Here’s this week’s comic releases. Get out to your local comic shop and pick up some new comics.

007 MAGAZINE AND ARCHIVE LTD
007 Magazine Archive Diamonds Are Forever #1, $18.00

3D TOTAL PUBLISHING
ZBrush Character Sculpting Volume 1 SC (not verified by Diamond), $49.99

ABSTRACT STUDIOS
Rachel Rising #7, $3.99

APE ENTERTAINMENT
Pocket God Volume 2 Tale Of Two Pygmies TP (resolicited), $12.99
Pocket God Volume 3 A Quest Called Tribe TP, $12.99

ARCANA STUDIO
Turning Tiger GN (Special Edition), $7.99

ARCHIE COMICS
Archie Double Digest #228, $3.99
Betty And Veronica #259, $2.99
Sonic The Hedgehog Select Volume 5 TP (not verified by Diamond), $11.99
Sonic Universe #39, $2.99

ARDDEN ENTERTAINMENT
Mixtape #1, $2.99

ASPEN MLT
Fathom Kiani Volume 2 #1 (Cover A Oliver Nome), $3.50
Fathom Kiani Volume 2 #1 (Cover B Siya Oum), $3.50
Fathom Kiani Volume 2 #1 (Cover C Michael Turner Classic), AR

AURUM PRESS
Robert Wells Trilogy Volume 1 The Sacrifice GN (not verified by Diamond), $24.95

AVATAR PRESS
Stitched #4 (Mike Wolfer Regular Cover), $3.99
Stitched #4 (Mike Wolfer Gore Cover), $3.99
Stitched #4 (Movie Photo Incentive Cover), AR
Stitched #4 (Mike Wolfer Wraparound Cover), $3.99

BLANK SLATE
Survivalist (One Shot), $7.99

BONGO COMICS
Simpsons Comics #189, $2.99
Simpsons Confidential TP, $15.99

BOOM! STUDIOS
Clive Barker’s Hellraiser Masterpieces #12, $3.99
Ice Age Playing Favorites (One Shot), $3.99
Irredeemable #36 (Cover A Matteo Scalera), $3.99
Irredeemable #36 (Cover B Damian Couceiro), $3.99
Peanuts #4 (Of 4)(Charles Schultz First Appearance Of Snoopy Variant Cover), AR
Peanuts #4 (Of 4)(Charles Schultz Regular Cover), $3.99
Planet Of The Apes #13 (Cover A Damian Couceiro), $3.99
Planet Of The Apes #13 (Cover B Marc Laming), $3.99
Planet Of The Apes #13 (Cover C Damian Couceiro), AR
Steed And Mrs Peel #4 (Of 6)(Ian Gibson Regular Cover), $3.99
Steed And Mrs Peel #4 (Of 6)(Ian Gibson Variant Cover), AR

COMIC SHOP NEWS
Comic Shop News #1296, AR

DARK HORSE COMICS
3 Story Secret Files Of The Giant Man (One Shot), $3.50
Abe Sapien Volume 2 The Devil Does Not Jest TP (not verified by Diamond), $17.99
Archie Archives Volume 5 HC, $49.99
B.P.R.D. Hell On Earth The Long Death #3 (Of 3), $3.50
Dark Horse Presents #11 (Francesco Francavilla Variant Cover), AR
Dark Horse Presents #11 (Tonci Zonjic Regular Cover), $7.99
Fear Agent Volume 6 Out Of Step TP, $16.99
Gantz Volume 22 TP, $12.99
Hellcyon TP, $12.99
Katsuya Terada’s The Monkey King Volume 2 TP, $16.99
Oh My Goddess Volume 41 TP, $12.99
Ragemoor #2, $3.50
Reset #1 (Of 4)(Matt Kindt Variant Cover), AR
Reset #1 (Of 4)(Peter Bagge Regular Cover), $3.50
Resident Alien #0, $3.50
Star Wars Dawn Of The Jedi Force Storm #0 (Of 5)(3rd Printing Variant Cover), $3.50
Star Wars Dawn Of The Jedi Force Storm #1 (Of 5)(3rd Printing Variant Cover), $3.50
Star Wars Dawn Of The Jedi Force Storm #3 (Of 5), $3.50

