need different accounts for each game they play online, and also makes it more difficult for developers to insure an even playing ground in online multiplayer.

Every once in awhile an indy game comes along that really makes you sit up and take notice. After seeing titles like Alan Wake or Darwinia developed by independent groups without the immediate support of a publisher, we\'re not surprised to see Project Offset, an epic fantasy first-person shooter in development by four individuals who want to play a really cool game (which is the best motivation for making a game). We\'re not surprised, but we\'re definitely impressed.

Aspyr is not one of the biggest publishers, but with some solid games under their belt (Lego Star Wars was a groundbreaking title), they\'ve put out some great experiences. The highly anticipated Stubbs the Zombie: Rebel Without a Pulse is an incredible effort. Built on the Halo engine, Stubbs the Zombie features some rock-solid gameplay that is good, wholesome, gory fun for zombie fans. Help Stubbs assemble his shuffling army of the undead and take over the small hamlet of Punchbowl, PA. Check out our full review here.

In a great analysis of Microsoft\'s latest announcements about Xbox Live Arcade for Xbox 360, Joystiq\'s Vladimir Cole details how Xbox Live Arcade is a growing threat to the traditional retail chain. And that\'s not necessarily a bad thing for game publishers: \"Sure, the games on offer right now are non-threatening casual games, but it's only a matter of time until gamers are downloading entire triple-A titles and not just demos of them. With more and more retailers moving towards the sale of used games, first- and third-party publishers are going to push the direct-to-consumer channel even harder.\" Check out the full story on Joystiq here.

Gamestop completed its buyout of EB Games this week, making it the single largest game retailer in the country, as reported by Game Daily Biz. The merger creates a company with 4200 retail outlets worldwide, and expected annual revenues of $5 billion. Analysts expect the merger to lead to an increase in the used game market, which has recently been attacked by game publisher organizations as being detrimental to their business. The merger may well mean lower trade-in prices for gamers, too, which might in turn lead to an increase in traffic for online game trading sites as gamers flock to more worthwhile deals. And the news can only be seen as an indication that pre-release reservations and package bundles will enjoy unbridled growth. That could be problematic for gamers expecting to preorder an already very pricey PlayStation 3.

Independent, and well-loved, strategy game publisher Strategy First has announced that they are offering free full game demos of their titles. Over 20 games are available now. Gamers can download the titles directly from http://www.StrategyFirst.com and will be able to play the full version of the game for three hours. After three hours, gamers can opt to buy the game, or can simply uninstall it. This sounds like a great plan to get some of the best gaming experiences available into the hands of more gamers. Head to the Strategy First website and be sure to check out some of our faves like Supreme Ruler 2010 and Jagged Alliance 2.

Playlogic and Metropolis Software have announced Diabolique: License to Sin. Diabolique puts you in charge of Dark Eaville, a super spy with all of the Double-Oh-So-Smoothness of James Bond and all the evil demon-ness of Hellboy. (But he\'s cute like Sean Connery, too.) This is stealth-action mixed with some dark horror: Imagine Sam Fisher meets Blood Rayne. Or MGS meets Soul Reaver. Published by Dutch publisher Playlogic, and developed by Polish design house Metropolis Software, Diabolique: License to Sin looks on first glance like a title US gamers should keep an eye on for import. Get some screens right here.

Publisher 2K Games decided to rain on our parade today and, lucky for us, the rain is made up of screen shots from the upcoming Sid Meier game Civilization IV! Focus today is on the civics system that allow for a dynamic government.

What do you get when you cross a big-time strategy warfare game with the classic One Million Years BC(1967), starring Raquel Welch? The answer is apparently somewhere close to ParaWorld, a new RTS for PC from German publisher, Sunflowers. Get an eyefull of these screens and you\'ll easily understand why we\'re stoked to get some hot Dino action for ourselves.

Alan Wake was one of the standout games of E3 2005 (not to mention the dreamiest of male gaming characters). Featuring a psychological thriller storyline and amazing night/day and physics effects, this is a game unlike most others. Unfortunately, Remedy does not even have a publisher for this title. Our gal, Monica, has the details here.

PC gamers are going to find themselves once again in the Star Wars universe when Knights of the Old Republic II hits the shelves just after the turn of the month. Catching LucasArts in the crosshairs of our Publisher Focus, we take a look at what they have coming down the line, starting with what is almost certainly going to be one of the best titles of the year.

Take a look at Brothers in Arms, a tactical shooter aiming to offer one of the most realistic WWII experiences in gaming history. Taking place over terrain modeled on actual maps of real world battle locations, Brothers in Arms looks to offer an engaging and intense story with all the gameplay goodness of other Ubisoft titles like Rainbow Six 3. Check it out.

Lots of people claim to have developer loyalty, but developers aren't the only ones that make the dream of a game come true. While their work might make a game good, it's publishers that get a game sold. If Ubisoft hadn't taken a chance on a few unique design concepts, games like Prince of Persia and the brilliant Beyond Good and Evil wouldn't have ever made it out of the developer's door. In the first of our Publisher Focus series, we're taking a look at what games Ubisoft has planned for us, starting with Tork: Prehistoric Punk. Make sure you read about this January release.