Following a highly publicized NFL dispute over videogame licensing rights, the UFC has spawned its own controversy regarding its figthers’ objections to lending their own likeness to videogames. Dana White, the authoritarian CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has basically given the organization’s fighters a “my way or the highway” statement forcing fighters to allow videogame sponsorship or find a new organization. The agreement would sign away their likeness for life which means even the fighters’ own families would not be allowed to use their likeness in the event of death. When fighter Jon Fitch hesitated, he was thrown out of the UFC (24 hours later he was resigned). I guess we can expect to see Fitch in the upcoming game UFC 2009

6. Vincent Valentine – Final Fantasy VII

Final Fantasy characters always look like awesome. Even if people aren’t familiar with the franchise, if you pull it off right, people will think your costume is great.

Source: Play-mag.co.uk

5. Master Chief – Halo

Everyone and their sister has played this game. Even non-gamers will recognize Master Chief…even if they just call you “Halo guy.” Bonus points if you get a working Warthog.

Source: Guzer.com

4. Chell, Weighted Companion Cube, The Cake – Portal

Unlike the previous two options, non-gamers will be confused and think you and your friends are dressed as “nuclear waste worker, grey-heart-thingy-guy, and lazy dude with weird hat.” Gamers will salute you with accolades like “The cake is a lie…and a hat.”

3. Samus Aran – Metroid Prime

People who haven’t played video games since the 80’s might recognize you from the original Metroid and like the “throwback” aspect of your costume. But if we’re being realistic, you won’t look as good as her:

Source: PixelNinja.se

2. Link – Zelda

This is another one you probably can’t pull off…but we just didn’t feel like our list would be complete without this picture. And if you’re going to leave a comment about how Link was a guy or how green is the preferred color…we know, we just don’t care.

Source: eBaumsworld.com

1. Big Daddy & Little Sister – Bioshock

If you’re looking to get your kids involved, this is the best father-daughter costume set ever. Anyone who’s played Bioshock (which is a lot of people) will give your daughter extra handfuls of candy for the sheer coolness of her costume. And anyone who hasn’t played Bioshock will still think you’re both totally scary.

Whether you’re trick-or-treating, partying or staying at home and gaming, feel free to drop a line about the most interesting costume you’ve seen this Halloween! To start putting together you own cool video game costumes check above for a ton of cool ideas.

Personally I love a good survival horror game. I’ve been waiting for a game like Dead Space to come around and whip up the same kind of fear in me that movies like Event Horizon can. Dead Space is a new game by Electronic Arts which seeks to breathe new life (despite the name) into the series. So far, there’s already been a review on it and at 91% it is very promising.

The Dead Space game’s story follows that of engineer Isaac Clark, whose ship has responded to a distress beacon sent out by the Ishimura, a giant planet cracking ship which …cracks planets… to mine the resulting ore. The ship’s crew is transformed by a hideous race of aliens that feed on necrotic flesh. While the story is pretty “Event Horizon”, reviewers have praised the presentation which is terrifying and could teach industry veteran games like Resident Evil a thing or two.

The game will release with a special offer by EA. Anyone who logs into the game’s online stores within two weeks after launch will receive a special suit which can be used in game. The suit will be better than Dead Space’s default suit and will be generally more powerful.

This year’s christmas season promises a host of highly anticipated games. But has anyone else also noticed that the most anticipated games these days tend to be FPS/Sequels or BOTH? Was anybody else as excited when Assassin’s Creed came out because for once we had a big budget game that didn’t fall into the realm of the FPS? It beckons the question of whether or not original IP’s are dead in gaming.

The fact of the matter is that these days, with production prices rivaling that of Hollywood movies, video game developers simply don’t have the room to take risks with originality anymore. That’s why over half the games in development these days is some form of First Person Shooter. That’s why Trilogies are announced before the first game is even out. And that’s why in many ways, games have begun to stalemate a little as of late. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy Gears of War and Resistance: Fall of Man just as much as the next guy but at the same time I can’t help but wonder if the future of gaming lies in the FPS. Are we doomed to look forward to an endless stream of hammy characters and AK-47′s for the rest of our lives?

There is hope however, because Assassin’s Creed managed to sell so well, it gives hope that perhaps I’m not alone in this desire to see some truly original games. Original not only in story and character but original in gameplay as well. Here’s to hoping that perhaps there are still revolutionaries and inventors left in the industry and that the Video Game industry won’t end up completely like Hollywood.