DC COMICS
Ame-Comi Heroine Series Raven Angel Of Azarath Variant PVC Figure (resolicited), $70.00
Ame-Comi Heroine Series Raven Demon Daughter Variant PVC Figure (resolicited), $70.00
Batman #6 (Greg Capullo 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $2.99
Batman #8 (Combo Pack Edition), $4.99
Batman #8 (Greg Capullo Black & White Variant Cover), AR
Batman #8 (Greg Capullo Regular Cover), $3.99
Batman #8 (Jay Fabok Variant Cover), AR
Batman Beyond Unlimited #3, $3.99
Batman Odyssey Volume 2 #7 (Of 7)(Neal Adams Black & White Variant Cover), AR
Batman Odyssey Volume 2 #7 (Of 7)(Neal Adams Regular Cover), $3.99
Batman The Dark Knight #5 (David Finch & Richard Friend 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $2.99
Batman Venom TP (New Edition), $14.99
Birds Of Prey #8, $2.99
Blackest Night Special Edition #1, $4.99
Blue Beetle #8, $2.99
Captain Atom #8, $2.99
Catwoman #8, $2.99
Cinderella Fables Are Forever TP, $14.99
DC Universe Presents #8, $2.99
Dominique Laveau Voodoo Child #2, $2.99
Fables #116, $2.99
Green Lantern Corps #8, $2.99
Hellblazer #290, $2.99
Justice League #8 (Combo Pack Edition), $4.99
Justice League #8 (Jim Lee & Scott Williams Regular Cover), $3.99
Justice League #8 (Jim Lee Black & White Variant Cover), AR
Justice League #8 (Mike Choi Variant Cover), AR
Legion Of Super-Heroes #8, $2.99
New Teen Titans Omnibus Volume 2 HC, $75.00
Nightwing #8, $2.99
Red Hood And The Outlaws #8, $2.99
Shooters HC, $22.99
Showcase Presents All-Star Squadron Volume 1 TP, $19.99
Stieg Larsson’s The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Special, AR
Suicide Squad #7 (Ivan Reis & Eber Ferreira 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $2.99
Supergirl #8, $2.99
T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents Volume 2 #6 (Of 6), $3.99
Wonder Woman #8 (Cliff Chiang Black & White Variant Cover), AR
Wonder Woman #8 (Cliff Chiang Regular Cover), $2.99
Young Justice #15, $2.99

DIAMOND PUBLICATIONS
Diamond Bookshelf #10, AR

DK PUBLISHING
Avengers DK Readers Avengers Assemble HC (not verified by Diamond), $14.99
Avengers DK Readers Avengers Assemble SC (not verified by Diamond), $3.99
Avengers DK Readers World’s Mightiest Super Hero Team HC (not verified by Diamond), $14.99
Avengers DK Readers World’s Mightiest Super Hero Team SC (not verified by Diamond), $3.99
Avengers The Ultimate Guide To Earth’s Mightiest Heroes HC (not verified by Diamond), $24.99

DKE
Mr Toast Comics #1, $3.00
Mr Toast Comics #2, $3.00

DYNAMIC FORCES
Warlord Of Mars #16 (Dynamic Forces)(Ale Garza Exclusive Risque Red Cover), $14.99

