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So far in the Invisible Pigeon-holing Council, we’ve considered genres from the very general MMO to the totally niche Bullet Hell as well as addressing one of the oldest genres in video games, the Beat ‘Em Up. This week, we take a turn from the classics and consider a genre so new it has only seen commercial releases in the last year. Well-known among gamers yet rarely recognized as its own genre, today we reflect on the breakthrough genre known as the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena.

Tired of seeing flat surfaces on objects that are supposed to be round in your games?  A new graphics technology seeks to smooth round edges without the need for super powerful computers.  That screenshot above could be rendered in real time on a phone without a hiccup.  How is this possible and why isn't it everywhere?  Hit the jump to find out. There's also a video.

Most human beings have thought about killing someone. The rest are liars. However not everyone has thought about killing someone in a creative and gruesome way. If you happen to be one of the rare few who have, you have a chance to have your kill featured in the upcoming Dead Space 2 game. 

But wait! There's more! Along with your Necromorph killing skills, your own likeness will also be featured in the highly anticipated sequel. Hit the jump to find out how to enter.

This took me a few minutes to understand.  Available now on Steam is the four pack for Battlefield: Bad Company 2.  Now, the four pack is usually reserved for games where you want to play with 3 friends, so you guys all want to go in on the game and save a little cash.  Borderlands, 4 player co-op.  Left4Dead1/2, 4 player co-op.  Battlefield: Bad Company 2, 1 player single-player, 32-man multi-player, huh?  Oh right, four person squads!  Hit the jump to find out more on this awesome deal.

Amazon.com is having a deal today on Mass Effect 2 for both PC and Xbox 360.  So in case you were waiting for the game to go down in price or you rented it and want more after your rent was up, here's your chance to snag this amazing game.

Welcome to "Worth It - Games Worth Playing this Week," a new weekly column you'll find here every Monday. In Worth It, I'll sift through the games being released this week to let you know what you can look forward to and, sometimes, what is just too bad to ignore.

This week, obsessive fans of all sorts rejoice, from the increasingly rare tabletop strategy gamer to the Sephiroth fanboy. Hit the jump to find out more.

If you've been playing Battlefield: Bad Company 2 non stop like the majority of Couch Athletics, there's no doubt you've run into several issues trying to log in, stay connected, and generally play the game online.  Most developers keep a tight lip as to what the cause is on their end but Dice played a different card by giving fans a rare look into what's going on and what they are doing about it via a post on their blog.  More detail after the break.

The second in a series of decent deals coming from Games for Windows Live brings Street Fighter 4 to us with a 50% price cut. Although not as tantalizing as last weeks deal, shaving three quarters off the price of Batman: Arkham Asylum, it's not bad either. 

The deal started yesterday and runs until 5:00pm PST, Monday March 8th. 

Portal 2 was already announced, but what do we know about the game?  Read on to see some details, and catch-up on what's been going on this week!  With all the info flying around, it's always good to get a conglomeration from time to time.  Prepare for link bombardment!

Another horrifying Friday is upon us, and as always that means playing games, events, and a lack of sunlight.  Although, if you're anything like me you've already been out quite a bit today and have enjoyed the nice day outside.  At least, it's nice in Chicago.  This weekend we've got a bit of a change in events, but overall it'll be the same jam packed video game style weekend you had planned since Monday.  Hit the jump to see the slight change.