It's hard to believe January is over. As we begin the second month of 2009, let's take a look back at some of the most noteworthy news stories and Allakhazam features of the past week. There's more links after the jump.

Allakhazam Features

Wizard101: Our First Look : Allakhazam editor Christopher "Pwyff" Tom supplies a first-hand look at Wizard101, a children’s MMORPG with "collectible card magic, wizard duels, and far off worlds."

Champions Online Interview with Bill Roper : We sat down to talk to Roper about Champions Online, the vision that he brings to the team, and what he learned from Hellgate: London.

Talking Vanguard with Jason "Ikik" Weinmann : We talked with Weimann, a programmer on Vanguard, about some of the changes that he's made to the game's tools as well as some of his secret projects on the side.

Queue QQ : News Reporter Darryl "Togikagi" Gangloff discusses queues in World of Warcraft and gives his opinion on how Blizzard could alleviate the problem.

Unrest in the Garden of Square Enix : Pwyff gives his own personal opinion on Square Enix's recent bannings in Final Fantasy XI.

Justice in the Garden of Square Enix : In response to Pwyff's editorial, Allakhazam Senior FFXI Content Manager Pikko responded with her own personal opinion on the bannings issue.

Noteworthy News Stories

Blue Posters Discuss Arena Matchmaking System : Devs and community leaders have outlined numerous details regarding the arena changes in WoW. Some updates to the system were also implemented this week.

Developer Dispatch Video: The Making of Tython : The Star Wars: The Old Republic team explain the development process behind Tython, a starter world where the Jedi Order was established.

Big News Indeed! : After sending numerous hints to various blogs, Mythic announced new careers, a live expansion and a live event for Warhammer Online.

3rd Comic Icon to be Unveiled at NY Comic Con : Jim Lee and Geoff Johns are already working on DC Universe Online. Who will be the third comic legend added to the team? We'll find out at the convention!

Hellgate: London Goes Free Starting February : Namco Bandai Games will make the game available without a monthly fee for at least the next year.

EVE to Get New NPC Race : Apocrypha, EVE Online's 10th free expansion, will bring a lot of new content to the game in March, including the infamous Sleepers.

EverQuest II Producer's Letter, January 2009 : Bruce "Froech" Ferguson, EQII Senior Producer, discusses postponing the release of the Fighter Class revemp, Erollisi Day, and upcoming new content in the latest Producer's Letter.

Kobayashi Maru Vol. 2 : The Star Trek Online team has provided fans with another no-win training scenario. How would you handle it?