The recent trailer for zombie action game “Dead Island” struck emotional chords using three time-tested formulas: an undead little girl, sad music and a high brow concept — in this case, a zombie attack on a family played in reverse. However, it didn’t take long for viewers to get over their empathy and begin parodying the video, setting the somber song from the trailer to other videos played backwards. Here are some of our favorites.

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“Call of Duty: Black Ops” received an update this week, and lost a popular game mode in the process.

‘Mercenary Team Deathmatch’ was replaced by ‘Mercenary Moshpit’ – a completely new version which injects objective modes like ‘Search & Destroy’ and ‘Domination’ into the mix. Players lacking friends and hesitant to join normal game modes that allow pre-made teams favored ‘Mercenary Team Deathmatch,’ as it essentially placed all combatants on equal footing: no one playing ‘Mercenary’ is part of a well-oiled squad. It was also favored by players who preferred shooting over planting bombs and capturing flags.

‘Team Deathmatch’ does remain an option within ‘Mercenary Moshpit.’ However, it’s no longer the focus. And there lies the problem.

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The vaunted Game Developers Conference wraps up tomorrow, and though we weren’t in attendance rounding up some hot news from the event right here seems the next best thing. So, in case you’ve been too busy actually playing video games this week to read about them, here are a few big stories to come out of the annual event.

WHAT’S A GAME CONFERENCE WITHOUT AWARDS? ‘Red Dead Redemption’ and ‘Minecraft’ top GDC video game awards [USA Today] Cowboys and zombies are an odd mix, but two of 2010s most beloved games managed to steal the hearts of the judges.

PROMOTION GONE WRONG San Franciscans angry over video game balloon stunt [CNET] Oh, THQ – couldn’t you just take a page out of EA’s book and run a silly ad campaign instead?

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Just in case you somehow missed the hundreds of articles published today, Apple announced the iPad 2 will hit stores on March 11th. The upcoming model offers a bevy of new features – a slimmer build, two cameras and 3G capabilities. It also boasts a significant improvement to its hardware power thanks to a new dual-core processor – the A5.

What does this mean to gamers? Hopefully, better games. And if the device catches on (the original iPad sold over 15 million units in less than a year, so it’s probable), more of them.

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Video game AI has improved dramatically in recent years thanks to the skilled brains and tireless fingers of video game developers. The closer computer-controlled opponents perform when compared to their flesh and blood counterparts, the better. “Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition” for the Nintendo 3DS features a helpful option for new players and veterans alike – touch-screen hot keys which unleash a special move or super combo.

A warning for long-time players: the following video might trigger repressed memories of fighting an artificially-controlled Guile who would, miraculously, perform his patented “flash kick” without telegraphing it via the normally required two seconds of crouching.

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When author and psychiatrist Carole Lieberman told Fox News that playing out sexual situations in video games could lead to an increase in violent sexual acts such as rape carried out in the real world, gamers understandably freaked.

Like an overprotective parent guarding their doe-eyed offspring (even if he or she does have a slingshot tucked away in their back pocket), the reaction to Lieberman’s claim that playing a hyper-violent game like “Bulletstorm”- the focus of the original article – might encourage players to rape was intense. And not in an  “I’m writing a strongly-worded letter to her!” way. No – some people decided bombing her books’ Amazon.com listings with unflattering fake reviews would teach her a lesson: don’t mess with video games, lady!

Instead, it reinforces one of the worst gamer stereotypes: that we’re knee-jerk reactionaries who lack the intelligence (or grace) to argue reasonably and instead get personal.

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Last week, an eBay seller attempted to make history by selling the rare NES title “Stadium Events” for $500,000 – a record for the game. The auction quietly closed two days later with nary a bid. It’s been re-listed with few alterations. The $500,000 asking price remains the same; shipping is still free.

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A controversial video made the rounds this weekend featuring a “Call of Duty: Black Ops” player racking up a whopping 501 kills in a single match. Possibly a world record -  if it wasn’t fraudulent.

The player – eViLxGoYaBeans – took part in a Demolition match in which his clan demonstrated a “spawn trap” – essentially, covering the opposing team’s spawn point so completely that they can be killed nearly instantly each time they spawn. It’s a difficult (if controversial) maneuver – unless your enemies are complicit.

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With “Call of Duty: Black Ops,” developer Treyarch addressed myriad issues players complained about in the last entry, “Modern Warfare 2:” Guns are now balanced; killstreaks no longer rule the roost; rewards for dying have been discarded; and, perhaps most importantly, grenade launcher spamming is a distant memory.

However, one problem remains: hit detection.

Is it lag? Poor aim? Or an issue with the game itself? One man went into the woods to “scientifically” illustrate the problem. Unfortunately, “host migration” rears its ugly head.

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