Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II has been officially announced and is coming sometime in 2012, Sega revealed today.

In what will be a fairly lengthy wait for an episodic series (as long as we don't use Half-Life as the benchmark), Episode II will be coming more than a year after release of Episode I in 2010. Today's announcement mentions that the physics are being "completely reworked" in this new game, which is very welcome news for those who felt that particular problem plagued Episode I. The game will also see the return of Tails, as the trailer above teases in not-very-subtle fashion.

The saga of the Avenger Controller and Paul Christoforo continues, although it appears to be finally headed toward a final resolution.

For those who may have missed this seemingly unbelievable story that has unfolded over the course of this final week of the year, an email chain between someone who purchased two Avenger Controllers and Paul Christoforo (pictured above), the product's now former marketing/sales/PR/customer service man, was published on Penny Arcade. In the emails Christoforo can be seen being rude, unprofessional, and unhelpful to the customer, listing off the many connections he allegedly has in the games industry and the press, and saying things like, "You just got told bitch." Penny Arcade's Mike Krahulik became involved and was also the target of Christoforo's typo-laden emails at one point before Krahulik revealed himself to be the real-life version of Gabe from the comic. In other words, someone influential whom Christoforo couldn't bully.

For the last Nintendo Download update of the year, the company didn't hold back. While there isn't a lot to be had for Wii owners, 3DS owners have two new releases to look forward to.

The first of these is VVVVVV, an old-school, indie platformer originally released for computers in early 2010. This is the first time it has appeared on a platform other than PC or Mac, though it's not because the game wasn't worthy of a port. It's not designed for those looking for a cakewalk; it's a very difficult game, though frequent checkpoints mitigate what could have been a frustrating experience. It's now available for $7.99, almost half the price it was originally released for, but also a good deal more than the $1.24 sale price Steam currently has it for. (Steam also has a demo, if you're interested in trying it first.)

The Internet was set ablaze yesterday as an email chain between a disgruntled customers, a PR rep doing customer service, and Penny Arcade's Mike Krahulik was published on the webcomic's website. In it, Ocean Marketing's Paul Christoforo was seen bullying the customer and being of little help to someone who has waited nearly two months to get the product he paid for in full in early November. Christoforo has now been replaced as the marketing man for the product in question, and the Boston native is now looking for the wave of hate to come to an end.

It was an order for the Avenger Controller (pictured below), a modified controller designed to allow disabled gamers to use the rear triggers, that started all of this. The controller's inventor and owner, David Kotkin, has apologized in a statement sent to Kotaku and revealed Ocean Marketing no longer represents the product.

The ongoing lawsuit between Viacom and former Harmonix shareholders has taken an interesting turn. Resolution accountants appointed by the two parties to determine how much money is owed to whom have determined Viacom owes the shareholders $383 million.

The shareholders originally filed their lawsuit last December alleging Viacom did not make good on bonus payments to the shareholders -- a group which includes Harmonix co-founders Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy -- and that it actively tried to minimize the amount it would have to pay in bonuses.

In business, it's probably safe to universally say that treating your customers right is important. When they pay for a product or service, they expect to get what they paid for; if something goes wrong, they expect to be able to get reasonable answers. In other words, they expect the exact opposite of what Ocean Marketing has done in handling a complaint.

As revealed in an email thread posted on Penny Arcade today, a customer named Dave placed an order for two PS3 Avenger controllers (pictured above) -- essentially a modified controller that would allow for disabled gamers to use the system's triggers. Despite being charged the entire amount upfront in early November, the "early December" release date came and went with Dave receiving no word on when the controllers would ship. After receiving a cryptic reply from Ocean Marketing's Paul Christoforo which simply read "Dec 17," Dave traded emails with the increasingly rude and unhelpful Christoforo.

Tonight's Nintendo Direct wasn't as newsworthy as the first one for those outside of Japan. The pre-recorded broadcast was largely comprised of trailers and release date announcements for 3DS games in Japan.

The new Fire Emblem for 3DS was described as an original game being designed for the handheld. In Japan it'll be known as Fire Emblem: Kakusei, which in English translates to Fire Emblem: Awakening. The report from earlier today that the first premium downloadable content from Nintendo would be released for Fire Emblem remains unconfirmed, but one aspect of the report was shot down. It had been said that the DLC would be coming in March; in fact, the game won't be available in Japan until April 19, so it won't be coming any sooner than that.

Having added support for downloadable content on 3DS earlier this month, Nintendo is reportedly planning to take advantage of this support for the first time with its upcoming Fire Emblem game.

Shortly after announcing that it planned to drop the price of the 3DS this past summer, Nintendo stated that a system update coming in 2011 would enable developers to release DLC for games on the system. That support is now in place, but it hasn't yet been taken advantage of.

Much like it did in October, Nintendo has announced a Nintendo Direct broadcast with only a few days' notice.

The official Nintendo Direct Ustream page has been updated with a date and time for its next broadcast. The event is set to take place in Japan on Tuesday and, like last time, it will be conducted in Japanese. For those in the United States who want to watch along, language barrier or not, the stream will start on Monday night at 10PM Eastern, 7PM Pacific.

That crisp tingle in the air can only mean one thing-- it's that time of year again to put a yule log on the fire, pour yourself a stiff glass of mom's special eggnog, and superglue a controller to your hands. If you're anything like us, you'll be spending your holiday season trying to chip away at the mound of games in your backlog. Lucky for you, we here at 1UP are feeling extra charitable, so we've compiled a list of MyCheats SuperGuides for all of the titles you're going to need help in this holiday season.



Assassin's Creed: Revelations
When it comes to Assassin's Creed: Revelations, we left no stone unturned throughout all of Constantinople. We have a full walkthrough for all Ezio, Altair, and Desmond missions, as well as Fragment Locations and so much more. Wherever you get stuck, MyCheats is here for all of your Animus needs.



Batman: Arkham City
The Dark Knight just can't seem to catch a break. Luckily our guide is here to help you survive the countdown to "Protocol 10," including the Catwoman DLC missions. Use our SuperGuide to suss out every tidbit of fan-service that Batman: Arkham City has to offer.



Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Listen up, soldiers: 2011's biggest shooter is here, and you you're going to need all the help you can get in order to survive. Thankfully our Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 SuperGuide on MyCheats is here to steady your aim.



Dark Souls
Making the slow crawl through Dark Souls is as difficult as it is rewarding. Our walkthrough is here to provide you with the best route to take along your quest to Ring the Bells, gather the Lord Souls, and ultimately defeat Gwyn. But let's be honest-- if you're anything like us, you're still going to die...and die...and die.



Gears of War 3
Prepare to battle the Locust horde once again in Gears of War 3. Our Gears of War 3 SuperGuide is here to help you defeat the Locust with a single-player walkthrough, multiplayer tips, and loads of cheats, tips, and strategies.



The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
This massive game is undeniably the Nintendo Wii's swan song, and it's dangerous to go alone. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword SuperGuide is here to help you explore all of Hyrule with a detailed walkthrough, side quest guide, and more.



Skyrim
2011's biggest game is here, and even the most seasoned veteran can use a helping hand. Use the MyCheats Strategy Wiki to help you delve into the depths of the newest Elder Scrolls title. Discover the secrets of Vampirism, dragon-slaying, and marriage.



Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Step back into the globe-trotting boots of Nathan Drake in Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. The MyCheats SuperGuide is here to help you navigate the desert and locate each of the game's hidden treasures. From alabaster idols to ornate goblets, our guide shows you how to get the goods.