Today’s mysterious Google logo starts off being a silverish color and then changes to its traditional assorted colors as you type, complete with the blinking cursor. I’m beginning to wonder what’s going on here and I think I know.

I believe this is Google’s way of discretely showing off the abilities of HTML5, but I could be wrong. Let’s hear your thoughts.

P.S. I just realized what I typed in that search bar….

We have a whopping four games to tell you about that are on sale. First up, this week’s Midweek Madness sale features Puzzle Quest 2, which can be had for $13.39, 33-percent off the original price. This sale ends Thursday at 7PM Eastern Time.

Steam’s Weeklong Sale features Football Manager 2010 and Secret of the Magic Crystals at 50-percent off, as well as Space Siege at 66-percent off! These sales end September 13th.

Get ‘em while they’re hot!

The Bargain Bin is a weekly feature that helps out gamers in the tough economy. How does it help? Once a week, it offers a great and cheap game ($10 or less) to keep you going until your next paycheck.

If strategy is your game, then this week’s Bargain Bin brings you something special. Two games for (less than) the price of one! The perfect combo deal to break into this fantastic strategy series: Company of Heroes.

Offering a fantastic deal to all RTS gamers that have not yet had the pleasure of playing the massive games in the Company of Heroes series, Steam has slashed the price of Company of Heroes: Gold. The bundle offers the first game in the series along with the game’s first standalone expansion, Opposing Fronts. Whether you plan to power through the campaign by yourself or if you’re looking to wage war against your friends in the game’s multiplayer, it’s a hard deal to ignore if you’re a fan of RTS and have an extra $7.49 laying around. It’s part of Steam’s “Weekend Deal” so you’d better grab it fast if you’re interested, it won’t last much longer!

[Store Page]

It’s been close to six years since the last Roller Coaster Tycoon title rolled out onto shelves. That was Roller Coaster Tycoon 3. According to a post on the official Atari forums, Atari is now starting to think about and plan their next title in the popular PC series by asking fans what they want to see and if they’re ready for another RCT game.

“We are thinking hard about the next Rollercoaster Tycoon game on PC. We have a question for you, our loyal fanbase. How ready are you for the next Rollercoaster Tycoon? In the years since the last version, what are the key features you’ve dreamed about for the next release? What would make you rush out, buy it, and keep playing it? We’d like to know!”

Nothing has been said on who will be developing the next title in the series or even a possible release window.

via [PC Gamer]

I will admit, I never got around to playing the original Mafia all the way through, but this works in my favor when it comes to Mafia II because, unlike many other gamers, I’m not going into this review expecting some massive improvement on something I’ve never played. So, it’s time to put on my best Italian-American accent and start squeezing helpless innocents for protection money.

It seems I’m in luck because the two games have nothing to do with each other. Throughout the game, you’ll earn (and steal) money. This is expected, especially with open-world games. What is also expected, however, is that you’ll get more than just a handful of ways to spend that money. You can A) buy guns (which is completely needless if you’re robbing the place anyway because you can just steal the guns you want) B) buy clothes (see A) C) customize/repair/upgrade your car (which, of course, taking the car to missions is a crap shoot because you never know if you’ll actually get the car back or not). So, in short: robbing stores is a great mechanic and makes you feel like the ultimate gangster, but there’s no point. There’s even a few spots through the game’s story where you’ll lose all your money and not get it back.

It’s odd to see such a linear game based in such a large and open city. It feels like the world was supposed to be filled with more missions, contacts and activities, but was cut down. As it stands, the city is cool and the cops are annoying (as you’d expect), but it just doesn’t feel as alive or thriving as GTA IV. I’ve seen many complaints about the amount of chauffeuring you do in the game, and this is a bit tedious, but anyone that’s played any of the GTA or Saints Row games will have expected this, and I’m sure anyone will agree that slightly annoying chauffeuring is far better than  being driven everywhere which, you have to admit, would be a complete snooze fest.

The game’s storytelling abilities, though a bit cliche, are solid, but the game’s 10-13 hour campaign only succeeds in feeling just above “average”. While Mafia II does have great voice acting and fantastic visuals, overall, the game fails to greatly impress after a few hours of play. A game well worth your time, sure, but don’t expect anything extraordinary, and don’t be surprised when the game’s finale leads up to not so much a “cliffhanger,” but more an “unfinished story.” Be prepared for some gray hairs.

