only when it was funny

EBP 100 Hotline

2009-08-27T11:24:00.000-04:00

Hey, SoS members. Give this a click to connect yourself to the EBP 100 Hotline. Record your message along with your name to get your snippet into the 100th episode of the Exploding Barrel Podcast.

Test of Word 2007 Blogging

2007-04-11T11:03:00.001-04:00

Time to try some Word 2007 blogging, and hopefully with pictures too!

Wii!

2006-11-25T20:46:00.000-05:00

Well, it is post Thanksgiving and I'm getting into the groove of my Wii. I've spent just about a solid week with the system and I have to say it is quite excellent.

Personally, I love Zelda. People worried about getting tired either haven't actually played the Wii or are so horribly out of shape so as to defy description. I've gone on four hour sessions and experienced nothing but fun. Of course I expected to enjoy the core game. It's Zelda. However, the controls are wonderful. The Wiimote and Nunchuck simply melted into my hands and became second nature very quickly. So for us gamers out there, Wii is a winner.

Being a holiday, I had the oppurtunity to try the system out on friends and family who are most certainly not gamers. From my mother to my girlfriend, everyone who has wieled the Wiimote has had a ball. Everyone picks up on the controls almost immediately and has a great time. My girlfriend actually wants a Wii for Christmas, which is saying something.

I'll now be juggling the bulk of my time with Zelda, Final Fantasy XII, Guild Wars, co-op Gears with my brother, and Wii Sports when visitors drop by. I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving. Now I gotta see a Zora about a water bomb.

Why Sega is in Trouble with Phantasy Star Universe

2006-10-10T14:01:00.000-04:00

Many of us were delighted (myself included) to learn of the upcoming week long open beta of Sega's Phantasy Star Universe for Xbox 360. I for one can't wait to try the game out. However, along with this announcement came the reveal of the GUARDIAN license. A $10 a month fee to play the game.

Here's the thing. The original PSO for DC was free to play online. With version 2, a $15 for three month pricing scheme came about with the promise of server side storage, updates, and new content. We got the storage, but updates and quests were far and few between. PSO was one of the most hacked games out there and Sega did little to fight against it. I am not condemning the game for charging on top of my Xbox Live Gold membership. Final Fantasy XI does it, and Microsoft flat out told us all other MMORPGs would too (the benefit being you only need Silver to play these games online).

I normally wouldn't have issue with the pricing structure for PSU if it weren't for a little game called Guild Wars. With Guild Wars, you get basically everything Sega is promising; constant updates, patches, server side storage, etc. Both games also operate similarly in that the only time you see large groups of people are in towns broken down into lobbies. When you and your party venture off, a seperate instance of the game world is created for you party, yet you remain connected to the larger world via in game messaging. Guild Wars does all this with no monthly fee.

I understand that Guild Wars makes most of its money on episodic releases in the form of new chapters in the Guild Wars universe. However, Sega also did virtually the same with PSO (Phantasy Star Online, Phantasy Star Online ver.2, Phantasy Star Online Epsidoe I and II, and Phantasy Star Online Episode III). And between those releases, there was hardly the level of new content present in the Guild Wars expansions. Just a few more dungeons, not entire new worlds (excepting Episode III which was a card game of sorts that I never had the oppurtunity to play).

The question we have to ask is, if Guild Wars can do all it does for free, what is Sega charging us for? Previous PSO games proved not much, and now we're paying more for this one. I'll certainly try out the beta and I'd get the game at least for the single player, but as it stands, Sega has a lot to prove to me is they want my $10 a month.

MSU Marching Band Does Game Music!

2006-09-06T23:42:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry, this is just too cool. Please watch. My senior year of high school marching band we closed with Phantom of the Opera. No comparrison.

Link to YouTube - Famous Maroon Band "Video Game Show" 8/31/06

No Scramble, New Uno Deck

2006-09-06T08:04:00.000-04:00

Major Nelson has the scoop on the latest XBL Arcade release, a Project Gotham 3 theme deck for Uno. This deck comes in lue of the promised title, Scramble, an arcade classic form Konami. Scramble was delayed to correct some last minute issues, so to keep Arcade Wednesdays alive this deack was released. It is available now for 100 MS points. Not a bad deal when you consider some picture packs can cost as much as 200 MS points.

Speaking of Uno, some friends and I played the real thing at our Labor Day BBQ yesterday. It was the first time I played since buying the game for 360. It's remarkable just how well the 360 manages to capture the fun of actually playing Uno.

Link to Xbox Live's Major Nelson : Arcade: Uno PGR3 Deck

PS3 Delayed in Europe

2006-09-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

roller and vert shot" src="http://www.scee.presscentre.com/MediaPath/Img3574_0002.tif" align="left">Well, we all saw this coming. Our friends in Europe once again get the shaft as Sony announces that the Playstation 3 has been delayed from the previous November 17 2006 date to some time in March 2007. It seems the the reported blue laser diode shortages are to blame. A lot of folks predicted this and seems they were right. Could this mean there won't even be the promised 2 million units at launch or 4 million by year's end? Time will tell. So much for the worldwide launch.

Link to Sony Computer Entertainment Europe - Virtual Press Office

Guitar Hero 2 (Hopefully Partial) Songlist

2006-09-02T15:21:00.000-04:00

The October issue of EGM has a new songlist for the much anticipate Guitar Hero 2. The list doesn't seem to be complete (still shooting for some Iron Maiden "Aces High"), but here's what we have so far.

