Dark Void screenshot• ExtraLife gaming is for the kids. Literally.
Not only are gamers the most awesome people on this planet, but they also have the biggest hearts (no bias here). Firemen, police officers, veterans of war, gamers, organ donors - see? To be serious for a moment or three, Extralife 2009 sounds like a fascinating opportunity to be a gamer and give back. This community puts together a 24-hour video game marathon to raise money for pediatric cancer research and treatment.

All you have to do is something you do anyway - play games for 24-straight hours. You know you can do it. Extralife 2009 is Oct. 17 this year, starting at 8 a.m. Get a team of friends together, sign up on the Extralife page of the Texas Children's Hospital website and break out the Crysis. Good times.

• With love from me to you
Have I mentioned how excited I am about The Beatles: Rock Band? I swear - can you really look at this without peeing your pants? Damn it ... hold on. I'll be right back.

OK, so the game won't go on sale until 9-09-09 (the significance of that date should be apparent) but I've been very impressed with all of the sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes info that has been released. The opening cinematic impressed me when I first saw it, but pre-order club members get interviews with Giles Martin, video on how the final track list was decided, a look at the instrument controllers (including McCartney's gorgeous Höfner bass), and more.

You can pre-order online through Best Buy, GameStop, Fry's, Sam's and Amazon.com. Or just show up at any of these or GameCrazy on Sept. 9.

• Fall gaming: The Sound of Silence
Latest game release date to be pushed back? That would be Dark Void. Not that I'm as upset by this news as I was when I heard Bioshock 2 was swimming farther away from me. Know what I hear for the fall of this year? Crickets chirping. It's gonna be a long, boring winter.