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
Army Of Darkness Omnibus Volume 2 TP, $29.99
Danger Girl And The Army Of Darkness #5 (Of 6)(Nick Bradshaw Black & White Variant Cover), AR
Danger Girl And The Army Of Darkness #5 (Of 6)(Nick Bradshaw Regular Cover), $3.99
Danger Girl And The Army Of Darkness #5 (Of 6)(Paul Renaud Regular Cover), $3.99
Kirby Genesis #0 (Re-Order Sketch Variant Cover), AR
Red Sonja #65 (John Watson Regular Cover), $3.99
Red Sonja #65 (Walter Geovano Regular Cover), $3.99
Shadow #1 (Alex Ross Regular Cover), $3.99
Shadow #1 (Alex Ross Sketch Variant Cover), AR
Shadow #1 (Alex Ross Virgin Variant Cover), AR
Shadow #1 (Authentix Cover), AR
Shadow #1 (Howard Chaykin Bloody Violent Variant Cover), AR
Shadow #1 (Howard Chaykin Regular Cover), $3.99
Shadow #1 (Jae Lee Regular Cover), $3.99
Shadow #1 (Jae Lee Sketch Variant Cover), AR
Shadow #1 (John Cassaday Black & White Variant Cover), AR
Shadow #1 (John Cassaday Regular Cover), $3.99
Vampi Omnibus Volume 1 TP, $29.99
Vampirella #16 (Adriano Batista Regular Cover), $3.99
Vampirella #16 (Fabiano Neves Black & White Variant Cover), AR
Vampirella #16 (Fabiano Neves Regular Cover), $3.99
Vampirella #16 (Lucio Parillo Regular Cover), $3.99
Vampirella #16 (Paul Renaud Blood Red Variant Cover), AR
Vampirella #16 (Paul Renaud Regular Cover), $3.99

FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS
Any Similarity To Persons Living Or Dead Is Purely Coincidental HC (not verified by Diamond), $19.99
Castle Waiting Volume II #16 (resolicited), $3.95
E.C. Segar’s Popeye Volume 6 Me Lil Swee Pea HC (not verified by Diamond), $29.99
Folly Consequences Of Indiscretion GN (not verified by Diamond), $18.99
Krazy And Ignatz 1922-1924 At Last My Drim Of Love Has Come True TP, $24.99
Krazy And Ignatz The Complete Sunday Strips 1916-1924 HC (Limited Edition), $95.00

FUTURE PUBLISHING
Comic Heroes Magazine #11 (100 Greatest Heroes), $18.99
SFX #220, $10.99

HARPER COLLINS
Dracula Illustrated Novel HC (resolicited), $17.99

HARPER DESIGN
Heroes For My Daughter HC, $19.99

HIGHWAY 62 PRESS
Strangeways The Thirsty GN, $17.95

IDW PUBLISHING
Doctor Who #16 (Cover A Mark Buckingham), $3.99
Doctor Who #16 (Cover B Photo), $3.99
Doctor Who #16 (Matthew Dow Smith Variant Cover), AR
Dungeons And Dragons Eberron Annual 2012 (Menton J. Matthews III Regular Cover), $7.99
Dungeons And Dragons Eberron Annual 2012 (Valerio Schiti Wraparound Variant Cover), AR
Eternal Descent Volume 2 #4 (Of 6)(Cover A Jason Metcalf), $3.99
Eternal Descent Volume 2 #4 (Of 6)(Cover B Santi Casas), $3.99
G.I. JOE A Real American Hero #177 (Cover A Ron Frenz & Sal Buscema), $3.99
G.I. JOE A Real American Hero #177 (Cover B Herb Trimpe), $3.99
G.I. JOE A Real American Hero #177 (Larry Hama Sketch Variant Cover), AR
Ghostbusters #8 (Cover A Dan Schoening), $3.99
Ghostbusters #8 (Cover B Nick Runge), $3.99
Ghostbusters #8 (Gabe Eltaeb Variant Cover), AR
H.P. Lovecraft’s The Dunwich Horror TP, $17.99
John Byrne’s Next Men Aftermath #42 (John Byrne Black & White Variant Cover), AR
John Byrne’s Next Men Aftermath #42 (John Byrne Regular Cover), $3.99
Rocketeer Adventures 2 #2 (Of 4)(Cover A Alex Ross), $3.99
Rocketeer Adventures 2 #2 (Of 4)(Cover B Dave Stevens), $3.99
Rocketeer Adventures 2 #2 (Of 4)(Alex Ross Sketch Variant Cover), AR
Rocketeer Adventures 2 #2 (Of 4)(Darwyn Cooke Black & White Variant Cover), AR
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Micro-Series #4 (Leonardo)(Cover A David Petersen), $3.99
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Micro-Series #4 (Leonardo)(Cover B Ross Campbell), $3.99
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Micro-Series #4 (Leonardo)(David Petersen Black & White Variant Cover), AR
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Micro-Series #4 (Leonardo)(Peter Laird Re-Mastered Original Leonardo Micro-Series Retro Variant Cover), AR
Transformers Classics Volume 3 TP, $24.99
Transformers More Than Meets The Eye #4 (Cover A Alex Milne), $3.99
Transformers More Than Meets The Eye #4 (Cover B Nick Roche), $3.99
Transformers More Than Meets The Eye #4 (Marcelo Matere Interconnected Variant Cover), AR
Zombies Vs Robots This Means War SC, $17.99