Nirvana; "Heart-Shaped Box"
Primus (original recording); "John the Fisherman"
Stone Temple Pilots; "Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart
Anthrax; "Madhouse
Motley Crue; "Shout at the Devil"
The Police; "Message in a Bottle"
The Pretenders; Tattooed Love Boys
Spinal Tap; "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight
Heart; "Crazy on You"
Allman Brothers Band; "Jessica"
Lynyrd Skynrd; "Freebird"
Avenged Sevenfold; "Beast and the Harlot"
Dick Dale; "Misirlou"
Lamb of God; "Laid to Rest"
Alice in Chains; "Them Bones"
Reverend Horton Heat; "Psychobilly Freakout"
Black Sabbath; "War Pigs"
KISS; "Strutter"
Butthole Surfers; "Who Was in My Room Last Night?"
Van Halen; "You Really Got Me"
Guns N' Roses; "Sweet Child O'Mine
The Rolling Stones; "Can You Hear Me Knocking?"
Rush; "YYZ"

Well I'm excited. Spinal Tap? And the Freebird solo? I'm so there!

Link to Guitar Hero 2 Songlist Revealed news from 1UP.com

Assassin's Creed 360 Bound (Duh)

2006-09-01T08:14:00.000-04:00

The worst kept secret in gaming is out. 1up's Luke Smith reveals that the October issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly has the official word from Ubisoft that Assassin's Creed, the darling of E3 from the team behind Prince of Persion, is coming to Xbox 360. This news comes days after the news that the game will also hit PC. Of course, one has to wonder why it took so long, and why now of all times to announce the game on multiple platforms right before Tokyo Game Show and X06. If there was a deal with Sony to keep quite, it would have made more sense to wait after these shows so Sony could show the game as exclusive just a bit longer.

Link to Assassin's Creed Coming to Xbox 360 news from 1UP.com

Xbox Live Marketplace is a Busy Place

2006-09-01T00:45:00.000-04:00

You guys like Live. Part boast, part pat on the back, and part justification for a $50 a year service, Major Nelson sends word that over 50 million Xbox Live Marketplace Downloads have been served. The release of the temporarily free Texas Hold 'em as well as the release of Madden caused a huge surge in Live usage. Check out Major's blog for some other impressive Live statistics.

Link to Xbox Live's Major Nelson : Over 50-Million Marketplace downloads served

PS3 Production Underway (Finally)

2006-09-01T00:40:00.000-04:00

GameGossip brings the news that PS3 production has finally begun as of yesterday. So technically they got them out the door before the end of August, though not by much. Hopefully they won't face production problems and get the promised 2 million units for launch ready.

Link to :: GameGossip.com :: You Read It Here First

Madden 07 Sells like Delicious Hotcakes

2006-09-01T00:36:00.000-04:00

According to Next Generation, Madden 07 has set a sales record for the now 17 year old game series. Of course, it helps when this is the only football game on shelves and available for more systems than ever before, but whatever. Now I need to continue my Steelers franchise. One for the... other hand!

Link to Next Generation - Madden 07 Sacks Retail Records

Assassin's Creed for PC is Coming

2006-08-31T13:12:00.000-04:00

1up has news that Assassin's Creed is in fact heading to the PC "some day." Ubisoft still has yet to say anything about a 360 version for sure, but between the PC version and all the previous rumors, it can't be too far off.

Link to Assassin's Creed Confirmed for PC news from 1UP.com

Duke Nukem Forever Finally Dying?

2006-08-31T13:05:00.000-04:00

Shacknews has word of a massive departure of employees from 3D Realms, the company that has been developing Duke Nukem Forever for the past 9+ years. Fortunately, it seems most of the departing team members have found jobs elsewhere in the industry. Best of luck to them. I know I'd get sick of the same project for 10 years as well.

Link to 3D Realms Sees Major Employee Departures, Fate of DNF in Question? - Shacknews

Spell Tomes Abound

2006-08-31T13:02:00.000-04:00

As promised, Major Nelson tells us the Oblivion Spell Tomes are now available. This add-on runs $0.99 for PC and 80 MS Points on Xbox 360.

Link to Xbox Live's Major Nelson : Oblivion: Spell Tomes

Far Cry Instincts Predator Demo on Live

2006-08-31T13:00:00.000-04:00

Major Nelson sends word that a demo has been released for Far Cry Instincts Predator on Xbox Live Marketplace. Though seemingly late to the party, any new demo is a welcome demo.

Link to Xbox Live's Major Nelson : Demo: Far Cry Instincts Predator

Sim City Makes DS Debut

2006-08-31T02:43:00.000-04:00

All you aspiring zoning directors, get ready for some touch screen civil management. EA has announced that Sim City DS is on its way. It will be based on Sim City 3000, but will be completely reworked to take advantage of the DS and include some new game modes and features. Get all the details from the article at IGN.

Link to IGN: Sim City Set for DS

New Call of Duty 3 Video

2006-08-31T02:41:00.000-04:00

Gamepro.com brings us a new video showing some in game action for the upcoming Call of Duty 3. The video is rather low res, but exciting nonetheless.

Link to Feature: Call of Duty 3 for Xbox 360 on Gamepro.com.

Time Pilot Comes to Xbox Live Arcade

2006-08-30T08:01:00.000-04:00

Major Nelson sends word that Arcade Wednesdays continues with the release of the arcade classic Time Pilot on Xbox Live Arcade. As always, a demo can be downloaded and the full game is 400 points.

Link to Xbox Live's Major Nelson : Arcade: Time Pilot

Madden NFL 07 Wii Footage on YouTube

2006-08-30T07:59:00.000-04:00

A 9 minute demonstration of Madden NFL 07 on the Wii has been posted on YouTube. The demo walks you through the basics of gesture based football. Graphics are about on par with current gen. The controls in some cases make sense and at other times seem a bit over-complicated. Is Madden truly a game that needs gesture based controls? We won't really know until the game is released, but feel free to begin drawing conclusions.

