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For all of its bugs, glitches, and issues, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is still a remarkable game. As I'm sure was the case for many other gamers, the promise of eventual mod support was in and of itself enough reason for me to purchase the game on PC. Expansive mods are no longer all that far off as support is in place for the Skyrim Workshop now that the 1.4 update is available through Steam.

As demonstrated in the video above, Bethesda will soon be releasing the Creation Kit (mod-making software comprised of the same tools used to make the game) to the masses, enabling those who are so inclined to begin creating new content for what is already a content-rich game. Mods do exist for Skyrim but they are largely limited to things like UI refinements, improved world maps, enhanced textures, and so on. The Creation Kit should allow for a great deal more than that.

As if EverQuest dropping subscriptions wasn't enough of a sign that the subscription-based MMO business model will eventually be replaced by free-to-play, Trion Worlds has announced it will begin allowing players to experience a good chunk of Rift's early game content for free.

It's an identical move to the one Blizzard made last summer in the face of declining World of Warcraft subscription numbers. Coinciding with the release of the 1.7 update, a version of Rift known as Rift Lite is debuting today. By signing up for a free Trion account, you will be able to play up to level 20 without any restrictions on how long you can play for. Previously the trial available would only allow for seven days of play time before requiring the game be purchased in order to continue. That was a more significant free period than WoW's (which allowed you to play for only 48 hours), though removing the time limit altogether is a smarter approach.

Although it was hardly the first time it had been accused of copying an existing game, accusations that Zynga had cribbed the design of Tiny Tower struck a more sensitive nerve than usual. Maybe that's because Tiny Tower is more beloved and well-known than, say, a game like Farm Town, which seems to have had a pretty clear influence on FarmVille. As expected Zynga has denied the allegations and even suggested those complaining about their games being copied are not as innocent as they would have you believe, though it still remains to be seen where Zynga has innovated on the Tiny Tower formula.

Following in the footsteps of Tiny Tower developer NimbleBit, Buffalo Studios released an infographic contrasting the recently-revealed Zynga Bingo with its own Bingo Blitz game. There are certainly similarities, though Zynga posits the reason its game resembles Buffalo's is not because Zynga copied the competition.

One of the benefits of digital games from the publisher's side, at least in theory, is flexibility with pricing. With the cost of manufacturing and shipping physical games out of the way, it's also a cheaper method of distribution. Considering consumers aren't getting as much for their money -- no box, no manual, no ability to sell or let someone borrow a game -- it makes sense that digital games would be cheaper than their physical counterparts. That will be the case when shopping for Vita games in North America, though it would appear the discount we'll be enjoying is not nearly as much as it should be.

Reports of Best Buy stores getting Vita demo units in have surfaced in recent days. One NeoGAF member got to spend some hands-on time with the system ahead of its launch on February 22 and photographed a screen showing pre-orders for the digital versions of certain Vita games. Presumably these digital games Best Buy is offering would come in a form similar to Patapon 2's retail version where you're given a code to download the game from the PlayStation Store.

Sony Online Entertainment announced today that the original Everquest would make the transition to a free-to-play system in March. Released in 1999, EQ was far from the first MMO, but the industry followed its model. It's hard to imagine World of Warcraft finding success without SOE's game preceding it. The game's transition marks the end of an era -- it's the death knell for MMOs as we've known them.

Everquest's relatively small player base means the shift to free-to-play is more a sign of the times than an agent change in and of itself. Several high profile MMOs --including Everquest 2 -- have gone free-to-play past several months, but the original EQ isn't just another entry into the genre. It proved to the world that MMOs could become wildly profitable, and set off a game development gold rush that gave us everything from WoW to Star Wars: Galaxies. I don't mean to say that we'll never see a new MMO, but the free-to-play business model's ascension is complete. Don't expect to see another Star Wars: The Old Republic-sized launch anytime in the next five years.

In the past few days, two more games joined the long list of those using some sort of online pass. Since Electronic Arts introduced the concept in 2010 with Project $10, more and more publishers have adopted the practice of locking out certain features for those who purchase used games. Many feel it's unfair, but I'm not so sure that's really the case.

Many gamers consider online passes yet another way they're being shafted this generation. Like downloadable content, it's another scheme cooked up to maximize the amount of money squeezed out of each gamer, they would say, and in the case of DLC that has been true at times. I'm hardly in favor of publishers releasing incomplete games and expecting people to then pay for the rest of it later, and I was as annoyed as anyone when cheat codes started showing up on the Xbox Live Marketplace for a fee. But there is a difference between hoping to make some money off of the game you created and withholding a part of the game simply so it can be sold to players at an additional cost now that it's technically feasible to do so.

Capcom announced today that it plans to release Dragon's Dogma on May 22, and the package will include a download code for a Resident Evil 6 demo. Fans will be able to download the demo from Xbox Live on July 3, while PS3 owners will have to wait until September 4.

Other publishers have found that tying an anticipated demo or beta to an unanticipated game boosts sales of both. The original Zone of the Enders did quite well thanks to the on-disc inclusion of the Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty demo. Access to Halo 3's beta came along with new copies of Crackdown -- helping it become a cult hit. Without early access, fans and critics alike would have overlooked both titles. There's little doubt that Capcom is hoping the same strategy will work with Dragon's Dogma. What's not obvious is how much Capcom needs this gambit to succeed.

Nintendo made headlines last week when it announced something many felt it should have had in place years ago: the Nintendo Network. The details remain sketchy at best and, like with details on the Wii U, it is likely we'll be waiting until E3 in June before we've given a better idea of how the Network will actually come together. What little president Satoru Iwata did have to share about it was encouraging, and the same could be said for a lot of what Nintendo at least claims to be doing as it works to put this current disastrous financial year behind it.

Following Friday's investors briefing, a Q&A session was conducted where Iwata and company provided many unspecific, but nonetheless promising answers about how the company plans to avoid suffering another money-losing year.

Chances are, you've arrived here in one of two ways. Either you read Jeremy's Final Fantasy XIII-2 text review and wanted to see him say those things out loud. Or, you're coming in fresh and want some opinions on the game in general.

Either way, leave that tarp on your ant farm because we've got you covered. Check out Jeremy and Marty picking the game apart above, and let us know what you think below!

Every weekday, the Retronauts Lunch Break brings you a dose of classic gaming action, but there's no need to worry if you can't watch our livestream; every Friday, we'll feature a roundup of all the videos produced over the past five days. But if your lunch hour is free, make sure to come back (at 12:00pm PST) starting Monday the 30th as we devote a new week of Lunch Breaks to Resident Evil games -- along with our regular Friday playthrough of A Link to the Past. And hey, why not subscribe to our Twitch.tv feed while you're at it?

1/23/12 - Maniac Mansion