IMAGE COMICS
Bloodstrike #26 (2nd Printing Variant Cover), $2.99
Bomb Queen VII Queen’s World #3 (Of 4), $3.50
Darkness #101 (2nd Printing Variant Cover), $2.99
Manhattan Projects #1 (3rd Printing Variant Cover), $3.50
Manhattan Projects #2, $3.50
Near Death #7, $2.99
No Place Like Home #3, $2.99
Prophet #23 (2nd Printing Variant Cover), $2.99
Prophet #24, $2.99
Saga #1 (Fiona Staples 3rd Printing Variant Cover), $2.99
Spawn Origins Book 6 HC, $29.99
Super Dinosaur #10, $2.99
Walking Dead #96, $2.99
Witchblade #155 (Cover A John Tyler Christopher), $2.99
Witchblade #155 (Cover B Diego Bernard & Fred Benes), $2.99

JOHN BLAKE PUBLISHING
Zombies A-Z SC (not verified by Diamond), $12.95

KENZER AND COMPANY
Knights Of The Dinner Table #185, $5.99
Knights Of The Dinner Table Bundle Of Trouble Volume 36 TP, $14.99

KETTLEDRUMMER BOOKS
Young Lovecraft Volume 1 GN (New Printing)(not verified by Diamond), $19.95

KODANSHA COMICS
Bloody Monday Volume 5 GN, $10.99
Cage Of Eden Volume 5 GN, $10.99