Link to YouTube - Madden NFL 07 Wii Exclusif

Spell Tomes Coming to Oblivion

2006-08-30T00:07:00.000-04:00

Next in the line of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion premium content is a small addition that adds spell tomes to the world of Cyrodiil. Once purchased, the module will add the tomes as part of the random treasure pool in the game. Tome will cover the gamut from the basics to powerful new spells. A price point of 99 cents has been revealed for the PC version. No price has been announced yet for the Xbox 360 version. Both versions should be available this Thursday, August 31st.

Link to The Elder Scrolls

Marvel Ultimate Alliance Composers Announced

2006-08-30T00:03:00.000-04:00

Activision sends word that the composers for their upcoming Marvel blowout Marvel Ultimate Allaince have been selected.

Activision, Inc. announced today that award-winning composers Chance Thomas (Peter Jackson’s King Kong, Lord of the Rings series), Cris Velasco (God of War) and Mark Griskey (Best of LucasArts Original Soundtrack) have scored the upcoming, critically-acclaimed Marvel: Ultimate Alliance video game. The trio has produced over 50 minutes of original music for Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, including arrangements for multiple game levels, the in-game cinematics and the Super Hero and boss battle themes.

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance is Raven Software’s highly anticipated action/RPG that allows players to create their Marvel dream team from the largest roster of Super Heroes ever in an epic quest that will determine the fate of Earth and the Marvel Universe. With over 140 popular Marvel characters and a playable cast of more than 20 Super Heroes, including Spider-Man, Wolverine, Blade and Captain America, gamers will embark on a dangerous journey across exotic terrain and well-known comic book locations like Atlantis, the Shield Heli-Carrier and the Skrull home world in an attempt to defy Dr. Doom and the world’s most notorious Super Villains.

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance will be the first Super Hero game available this fall for all next-gen gaming systems. Additionally, the game will be available for current-gen consoles, handheld and PC platforms, and carries a “T” (Teen – Mild Language, Violence) rating by the ESRB.

Having heard music from all three composers, I'm rather excited. Now if only I could win that voice acting contest Activision ran.

Link to Evil Avatar - Marvel Ultimate Alliance Scores Award-Winning Composers

Red Steel Offline Only

2006-08-29T23:55:00.000-04:00

1up has the sad news that apparently Red Steel will not feature any sort of online play. Ubisoft Senior Project Coordinator Stephanie Langlous confirmed in an interview in the VIP lounge of the Nintendo of Europe website that, "Online will maybe one day be announced by Nintendo but it won't be for the launch [of Red Steel]. In terms of gameplay I can't reveal anything really but what I can say is that internally we are making tons of tests."

Link to Red Steel Will Not Feature Online Play news from 1UP.com

Next Gen Consoles Can't Run Crysis

2006-08-29T23:51:00.000-04:00

Team Xbox has word from Bernd Diemer, the senior game designer of Crysis, that the fancy new 360 you have or the pricey PS3 you crave isn't even powerful enough to run Crysis. Team Xbox has the official word from Diemer.

Diemer explained that “next generation consoles like the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 do not offer the sufficient power” to assure the quality of gameplay Crytek demand for Crysis.

Crysis has been hailed by most as the best looking game ever. It will run in Windows on DirectX 9, but Crytek has stated that only DirectX 10 on Vista will run the game as intended. Still, if Half Life 2 and Far Cry could make it to the Xbox, I'm sure we'll be seeing next gen Crysis in some capacity.

Link to Crytek: Next Gen Consoles Are Too Weak for Crysis - Xbox

PSP Homebrew Coming to all Firmware Versions

2006-08-29T12:40:00.000-04:00

Gamers everywhere will shout in joy as Sony cries in anguish! Thanks to a new exploit discovered in all versions of PSP firmware, 2.00 - 2.80 will all be able to run homebrew. Right now, the infamous "Hello World" homebrew is available for all firmware versions from QJ.net. According to the article, all firmware versions will be able to run in kernal mode with the exception of 2.80, which will run user mode. So fire up those emulators (SCUMM VM for me) and get ready to enjoy one of the few reasons to buy a PSP (aside form Lumines and Wipeout).

Link to QJ.NET - PSP Updates - 24/7 Coverage of the Latest PSP News - Article Detail

Kaz Hirai Speaks Again

2006-08-29T11:44:00.000-04:00

Kaz Hirai opens his mouth once again for an interview with Cnet News to talk PS3 production, Blu-Ray advantages, and the merrits of a head start. Pretty typically corporate PR stuff without a lot of substance, but what is interesting is that he says PS3 has still not entered production but is on track for 2 million units on launch. He takes a few stabs at the Xbox 360 and DVD9, as well as claiming that their competitors don't influence their launch plans as far as shortages go.

Link to Let the PS3 games begin - page 2 | Newsmakers | CNET News.com

Burnout 5 for 360 and PS3

2006-08-29T11:33:00.000-04:00

Xboxic has official word from EA that Burnout 5 is being built from the ground up for Xbox 360 and PS3. They promise a large open world in the vein of Need for Speed, so more going through menus and choosing maps. Instead, gamers will get to wreak destructive havoc on Paradise City. EA's press release has all the known details.

Burnout 5 gives players license to wreak havoc in Paradise City, the ultimate seamless racing battleground, with a massive infrastructure of traffic-heavy roads to abuse. Gone is the need to jump in and out of menus and aimlessly search for fun like many open world games; in Burnout 5, every inch of the world is built to deliver heart-stopping Burnout-style gameplay. Every intersection is a potential crash junction and every alleyway is an opportunity to rack up moving violations.

Of course, rules are made to be broken, and when gamers enter Paradise City, they’re assigned a Drivers License that quickly begins to amass a record of player’s most aggressive, reckless and destructive exploits behind the wheel. But it’s not the law that’s eyeing player’s progress … when gamers push things too hard they’ll be squaring off against the city’s most infamous burners, and these legends aren’t interested in who crosses the finish line first.

