Business is picking up around Plugged In HQ — head over to the Video Games section at wvgazette.com to check out my reviews of “NHL 10,” “Mini Ninjas,” DiRT 2″ and “Birthday Party Bash.” Reviews of “Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2,” “Halo 3: ODST” and ”Need for Speed: Shift” should be coming soon.

“BioShock 2,” the sequel to one of the most critically acclaimed titles of this console generation, will release worldwide Feb. 9, 2010.

2K Games announced the official release date Friday. The game was originally slated to come out during this holiday season, but was one of many games pushed back into 2010.

“BioShock 2″ takes place approximately 10 years after the first game and features a first in the franchise, multiplayer. 

Guys, scoot over to the Video Games section at wvgazette.com to check out my reviews of “Guitar Hero 5″ and “Wet.” The holiday gaming rush has officially begun!

Fresh off price drops from both Sony and Microsoft, word is Nintendo is poised to slash the price of the uber-popular Wii $50 to $199. I’m inclined to believe this rumor as video games sales across the board have been sliding lately, but really there’s no urgent need for Nintendo to cut the price of the Wii as it remains the most popular console on the market. Still, if haven’t picked up a Wii and are in the market fr one, you may want to wait a week or two to see if the price drop is legit.

Click here to check out my review of “The Beatles: Rock Band.” It goes without saying, but if you’re a Beatles fan this is a must-have.

OK, so the Steelers won last night’s NFL season-opener 13-10 over the Titans in overtime. Big deal. The real winner was the Madden Curse, which annually inflicts untold pain and suffering on that year’s ”Madden NFL” cover athlete.

The Curse wasted little time in claiming its first victim as Steelers safety Troy Polamalu, who shared the cover with Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald, suffered a knee injury against the Titans and is expected to miss 3-to-6 weeks. Ouch. I can only imagine what the Curse has in store for Fitzgerald.

It’s hard to believe, but it’s been 10 years since the launch of Sega’s last home console, the Dreamcast. Click here to visit IGN’s History of Dreamcast and take a trip down memory lane.

Did EA score a touchdown with “Madden NFL 10″? Click here to read my review on the Video Games section of wvgazette.com and find out.