LOCUS MAGAZINE
Locus #615 (April 2012), $6.95

MARKOSIA ENTERPRISES
Damaged Goods GN, $17.99

MARVEL COMICS
Amazing Spider-Man #684 (Gabriele Dell’Otto Variant Cover), AR
Amazing Spider-Man #684 (Stefano Caselli Regular Cover), $3.99
Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus Volume 2 HC (Humberto Ramos Cover), $99.99
Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus Volume 2 HC (John Romita Sr. Direct Market Cover), $99.99
Avengers #25 (Daniel Acuna Regular Cover), $3.99
Avengers #25 (Gabriele Dell’Otto Avengers Art Appreciation Variant Cover), AR
Avengers Sampler #1 (Promotional Item), AR
Avengers The Serpent Crown HC (Premiere Edition), $24.99
Avengers The Serpent Crown HC (Premiere Edition)(Direct Market Variant Edition Volume 87), $24.99
Avengers Vs X-Men #0 (Of 12)(Frank Cho 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $3.99
Avengers Vs X-Men #1 (Of 12)(Jim Cheung 2nd Printing Variant Cover)(not verified by Diamond), $3.99
Avengers Vs X-Men #2 (Of 12)(Carlo Pagulayan Avengers Team Variant Cover), AR
Avengers Vs X-Men #2 (Of 12)(Carlo Pagulayan Variant Cover), AR
Avengers Vs X-Men #2 (Of 12)(Carlo Pagulayan X-Men Team Variant Cover), AR
Avengers Vs X-Men #2 (Of 12)(DCD Summit 2012 Inked Variant Cover), AR
Avengers Vs X-Men #2 (Of 12)(Jim Cheung Regular Cover), $3.99
Avengers Vs X-Men #2 (Of 12)(Nick Bradshaw Sketch Variant Cover), AR
Avengers Vs X-Men #2 (Of 12)(Nick Bradshaw Variant Cover), AR
Defenders #5 (I Am A Defender Variant Cover), AR
Defenders #5 (Terry Dodson Regular Cover), $3.99
Defenders #5 (Walt Simonson Variant Cover), AR
Emma TP, $14.99
Fear Itself The Home Front HC (Premiere Edition), $29.99
Fear Itself Uncanny X-Force The Deep HC (Premiere Edition), $24.99
Incredible Hulk #7 (Charles Paul Wilson III Avengers Art Appreciation Variant Cover), AR
Incredible Hulk #7 (Leinil Yu Regular Cover), $3.99
Invincible Iron Man #515 (Greg Horn Avengers Art Appreciation Variant Cover), AR
Invincible Iron Man #515 (Salvador Larroca Regular Cover), $3.99
John Carter The Gods Of Mars #2 (Of 5), $2.99
Marvel’s The Avengers Prelude Fury’s Big Week #4 (Of 4)(was ‘Prelude To Marvel’s The Avengers’), $2.99
New Mutants #41, $2.99
New Mutants A Date With The Devil HC (Premiere Edition), $19.99
Punisher #10 (Adi Granov Variant Cover), AR
Punisher #10 (Marco Checchetto Regular Cover), $2.99
Red Hulk Hulk Of Arabia TP, $14.99
Six Guns TP, $14.99
Thunderbolts #173, $2.99
Ultimate Comics Avengers By Mark Millar Omnibus HC, $75.00
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man Volume 4 Death Of Spider-Man TP, $19.99
Uncanny X-Force #24 (Gerald Parel Avengers Art Appreciation Variant Cover), AR
Uncanny X-Force #24 (Phil Noto Regular Cover), $3.99
Venom #16, $2.99
Wolverine And The X-Men #9 (Alex Maleev Avengers Art Appreciation Variant Cover), AR
Wolverine And The X-Men #9 (Chris Bachalo Regular Cover), $3.99
Wolverine And The X-Men By Jason Aaron Volume 1 HC (Premiere Edition), $19.99
X-Factor #234, $2.99
X-Factor Volume 13 Hard Labor TP, $15.99
X-Men #27 (Jorge Molina Regular Cover), $3.99
X-Men #27 (Khoi Pham Avengers Art Appreciation Variant Cover), AR
X-Men Fatal Attractions HC, $99.99
X-Men The Hidden Years Volume 1 TP, $34.99

MARVEL PRESS
Avengers Assemble Level 2 Reader SC (not verified by Diamond), $3.99
Avengers Assemble Young Readers TP (not verified by Diamond), $5.99
Avengers Movie Storybook Young Readers TP (not verified by Diamond), $7.99
Avengers Reuseable Sticker Book SC (not verified by Diamond), $6.99
Avengers S.H.I.E.L.D. Files Young Readers SC (not verified by Diamond), $3.99

ONI PRESS
Secret History Of DB Cooper #2, $3.99
Sixth Gun #21, $3.99

ORION
Asterix Omnibus Volume 3 SC, $19.95

PANINI PUBLISHING
Doctor Who Magazine #445, $8.99

PAPERCUTZ
Disney Fairies Featuring Tinker Bell Volume 8 Tinker Bell And Her Stories For A Rainy Day GN, $7.99
Disney Fairies Featuring Tinker Bell Volume 8 Tinker Bell And Her Stories For A Rainy Day HC, $11.99

REBELLION
2000 AD #1772, $5.25
2000 AD #1773, $5.25
2000 AD #1774, $5.25
2000 AD #1775, $5.25
Judge Anderson Psi Files Volume 2 TP, $32.99
Judge Dredd Megazine #321, $11.99

SEA LION BOOKS
Hush Hush HC, $19.95

SELFMADEHERO
Lovecraft Anthology Volume 1 TP, $19.95

SILVER PHOENIX ENTERTAINMENT
Blood Feast #1, $3.50

SKYHORSE PUBLISHING,
Tangles A Story About Alzheimers My Mother And Me GN (not verified by Diamond), $14.95