“Burnout 5 is a complete reinvention of the series, built from the ground up for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360,” said Alex Ward, director of game design at Criterion Games. “To create truly next-generation gameplay, we needed to create a truly next-generation game, from top to bottom.”
Burnout 5 also delivers the next level of speed and destruction, with brand new next-generation technology allowing gamers to literally rip their cars in half, in the most explosive pile-ups in the series’ history.

First Burnout 3 on the backwards compatibility update, and now this. Good news for Burnout Fans.

Link to Xboxic » Burnout 5 announced

New Penny Arcade Adventures Interview

2006-08-29T11:25:00.000-04:00

Firing Squad has an interview up with Joel Deyoung, COO of Hothead Games. Hothead is working with Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins (better known as Game and Tycho) to bring us the first game based on Penny Arcade. The interview gives away few details, but we do know the game will be episodic, Tycho is writing the script and dialogue, and Gabe is controlling the art direction. Glad to see they are so directly involved. The game appears to be a classic adventure game, but Joel was a bit coy when asked about specific gameplay. I just wonder who will do the voices.

Link to Penny Arcade Adventures Interview - News and Siteseeing

360 August '06 Backwards Compatibility Update

2006-08-29T01:31:00.000-04:00

Microsoft has surprised the gaming world with a new backwards compatability update. While a little underwhelming (no Psychonauts, Riddick, or Panzer Dragoon), it is always welcome to see more games on the ever growing list. Especially nice are LEGO Star Wars II and Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run. Both of these games are yet to be released, so it's nice to know I can get Spyhunter and play it on my 360 right away (I'll pay the extra ten dollars for widescreen, hi def, and achievements to go with my hilarious LEGO Star Wars adventuring). Without further ado, here is the list of new and updated titles courtesy of our friend Major Nelson.

Aggressive Inline
Aquaman: Battle of Atlantis
All Star Baseball 2003
All Star Baseball 2005
Burnout 3: Takedown
Catwoman
Crash Bandicoot: Nitro Kart UPDATED
Counter Strike
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
Dead to Rights
Digimon Rumble Arena 2 UPDATED
ESPN Major League Baseball
Fatal Frame 2
Ford vs. Chevy UPDATED
Freaky Flyers
Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows
Tom Clancy´s Ghost Recon - Island Thunder
Half Life 2 UPDATED
The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer UPDATED
IndyCar Series 2005
Kabuki Warrior UPDATED
Lego Star Wars II
Links 2004
Magatama UPDATED
Maximum Chase
Mortal Kombat: Deception UPDATED
MTX: Mototrax Featuring Travis Pastrana
Namco Museum 50th Anniversary Arcade Collection
MX vs. ATV Unleashed
Outlaw Tennis
Over the Hedge
Sid Meier's Pirates
Richard Burns Rally
Rogue Trooper
Serious Sam
Shincho Mahjong
Smashing Drive
Sneakers UPDATED
Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run
The Legend of Spyro: A Beginning
TAZ: Wanted
True Crime Streets of LA
The Suffering
Trigger Man
Torino Winter Olympics 2006
Vietcong
Wrath Unleashed
X-Men II: Wolverine's Revenge

Link to Xbox.com | Xbox 360 - Original Xbox Games on Xbox 360

Red Steel to (Hopefully) Feature 1:1 Ratio Sword Fighting!

2006-08-29T01:19:00.000-04:00

According to German game site Nintendo-LAN, an Ubisoft rep confirmed that Ubisoft Paris is completely revamping Red Steel's control scheme to accurately replicate the Wiimote's movements for sword combat.

This means that if you slash forward with the Wiimote, the sword in game slashes forward. If you thrust, the sword thrust. This is a welcome departure from the gesture based combat system previously seen of the game at E3.

Though this is not entirely official, it is interesting to wonder why this change occured. Did Ubisoft have this planned from the start and either did not have it ready for E3 or not even know if it was possible? Or could they be responding to fan backlash from the original announcement? For the time being, it seems our sword fighting dreams are coming true and we are one step away from that lightsaber game!

Link to Nintendo-LAN.de: N-Vestigativ Spezial zur Games Convention 2006

Yes, I Suck

2006-08-13T16:04:00.000-04:00

Here I am. The summer turned out to be busier than I expected. And, as I found out, maintaining regular updates and doing a regular podcast takes a long time. So I'll just go back to what this was before. Random postings and no more podcast. I do have a future idea, but we'll have to see how my schedule looks once school starts.

Windows Live Writer

2006-08-13T16:02:00.000-04:00

I am now composing this post from Windows Live Write beta. Pretty spiffy I must say. I found out about it from Major Nelson. You can get it here if you like. It works with Windows Live Spaces, Blogger, Live Journal, and more.

Stop the Crazy People!

2006-06-07T12:37:00.000-04:00

It's a shame that in an industry with such great figures such as Sid Meier, Will Wright, and Cliffy B that we have such nuts like Ken Kutaragi and Uwe Boll.

Let’s talk about Uwe first. Apparantly, he is suing the distributor of BloodRayne. Hopefully, this will be the last straw for Hollywood. This guy is crazy. His films consistantly bomb and yet it is never his fault. It's the distributor, or the people in coffee shops who are too stupid to understand his films. Trust, a mid day rave on the island of the dead neither has anything to do with the game House of the Dead, nor does it have any merrit in a film. What he is saying, is that if my film based on your IP does not succeed at the box office, I will sue you and make a a complete lauging stock out of your IP. If I'm Gas Powered Games, I sweating bullets as the Dungeon Siege movie nears completion.

And once again, back to crazy Ken. Now apparantly, we're learning that there may be more models of the PS3 later on. The Google translation is a bit rough, but the posters have pointed out some of the highlights. This is what worries me:

"Thus two models of PS3 are actually two different configurations, there might be other configurations in future, such as: enhanced version of CELL, more memory etc. The higher-end model of PS3 might be released in future."