[Download the Free Demo]

Score: 7 Olives

When I first learned that Razer offered a set of upgraded teflon feet for the Mamba, I was a bit confused. Sure, it was cool that Razer gave you the option to upgrade the mouse, but at the same time, it feels a bit shady. If these feet are so great, then why aren’t they included with the Mamba in the first place? After all, it is Razer’s most expensive mouse, so is it too much to expect that it comes with the very best from Razer? No matter the case, it’s time to see if these replacement feet are worth the $10.

The process was as simple and easy as one would expect: use a small screw driver or similar device to pry up the old feet, use the alcohol swab to remove any adhesive residue left from the old feet and apply the new feet in their places, apply pressure and you’re all done and ready for gaming once more.

Surprisingly, the difference was immediately noticeable. I wasn’t expecting much of a change, but it felt great. The Mamba was very smooth and nimble again. Even after just 9 months of use on the original feet, I noticed a large difference and at $10, it’s more than worth the price to breathe new life into your older Razer mouse (Razer offers the replacement feet for several different models). The best part is that each purchase gets you two sets of feet for your mouse of choice, so you’re covered for the future.

**After talking with Razer, we found that these replacement feet are the exact same as the feet that come on the mouse from the factory, and not an upgrade of any kind. They are still a great way to breathe life into that old Razer you’ve been gaming on for the past year or more.

Catch up on our previous Mamba Files and look forward to next month where we’ll detail some changes that could make the Mamba a better mouse in future revisions.

The past week’s best news and featured content…

Retro Review: Cannon Fodder
- Back in my early days of gaming, I remember going to a friends house and catching glimpses of his older brother playing this top-down military strategy game that captivated me. I never learned of this game’s name, so I was tortured by this mystery for many years.

New Xbox 360 Controller Announced and Detailed
- Microsoft announced today a new Xbox 360 Controller,which has a D-Pad that apparently doesn’t suck. Now, you’re probably wondering why we’re covering this bit of console news, but to explain, the Xbox 360 controller can also be used with a PC and we here at the Olive absolutely love that fact. There are simply some PC games that are just better with a gamepad.

Microsoft Announces and Details Arc Touch Mouse
- Microsoft announced today their new Arc Touch Mouse which looks to be the competitor of Apple’s Magic Mouse, but we’re not 100% on that. You can obviously tell that the mouse has quite a weird looking form to it that probably will only attract a handful of users. The mouse has the usual left- and right-click buttons, and where the scroll wheel would usually reside is a capacitive touch strip with sensor pads that can be used for scrolling (obviously) and any customizable shortcuts that you’d like.

Treyarch’s Black Ops Multiplayer Reveal Event Brings New Game Modes
- During Treyarch’s multiplayer reveal event last night, we were given a ton of details about new gameplay and structures in the multiplayer side of things that have left us with an even greater burning desire to play the game. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait as no beta was announced.

Review: Razer Vespula Gaming Mouse Pad
- Having tested several Razer mouse pads now, we’ve found that for the most part, double-sided pads mostly serve as a gauging tool for gamers to see which style of pad they prefer for future purchases. After a few hours testing each surface of a double-sided pad, gamers will know what they’re most comfortable gaming surface is. Is the Vespula any different? Does it offer something that previous pads don’t? Let’s have a look.

Announcing Tech Olive’s Official Call of Duty: Black Ops Gaming Server!
- Earlier today, it was announced that GameServers.com would be the exclusive hosting provider offering dedicated Call of Duty: Black Ops servers. Since then, we’ve worked tirelessly with the great guys at GameServers.com to make sure that Tech Olive gets its very own 18-slot Ranked Black Ops server right when the game releases.

So, folks, it’s a three-day weekend! What do you have planned? A personal gaming marathon? Working on a DIY project? Maybe grilling out and hanging out with family?

I myself will be hanging out with some family and eating some delicious food, as well as spending my Monday gaming for a bit and possibly do some experimenting with lighting for future photo and video shoots!

Tim is working hard (or hardly working) on our Mafia II review, so he is no doubt trapping himself in his room and pretending to be a mobster for a couple days.

Now it’s your turn! Let us know what fun things you have planned for the weekend!

**Speaking of the weekend, you still have a day or so until Altitude‘s free weekend expires on Steam, so be sure to take advantage of this free gaming opportunity!

After countless delays and a legendarily long development time, it seems Duke Nukem Forever is actually releasing. It’s hard to believe, but it was announced at PAX 2010 by 2K Games that Gearbox Software (The studio behind Borderlands) is working on DNF and it is scheduled for final release next year.

I guess it’s time to start making a list of all the bets I have to make good on. “Sure, I’ll shave my head when Duke Nukem Forever comes out! HAH!” Crap.

Hit the break for some sneakily-recorded DNF demo gameplay footage from the PAX 2010 floor.

via [Shack News]