The last time we had an article on a Change 4 Life campaign, it was when the group supposedly linked gaming to obesity. The ad was fine and I thought that the publishers who rejected it were taking it out of context. This time, however, it seems a little different. Another Change 4 Life ad, printed this time, shows a kid leaning back, holding a PS3 controller and lazily playing games, with a title that reads, "Risk an Early Death, Just Do Nothing." Poking on the same buttons are they? Find out more.

A study conducted by Frank N. Magid Associates found that gamers are willing to welcome in-game ad exposure in exchange for price cuts in games. If it means seeing a Starbucks shop on every block around GTA if they'd sell the game for half the price, why not?

Rock Band's (also on PlayStation 3, Wii) got some nice deals for its Xbox 360 version going on right now, and this time the rhythm title is offering selected tracks for a discount price of 80 Microsoft Points for a limited amount of time. Interested? We sure are, too. Check out the list of discounted songs in the full article.

Swords, daggers, bows and staves are standard issue for practically any fantasy-themed MMORPG out there. How about Boxing Chicken Leg Sticks, Dodging Banana Darts and Toilet Brushes? If these sound eccentric to you, they should - they're a part of HappyMMO's Elf Online. More weirdness follow after the jump.

Some of you may remember when McDonald's UK CEO Steve Easterbrook took a stab at the video game biz last week, relating it to child obesity.

Daily Star writer Paul Vale had a snappy comeback to the McDonald's bigwig saying that the fast food franchise should look at itself first. Read more about this in the full article after the jump!

McDonald’s UK boss Steve Easterbrook recently talked about the company's moves in light of the growing concerns regarding obesity.

While Easterbrook was quick to point out the measures they were taking to slim down their food, an off-hand statement he makes indicates that he think video games are partly the cause of growing waistlines. More details up ahead in the full article.

Nikkei Marketing Journal's Nikkei Trendy has revealed its "Best 30" consumer hits list, and the Nintendo Wii came on top. Running laps over the aerobics DVD sensation Billy's Boot Camp and widely popular video sharing websites is the innovative console which reached out beyond core gamers.

More details at the full article!

While there's no doubt superstars of the NBA get a lot of exposure on and off the court, nobody can deny the intensity a good game of college basketball stirs up when you've got two of your favorite teams playing against each other. Electronic Arts is eager to please college basketball fans by bringing to us the latest in the series of March Madness basketball fever with NCAA 08 March Madness.

This year the developers have added a lot of features that's sure to please sports fans and gamers alike. The Dynamic Post Play feature gives players an in-depth and strategic view of what it's like setting up a play and dominating the boards. You can literally take charge of both your offensive and defensive strategy and choose how you want take down the opposition by posting up your people with this brand new feature.

Of course you can't ignore the other regular features in a college basketball video game. The crowd's Intensity Control Meter can swing the tide of the game by cheering their team on to victory or even lowering the opposing team's morale.

You can also check out other features like the Floor General Playcalling system, which allows you to customize your team's playbooks. Dynasty Mode is more involving than ever as you build your school's reputation as they enter the Pre and Post season NIT, the McDonald's High School All American game, and even an option to go online and play customized leagues and ESPN on Demand.

This year's cover will be graced by none other than former University of Texas small forward Kevin Durant. You can expect to see ESPN's trademark college basketball broadcasters Dick Vitale and Brad Nesslers giving a play-by-play commentary on each and every game you play. Fans will also be able to see Erin Andrews make her video game debut as the sideline commentator as she provides real-time injury updates and other insights and observations during the course of each game.

NCAA 08 March Madness is expected to come out this December 18 for the Xbox 360, PS2, and PS3.

It's around 200 light years from the nearest McDonald's restaurant, but it might be our best bet to find an alien civilization out there in the cosmos. Called HIP 56948, this distant star is most similar to our own sun in size, mass, temperature, and chemical makeup as reported by astronomers at the McDonald Observatory in Texas.

Despite the fact that other stars have been observed being similar to our sun, the major difference with this one is the identical levels of lithium between the two stars. This is important because less lithium means less activity from the stars which may cause solar flares that can bathe planets in deadly radiation.

Margaret Turnbull of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland has help draw up an existing list of about 17,000 possible targets for the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) project called the HabCat. While it may not be a sure thing, the study of stars similar to our sun might still be the best bet to search for alien life. Peter Backus has included the new star in the HabCat list and explains the upcoming search they will be heading using the new Allen Telescope Array:

It's on the list, but I don't think it will be given any special treatment. It's still a matter of speculation on just what range of stars could host habitable planets. We will eventually get around to observing all of the stars [on the list].

What makes the scientists hopeful is the fact that HP 56948 is around one billion years older than our own sun. This gives possible alien life time to mature and produce advanced civilization compared to our own. Observations will begin in November and concentrate more on a wider scale than individually focusing on each star in the HabCat list.

Not all empires are evil. Well, not fast food chain empires at least. McDonald's has decided to do something for the common good, and not the good of their top brass' pockets - transfat oil will now slowly be removed from all US branches.

Transfat oil may enhance the taste of food, but it's also a known cause of obesity and artery clogging. Burger King was sued by a nutrition advocacy group for using these oils, and McDonald's definitely don't want to follow suit.

The transition will be done slowly to avoid a drastic change in taste of fried foods. It's pretty much the same oil in different blend and without the hydrogen additive, but it never hurts to make sure to deliver quality products expected from the worldwide chain.

McDonald's now uses uses a healthier oil in 3,500 restaurants (from 1,200 back in January) and will expand its use to all 13,700 locations within a year, said company spokeswoman Lisa McComb. If you think you're still eating in a place with transfat oil used, don't get paranoid yet. You can still lose extra calories by playing sports, or the Wii. Sounds like Wii Sports is hitting two birds with one stone.