Now if by memory he means a bigger hard drive, fine. But if it means more RAM, they're really are trying to be a computer and not a game console. Same for using an enhanced version of the Cell. It makes no sense. The point of a console is that every single one is more or less the same. If the first run of the PS3 get a large install base, why would any developer cater to this new system with more RAM and a faster processor? You only risk isolating your audience and reducing sales. Personally, the PS3 is already expensive enough (though Ken disagrees). They don't need a more expensive model with useless features.

There is some good news today at least. The Xbox 360 Dashboard update was released yesterday morning. So far, so good. Background downloading is a Godsend, and boot to Dashboard is something I for one am happy to have. They did reorganize the Markerplace menues. While I can see what they wanted to accomplish, it takes a bit longer to navigate them as they go a bit deeper now. All in all though, I'm happy with it and I look forward to seeing what they bring out in the fall.

And lastly, Nintendo has finally done it! A Pokemon console game with internet play! We have a screen shot and some very basic info, but this new Pokemon game will reportedly link up with the upcoming Pokemon Diamond/Pearl for the DS. It's unclear if this is a full blown game or Pokemon Collesium 2. It will utilize WiiConnect24, so that's exciting. I look forward to using my Wiimote to throw Pokeballs!

That should wrap things up around here. For those who are interested, Raw was actually rather fun adn the Jimmy Buffett concert was absolutely stunning. I was in the 8th row, dead center. A good time was had by all. I'll talk to you later.

1-2-3 Playstations in One!

2006-06-05T14:53:00.000-04:00

Why, Apple, must you continue to taunt me? Ever since my Toshiba laptop was destroyed (literally) by my brothers, I wanted a new laptop and the MacBook Pro seemed like a good solution. I just want something to do some multimedia work on and maybe be able to play WoW (and not many other games, really). The only problem was price. Now they release the standard MacBook. Extremely portable, and the only lessened feature is an integrated graphics card. Not huge deal for me. And all for about $1000. Who knows, by the end of the summer, I may be a Mac owner.

Two blows to Sony this weekend. First, their head of PR, Molly Smith, has jumped ship. Can't say I blame her. Between Ken and Phil spouting nonsense about the PS3 being too cheap and the PS3 replacing PCs (not PC gaming, but PCs), who would want to have to deal with that? I hope she lands on her feet somewhere.

Secondly, rumors are flying that the PS3 is all but broken. The work is that the Cell memory is slow to the point of being useless, and the PS3 can only generate half the triangles of the 360. This information comes from a reliable source, a guy on an airplane. Let's not all bug out here people. True or not, I like to give Sony's hardware guys some credit. And it is a guy on an airplane. If you believe all that, I've got some real estate in the Bahamas to sell you.

After talking about backwards compatibility on the 360 last time, it is now Sony's turn. Previously, they had announced they too would use an emulator to play PS1 and PS2 games. Now they have announced that all PS3s will include the same single chip PS2 architecture used in the slim PS2. They hope to drop the chips once software emulation is at 100%. Seems they too have trouble with software emulators. Could this be part of why a PS3 is so expensive? Would you rather it be $100 - $200 cheaper and have the same backwards compatibility issues as the 360? Oh what a tangles web we weave!

Regarding backwards compatibility as a whole, the only advantage I see to this generation is convenience and a slight graphical improvement. Yes, it certainly is nice to be able to only have three devices under my TV. Even nice is that both the 360 and PS3 up convert the games to hidef resolutions. But in all honesty, the only PS1 game I ever played on my PS2 was Final Fantasy Tactics when I picked it up on a lark 2 years after the PS2 came out and I found it in a bargain bin. For the 360, I play Halo 2 (which will be moot once Halo 3 arrives) and the occasional Splinter Cell. Both my PS2 and Xbox are hooked up in my room, online, and working just fine.

And on a lighter note, my rental copy of Rockstar Presents Table Tennis arrived from Gamefly this weekend. I'm impressed. Remember how shockingly good Virtua Tennis on the Dreamcast was? It's the same feeling all over again. Once I got my custom soundtrack playing, launched a smash shot, and watched the camera zoom in as the ball just bounced off the edge of the table for the victory, I was hooked. I'll probably end up keeping this one. So play me on Live if you see me.

Still no Dashboard update for the 360. According to Major Nelson, something should be announced today. Hopefully it gets here soon! I want boot to Dashboard.

Tonight my brothers are exposing me to WWE Raw at the Mellon Arena tonight. Should be interesting. Tomorrow I'll be at the Jimmy Buffett concert. I'll let you know how those went on Wednesday. And sorry for the late post. Blogger seems to be experiencing some problems. I'll talk to you later.

The Best of the Best

2006-06-02T18:14:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday. And to celebrate, I'll be spending some quality time with Half Life 2: Episode 1. I've only had the chance to spend an hour with it, but what an hour! It's the same great Half Life 2 action you love, but with so much dense content that it's ridiculous. The first 5 minutes alone are brilliant.

This is Valve's first foray into episodic content and I think some people don't get it. The whole point of episodic content is shorter but denser games at reduced prices. Many reviews are giving Episode 1 the scores it deserves, but all knock the game for its five or so hours of gameplay. That's the whole point. It is supposed to be that short. That is why it is twenty dollars. Plus, those five hours probably have about as much content as a 10 hour game with out filler such as backtracking or endless waves of enemies in the exact same room over and over (cough, Halo). I've paid over twenty bucks for movies less exciting than this. Far as I'm concerned, this is a much welcome direction in gaming.

