The Best of Big Download: June 22-28

We actually thought news would be slow this past week; boy were we wrong. Let's check out the big events and exclusive content for the past seven days at Big Download!
Exclusive features

• Reviews: We give our final verdicts for Prototype and Fallout 3: Point Lookout
• Happy 13th Birthday Quake: We look back at the id Software FPS franchise
• The big PC game acquisitions: In the way of id Software's purchase by ZeniMax, we take a look at other PC game industry purchases.
• Mac Monday: Our weekly Mac games column takes a look at the life sim Spouts Adventure.
• Boot Disk: Our weekly look at retro gaming centers on the classic action-RPG System Shock 2.
• Big Ideas: "Can a game make you cry?" That's the topic of our latest weekly game theme feature.
• Freeware Friday: This week our free PC game feature is about the unusual puzzle game Chauk.
• Contest: You still have time to enter our contest where we are giving away some cool Turtle Beach headsets and Say2Play PC game voice command software products

Downloads

• ArmA II demo: Try out this sample of the massive military shooter from Bohemia Interactive.
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince demo: It's a free sample of the latest movie-based game from EA.
• Trine demo: It's a cool sample of the upcoming action-puzzle game from Frozenbyte.
• The Sims 3 patch: Download the latest update to the recent people sim game.
• Red Alert 3 patch: It's the latest update for the alternate history RTS game
• Spore patch: Grab the latest update for EA's alien evolution sim game
• StarCraft II Battle Report 3 movie: Check out this 19 minute gameplay film from Blizzard's upcoming sci-fi RTS sequel.
• Dawn of War II Battle Reports: Check out part one and part two of gameplay from the upcoming major DLC expansion to Relic's RTS game

News

• 3D Realms/Apogee reveals Duke Begins game in lawsuit response
• Empire: Total War patch released; new separate paid download adds units
• Command and Conquer 4 mentioned in new EA online survey
• Star Wars: The Old Republic wins Best PC Game in for Games Critics E3 2009 awards
• Novint Falcon controller support added to The Orange Box
• Bethesda Softworks' parent company acquires id Software
• BioWare co-founder now in charge of Mythic; Mythic co-founder Mark Jacobs departs
• Battlefield Heroes officially launches
• Serious Sam: The First Encounter remake coming to the PC
• Gathering of Developers-Gamecock co-founders form Devolver Digital
• Obsidian finally confirms Aliens RPG cancelation
• New Everquest and Everquest II expansions announced