"Why does Blizzard succeed where others don't?" asks Jay Wilson, a lead game designer with a shock of spiked hair and a wry disposition. "It isn't a magic trick. We work at it, and if a product isn't good enough, we cancel it."

Blizzard Entertainment, of course, is the Irvine (Calif.)-based maker of the world's most popular and profitable online game, World of Warcraft (WoW), which boasts nearly 11 million monthly subscribers around the globe. The company is also at the heart of the recent $18.9 billion merger with Activision, primarily a maker of console titles such as Guitar Hero and Call of Duty. Born in early July, the newly combined entity, Activision Blizzard (ATVI), is now the industry's biggest player, with projected annual revenues of nearly $4.5 billion.

But Activision is acquiring much more than World of Warcraft. Blizzard is behind a string of best-selling, industry-shaping PC games including the StarCraft and Diablo series, which have sold nearly 10 million and 20 million copies, respectively. The new company is also tapping into a corporate culture that champions creativity, both productive and experimental, inspiring enduring devotion from pa

We've been playing our collective asses off in Soul Calibur IV this last week, taking exhaustive notes on the fine graphics. Love 'em or not, females in fighting games are always going to be downright sexy. But even though the soul still burns, the SlobsofGaming will never forget the beautiful women of fighting games past and present.

Join us as we steamroll through our newest countdown, dedicated to the most underclothed, overboobed, and unflinchingly hot fighting femmes in gaming history -- Are you ready for this?

29. Setsuka (Soul Calibur)

Setsuka ranks as one of the best (and newer) characters to be introduced to any fighting game. Best outfit EVER. Yes, our bottom entry is a Soul Calibur IV fighter, but Setsuka's always one of our first choices in a match.

Measurements/Stats: Age: 24, Height: 5' 6'', Weight: 114 lbs.

28. Rouge (Power Stone)

One of gaming's greatest casualties was the Power Stone series on Dreamcast. As a result, scorching gypsy Rouge has been doomed to obscurity. What a world!

Measurements/Stats: Age: 23, Height: 5' 6'', Weight: 105 lbs.

27. Angel (King of Fighters)

This sexy Mexican is famous among fighting charac

The multiplayer game "Star Trek Online" will be set a few generations after the last "Trek" film.

After years in development limbo, the "Trek"-themed massively multiplayer online game will engage.

That's according to game developer Cryptic Studios Inc., which recently announced it had secured the rights to develop and publish "Star Trek Online" from CBS Consumer Products after now-defunct Perpetual Entertainment set the besieged project to kill.

"We had a friendly relationship with them," Cryptic Chief Creative Officer Jack Emmert told The Associated Press.

"As it became apparent they weren't going to continue to function, they decided to sell off the license. We swooped in and grabbed it. We took no assets. There was nothing to be had, to be honest. We're building everything from the ground up."

Emmert said players will begin "Star Trek Online" as the captain of a small Starfleet or Klingon Empire ship.

They can customize their characters from pre-existing "Trek" species -- from Klingons to Gorn -- and can create entirely new alien races. As