The Nintendo DS Lite has apparently been released early at some locations. Normally, I'd be right out there rushing Walmart with the other hardcore folks, but I decided to hold out for that dark blue DS Lite. My old DS still works, so hopefully it won't be much of a wait. Still though, it will be a tough period, especially if someone I know shows up to my house with a bright white DS Lite.

In what I feel to be a strange yet pleasant surprise, IGN is relaunching their Dreamcast section. They are re-reviewing every Dreamcast game and ranking them accordingly. A nifty way to revisit what I feel to be one of the greatest consoles created. As they have said over at IGN, the Dreamcast didn't fail, we failed the Dreamcast.

Lastly, word is that a new backwards compatibility update will soon be released for the 360. The who BC issue has been hot with the 360 since well before it's release. Quite frankly, it's getting tiring. Backwards compatibility is one of those features that is important for about the first 6 months of a console's life cycle. After that, fewer and fewer people need it every day. Do I enjoy it? Sure. It's nice to be able to play Halo 2 right from my Xbox 360. It's just convenient. But you know what? My original Xbox still works fine and is hooked up in my bedroom, Live and all. I never used my PS2 for PS1 games, and I played GBA games on my DS for about a week before I realized it was just more comfortable to use my SP of my Micro when I got it. It's just one of those features Sony has convinced the world they need, when they really don't. It must also be remembered whereas the various Game Boys and the PS2 actually contain the old hardware for the previous generations, the 360 is running purely on an emulator. We only just got the SNES and Genesis running smoothly on PC emulators and there are still problems there. So imagine trying to do the same for a console that was released 4 years ago. It's going to take time. So don't worry, don't throw out your Xbox, and instead enjoy the great 360 games that are being released. That's why you bought your 360 in the first place.

The podcast may be a bit late. I'm home now for a garage sale and not sure if I'll be able to get access to recording equipment tonight. I'll get it up this weekend ASAP. Until then, I'll talk to you later.

Why I Love the 360

2006-05-31T17:56:00.000-04:00

Today I just had some of the greatest fun I've had playing online for some time now. It wasn't World of Warcraft or G.R.A.W. or anything like that. It was Uno.

Yes, that card game that is now in its 35th year of existance. I played it online with a few folks after downloading it off of Xbox Live Arcade and I had a blast. It was a simple, fun game that actually facilitated some decent conversation and communication with total strangers (as opposed to something like Halo 2 where I have some 12 year olds telling me details about my mother). So in summary, I highly recommend Uno for the 360. Give it a download (a mere $5) and maybe I'll see you on Live.

This brings me to my next topic. I love the Xbox 360.

Call me a fanboy, but this system is just great. Its controller is near perfect, its wireless functions are flawless (more on those in a sec), and the interface is revolutionary and about to get better.

I was listening to Major Nelson's Blogcast form a few weeks back and there was an interview with the fellow in charge of Xbox accessories. It is amazing how much these people actual pay attention to what gamers want/need. It always seems like game companies don't even use the products to see if something is broken. Here's my example. When I saw the 360 HD-DVD add-on would use a USB port, I thought, "Well that kind of breaks the way the wireless adaptor clips on the back." But our friends at Microsoft have put that same clip along with additional USB ports on the back of the HD-DVD add-on. It seems a little thing and people won't even notice it, but they sure would if it wasn't there. And soon we are to be blessed with a wireless racing wheel with rumble and force feedback. Also, we'll be getting a wireless headset, which should be fun. And lastly, we'll be getting the Dashboard update (hopefully) soon. Yay for MS!

Still kinda slow news wise, so sorry that this is more of me ranting on what I love about my Xbox. But at least Half Life 2 - Episode 1 hits tomorrow, so that should give me something to talk about once I get it (may not happen right away, but soon). Til then, I'll talk to you later.

I Guess Game Devs Get Today Off Too

2006-05-30T00:17:00.000-04:00

So, yeah. I said I'd do a post, but frankly, there isn't much to write about. Nothing happened really. But try I shall.

I guess the big news is that the Xbox 360 Dashboard update is due sometime in the next week. I'm pretty stoke. Granted, most of what it fixes should have been there day one, but better late than never. Aside from the download manager and boot to dashboard options, I'm actually fairly glad that non-game related videos will show up in the videos menu of media and be seperate from the game trailers. I never could figure out exactly how one would have gotten content into that video menu in the first place. Though that soccer thing in there is pretty cool.

Of course, now is the time to begine our wish list for the Fall Update. The ability to create themes and not just paste the same wallpaper to every blade? Streaming video for things such as the E3 Press Conferences or trailers you just want to see, but don't want a 120mb download for? The possibilities are endless.

Episode 1 of Half Life 2 will be bestowed upon us this week. I look forward to that. I was considering purchasing Sin: Emergence but with such close proximity between that and the extension of the greatest FPS ever made, I decided to save Sin for the late summer draught.

Lastly, I think I'll be picking up Uno once I make my glorious return to Pittsburgh tomorrow. So if you're on Xbox Live and want to deal the cards, hit me up. Again, I hope you all had a fun holiday. I'll talk to you later.

Change in Podcasting Plans

2006-05-29T17:50:00.000-04:00

Hey, gang. Here's what I've decided. Every Saturday there will be a new audio blog as a week in review. Every first of the month, I'll make a video podcast month in review. As such, there will only be the one feed, so if you subscribed to the audio or video only feed, please change to the all inclusive feed. It will show up on iTunes soon as well.

And by the way, why is it that in Tiger Woods 2006 for 360 that whenever you shoot a high shot to the green, the camera points straight up, rather than to the stick so you can decide on your spin? Did the devs play this game before shipping it? Oh well.

I hope you're all having a splendid Memorial Day. I think I'll get a formal post up tonight. I'll talk to you later.

The Podcast Lives!