STONE BRIDGE PRESS,
Mobile Suit Gundam Awakening Escalation Confrontation SC (not verified by Diamond), $15.95

TITAN PUBLISHING
Supernatural Magazine #32 (Newsstand Edition), $6.99
Supernatural Magazine #32 (Previews Exclusive Edition), $6.99

TOHAN CORPORATION
Megami February 2012, $16.60
Newtype February 2012, $16.00

TOON BOOKS
Shark King GN, $12.95

TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS
Harvey Pekar’s Cleveland HC, $21.99

TWOMORROWS PUBLICATIONS
Back Issue #55, $8.95

UDON ENTERTAINMENT
Captain Commando Volume 1 GN (Of 2), $19.99
Darkstalkers The Ultimate Edition TP, $49.99
Mega Man Robot Master Field Guide SC (resolicited), $13.99
Omar Dogan’s Girl Seven SC, $39.99
Pixiv Almanac SC, $39.99

UNDYING MONSTERS
Undying Monsters Magazine #4, $9.95

VIZ MEDIA
Case Closed Volume 42 GN, $9.99
Cross Game Volume 7 TP, $14.99
Dorohedoro Volume 6 GN, $12.99
Excel Saga Volume 23 TP, $9.99
Itsuwaribito Volume 5 GN, $9.99
Kekkaishi Volume 31 GN, $9.99
Little Miss Sunshine In Here Comes The Sun GN (Mr. Men Little Miss), $6.99
Maoh Juvenile Remix Volume 10 TP, $9.99
Mr Bump In Lights Camera Bump GN (Mr. Men Little Miss), $6.99
Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys Volume 20 GN, $12.99
Tenjo Tenge Volume 6 GN (Full Contact Edition 2-In-1), $17.99
X 3-In-1 Edition Volume 2 TP, $19.99

YEN PRESS
Betrayal Knows My Name Volume 3 GN, $18.99
Black Butler Volume 9 TP, $11.99
Durarara Volume 2 GN, $11.99
Highschool Of Dead Volume 6 GN, $13.99
Higurashi When They Cry Volume 18 Atonement Arc Part 4 GN, $11.99

Codex grasps at emotional straws, while Clara discovers a Shiny convention booth.

Rowling teased fans last week with the promise of a new Pottermore.com project but provided no hints to its nature. There was speculation it might have been a previously discussed encyclopedia, a video game or a website.

It will be a combination: part social-networking forum, part computer game in a website containing additional encyclopedic-like details. It will allow fans to continue interacting with their favourite books, but more importantly, it will make the series relevant to a new “digital generation” of readers who may not have been as prepared to read printed books in future.

On her Pottermore launch video, JK Rowling promises a new interactive reading experience.

In a video posted on the website, Rowling indicated readers will be able to help shape the stories.

“It’s the same story with a few crucial additions. The most important one is you. Just as the experience of reading requires that the imaginations of author and reader work together to create the story, so Pottermore will be built in part by you, the reader.”

She said it would be “an online reading experience unlike any other”.

“I’ll be joining in too because I will be sharing additional information I’ve been holding for years about the world of harry Potter,” she promised.

Speaking at a news conference at the Victoria and Albert Museum in Kensington, central London, Rowling said the site was a place for fans to “share” the books.

“I wanted to give something back to the fans that have followed Harry so devotedly over the years, and to bring the stories to a new digital generation,” she said.

“I hope fans and those new to Harry will have as much fun helping to shape Pottermore as I have.

“Just as I have contributed to the website, everyone else will be able to join in by submitting their own comments, drawings and other content in a safe and friendly environment. Pottermore has been designed as a place to share the stories with your friends as you journey through the site.”

Fans will be able to work their way through the books and follow Harry to Hogwarts where they are sorted into one of the school’s rival houses and become student wizards themselves.

Rowling said the idea partly came because of the demand for eBooks of the novels.

“I wanted to pull it back to reading, I wanted to pull it back to the literary experience, the story experience and this is what emerged.”

She said some of the material for the website had been “literally” dug out of boxes.

“The world has kind of out-stripped me in the sense that back in 1998 I knew I was generating a lot more material than would ever appear in the books.

“To me at the time I thought ‘Who would ever want to know the significance of all these different wand woods?’

“This was all in my head. So at that time the only way I could imagine ever putting that material out there was in the form of a printed book.”

She added fans might still see the publication of a Harry Potter encyclopedia, with all profits going to charity, but she would not publish another novel.

“This was about the give-back. The technology now existed to do something outside the books and the films for existing fans.”

Fans were told they could register from today, but a notice on the site said overwhelming demand meant email registrations could not be accepted. It asked them to “please be patient” and return on July 31 to join.

The website will open to all in October.

There will also be an online store, the only place where fans can buy eBooks and digital audio books of the teenage wizard’s adventures.

Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B,A. It’s the most popular cheat code of all time, appearing in more than 100 games, and gamers know it as the Konami Code. But did you know it was never intended to be used by gamers at all?

 

In 1986, game developer Konami ported the classic side-scroller Gradius to Nintendo’s NES system. While the port was being worked on, a programmer named Kazuhisa Hashimoto found the game remarkably hard to play. Fed up with Gradius‘ high level of difficulty, he decided to create a special code that would make the game considerably easier to play test.

That’s how the famous keystroke sequence was birthed. Entering it at the start of the game gave players a full cache of power-ups to start out with. Entering it in reverse gave players thirty extra lives.

The code made it to the retail version of the game because Hashimoto never removed it after play testing was complete. No one seems to know how the code’s existence became widespread knowledge — did Hashimoto himself tell a friend who told a friend and so on? did some lucky gamer happen upon the code while entering random keystrokes? — but regardless of how, it became so popular that Konami developers started using it for play testing in nearly every game they worked on. And just like before, they left it in the retail version of the game, for savvy players “in the know” to use.

Eventually, developers outside of Konami caught on to the code’s popularity, and began putting it into their games as well. You’ll find it in such classics as Contra, Castlevania, Dance Dance Revolution, Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3, and more. The Konami Code appears in many modern games as well, including Half-Life 2, Mercenaries 2, Plants vs. Zombies, Quake 4, and Little Big Planet 2.

The code is so popular, it’s taken on a life of its own outside of gaming, too. A huge number of websites have at one time or another displayed easter eggs when users input the Konami Code, including Facebook, Google Reader, Digg, Marvel.com, Gamespot, Netflix.com, MLB.com, and many more.

Sony’s PlayStation Network has once again been compromised after an exploit was discovered in the newly launched password reset system that was recently brought online as part of Sony’s PSN relaunch.

According to Eurogamer, cyber attackers were able to use this exploit to change user passwords and potentially compromise user accounts. In order to do so, hackers would need to know a user’s E-mail address and date of birth, which would normally be a bit of a stumbling block, but as millions of PSN users are intimately aware, these pieces of information were among those that were stolen during the historic PSN attack that took place last month.

To prevent further damage, Sony has pulled the plug on PSN sign-in portals across its various websites, including PlayStation.com and Qriocity.com, however, as Sony told Eurogamer, “In the meantime you will still be able to sign into PSN via your PlayStation 3 and PSP devices to connect to game services and view Trophy/Friends information.”

The exploit was first discovered by a poster at Nyleveia, who promptly contacted Sony about the issue. It took Sony several hours to respond to the message, but it was reported that the sign-in services were taken offline 15 minutes after Sony responded to the original notice.

Sony is reportedly addressing the exploit, but in the meantime, Nyleveia recommends changing the E-mail address associated with your PSN account just to be safe, assuming that isn’t a huge hassle for you or anything.

Over the weekend, Sony announced that the PlayStation Network was going to be restored in a series of phases starting with a mandatory password change. The first thing to be restored was online gaming for the PlayStation 3, and things like purchasing stuff from the PS Store will be available sometime in the future.