2006-05-26T00:38:00.000-04:00

This is it, my big announcement. I now have a podcast. I'll be submitting it to iTunes soon, but for now you can directly subscribe from the following feeds. One is for the video version, one for audio, and one that will get both. Just paste the links into the "Subscribe to Podcast" button in the advanced menu of iTunes or any other Podcast program you use.

Audio
Video
Both

I hope you enjoy it. I plan on doing a new one every Friday night to be ready for Saturday. Sort of a week in review. Makes for good travel listening for your weekend journeys. So once again, enjoy the holiday and I'll talk to you later.

Why Don't We Talk about Wii?

2006-05-25T21:37:00.000-04:00

Whee! It's Wii! Ok, is everyone over the name now? Good. Because there are some exciting occourances over at the Nintendo camp. Let's take a look.

First of all, this is the new format. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, look for a new post. Rather than trying to comment on every single bit of new in the industry (there are tons of places that probably do it better anyway), I'll be making large, general posts that cover a couple topics. There may be other mini updates as well, so be sure to keep checking!

The big news of today is that Reggie Fils-Aime has been promoted to President of Nintendo of North America effective immediately. This is pretty exciting news. He is after all the man who has basically convinced the world that the DS works and we do in fact need even smaller GBAs. Since he first appeared at E3 three years ago, he has been electric in the gaming scene. Now he has the job of convincing the world that the Wii will work too. My concern is that his presence at E3 next year will be diminished since he is out of marketing. Hopefully he'll still come out to take some names and kick some ass.

For even more good news from Nintendo, it appears the Wii will cost you no more than $250. This is excellent news. It's also what I guessed for the system, though I also strongly feel that they may go for $200. Why do I say this? If you take a look back, every single Nintendo home console (NES, SNES, N64, and GCN) has launched for $200. Seems a shame to break tradition. I can only assume that the prices for Wii games will match that of the current gen. So hopefully I won't be shelling out $60 for Twilight Princess (this remains my strongest beef with the 360). And further more, Sony is really screwed. I can buy a premium 360 and a Wii for almost the cost of a PS3. You make the decision. No really, I'll wait.

But, as the old addage goes, just to remind you it's Nintendo, they've gone ahead and screwed a few things up too. We all know that the Wii will not support HD and I've come to accept it. However, it has also been announced that it will also not support Dolby Digital 5.1. Now this shouldn't be too much of a surprise. After all, the Gamecube didn't and I honestly didn't expect the Wii to either. But then they announced that little speaker in the controller. Personally, I'm a nut for surround sound. Nothing beats sneaking around in a game and hearing something creep up behind you. So when I discovered I'll actually hear my arrows travel from my hand to the TV, I cried tears of positional audio joy. Such attention to audio made me believe that they would put the 5.1 in. Alas this is not to be. We'll still probably get Dolby Pro Logic II, but I had really hoped for true digital surround. It just seems contrary to the whole emphasis on positional sound in the remote. Oh well, it's better than nothing (and still going to be really freaking cool).

What is even more distressing is the word that there will only be 6 million consoles on hand world wide. And that is from launch until March 31, 2007! That's really not a lot of consoles. I'll certainly be putting my money down on one, as I do not feel like waiting in line 12 hours again (which I did for my 360). This shortage is distressing, and it means two things. Once again, little Johnny won't be getting that shiny new Wii he wanted for Christmas (and he certainly won't be getting a PS3). However, he may end up with a shiny new Xbox 360 instead. This doesn't hurt Nintendo as much, as people are a bit more apt to have $250 available in the Spring. But $600? Good luck Sony.

And don't even get me started on those jerks who buy up all the consoles from actual gamers who want to play them so they can sell them for double the price on Ebay. People like that are why console launches are the disasters they are.

So that's what's up at Nintendo. Now that I've set this new schedule, I'll be breaking it on Monday since it will be Memorial Day and I'll be home grilling. Maybe there will be a bonus post on Tuesday. And there will also be a nice surprise later tonight if all goes well. But you all have a fun holiday weekend and I'll talk to you later.

I'm Still Here!

2006-05-25T03:58:00.000-04:00

Yes, it's been a while. I'm sure all three of you missed me. The past month was pretty crazy what with the end of the semester and moving to a new house. But I'm just about settled and I plan on revamping the pad a bit. I going to try to follow a three day a week update schedule which will involve my overall thoughts on the industry, peppered with the occasional random update when something catches my eye. So be sure to keep those RSS feeds live. Also, I'm looking into both audio and video podcasting. As soon as I figure one (or both) out, I'll let you guys know. I hope you all enjoyed E3. My thoughts? Yay Microsoft, yay Nintendo, Sony, you're retarded. I'll elaborate more on a later date. Take care!

Gasp! KH2 Gets a Mere 7.7?!

2006-03-29T10:54:00.000-05:00

IGN: Kingdom Hearts II Review
A lot of people are upset over IGN's review of Kingdom Hearts 2, especially when compared to other reviews. I will reserve judgement til I play it.
The problem with Kingdom Hearts is this:

Would anyone have even given the game a second thought if there wasn't anything Disney or Final Fantasy related there. If it was the same concept (different worlds with their barriers destoryed succumbing to an approaching darkness), the same combat system, and same production values, would it have sold 5 million worldwide? Probably not. This is a game that knows its strength lies in its licenses. I found combat in the first game to be exceedingly boring, the camera problematic, the playforming clunky, and the interface cumbersome. Despite all this, I played it, beat it, and enjoyed it. The setting, characters, and story are able to compensate. Now I haven't played the sequel (yet), but if the gameplay is not vastly improved over the first, that is a problem. And you cannot say nothing innovative and bar raising has not come out in the last four years (yes it's been that long). Why not draw from elements of God of War for combat? If you insist on platforming, how about smoother controls akin to Prince of Persia? You don't have to blatantly rip off these games, but you need to strive to be as good as or better. That's the point of evolution in the industry. Now all that said, I look forward to when my brother beats the game and I inherit his copy (presumably when I'm about done with Oblivion).

Kraut on Your Six!

2006-03-23T22:30:00.000-05:00

Well I played the Blazing Angels demo and found it very enjoyable. The mechanics of shooting down enemy planes is nothing new or terribly exciting, but the game's atmosphere and use of the squad are major selling points.

What makes games great for me are more than solid gameplay (though that certainly helps). Grim Fandango was amazing in no small part due to it's epic story. Oblivion is incredible for its expansive and immersive world. Blazing Angels seems to have hooked me with its use of these guys in your squad. Rather than the typical, useless squadmates of most games who prove more of a hindrance than helpful, they are extremely vital in combat. More than once did they save my neck. What is also nice is that they are fleshed out as actual characters. Brilliant voice acting brings their constant chatter to life as planes and bullets wiz by. If you let yourself get lost in it, it's quite a lot of fun.

With the glut of games from GRAW to Oblivion, I doubt I'll be picking this one up soon, but it is certainly on my list for when we reach a lull in the release schedule.

Copy That, Squad Leader!

2006-03-22T23:52:00.000-05:00

Evil Avatar - The Blazing Angels Squadrons of WWII demo has been released (360)
I've been looking forward to this one for a while. I'm glad developers are into the whole demo before game release deal. I'm downloading it now. I'll let you know what I think of it tomorrow.

Sony Gets Something Right

2006-03-22T23:51:00.000-05:00

PlayStation 3 Will Be Region Free for Gaming - Xbox
Well it's about time. That's all I can say. Sony has decided that the PS3 will be region free. Thank you! I never udnerstood the idea behind region locking. If I want to buy a game that you never intend to release in America, why would you want to deny me the sale? I hope this extends to the PS2 and PS1 games on the system. I want the PS2 version of Guitar Freaks that also is Drum Mania. My dreams of the Minotti Family Virtual Band will finally come to fruition.

Is it bad that I want the PS3 just to play old Japanese PS2 games?

I'm Still Here (Sorta)

2006-03-22T23:46:00.000-05:00

Hello, everyone. I know I've been quiet, and it is for good reason. Firstly, we're getting into full swing of my school's production of Cinderella. So if you're in the Pittsburgh area and have nothin planned the weekends of the 30th or April 6th, come to Duquesne and see a nice show. Also, Oblivion has been bestowed upon us, and there is much rejoicing. Thus far I am about ten hours into the game and it is amazing! Yes there is some flaura pop-in. Yes the frame rate may slow down when a lot is going on. But you know what? Who cares? This game is so engrosing and so well designed that what is intended as a quick hour of play becomes a 6 hour marathon. Just as you finish a quest, a new and alluring oppurtunity presents itself that just keeps you playing. If you have a 360 or a PC with the muscle to play it, run, don't walk, to your nearest video retailer and purchase this game. Bonus ponts if you get the collector's edition, which is a pretty nice little package. You can even get it from Direct2Drive and start playing as soon asall 4.5 gigs finish downloading if you want. You will not regret it.

Has Yuji Naka Lost his Touch?

2006-03-17T15:11:00.000-05:00

Next Generation - Yuji Naka Set to Quit Sega?
Yeah, on one hand, I am sad to see Naka-san leaving Sega. He did after all create my favorite videogame character. But ever since Sonic Adventure the series has gone downhill. Too much focus on secondary characters and non-Sonic gameplay. At least the next-gen Sonic game looks like a return to Sonic's old school roots. But guess what? If I'm going to play as Tails in a game, I expect it to play like a slightly slower version of Sonic that can fly. I do not want to slowly walk around in a clunky mech in a Sonic game.

What I'll be Playing after Oblivion

2006-03-16T15:31:00.000-05:00

Two Worlds Preview (Xbox 360)
Excellent, another RPG for the 360. It even has 8 player online co-op! The videos at Team Xbox are short, but very sweet. Some excellent work going on with shadows and trees and leaves blowing in the wind. The game does remind me a bit of some of the lofty promises made by Fable, so hopefully it can match its promised design. Here's hoping.

WAR is Coming!

2006-03-16T13:08:00.000-05:00

Mythic Entertainment - Warhammer Online
Exciting I suppose. I enjoyed Dark Age of Camelot a good deal (it was my first major MMORPG before WoW). The Warhammer universe is one of great scale and depth and I look forward to exploring it. The only caution I have is that this game borrows heavily from WoW's art style judging from the first couple of screen shots. Hopefully it doesn't end up being a shameless rip off.

Story of the Logo

2006-03-15T23:39:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that my logo was created for me by my talented brother. He drew from my two passions in life, the 360 controller and Hawaiian shirts. Thanks, Mike!

6 Days to Oblivion!

2006-03-15T23:33:00.000-05:00

The Elder Scrolls
This is apparently a daily thing and hurray for that! My hunger for this game knows no bounds. And look, horsies!

Playstion Is Portable on the Playstation Portable

2006-03-15T10:43:00.000-05:00

IGN: PS Biz Brief '06: PSP E-Distribution
Interesting. I'm all for PSOne games on my PSP, but it does present some problems. First, these games shipped on 650 meg CDs, and some on multiple CDs. You're going to need a pretty large memory stick to download even one game. Second, the PSP is missing buttons from the PSOne controller, meaning that somehow these games will need to be tweaked control wise. At least I'll be able to "properly" boot games off my memory stick and not just ScummVM.

Why Do Console Makers Freak Out With HDDs?

2006-03-15T10:40:00.000-05:00

IGN: PS Biz Brief '06: PS3 HDD Required
Well great, according to this article at IGN, Sony has indeed stated the HDD will be required, but never implicitly stated that it would be included. It is still up in the air. Here's some advice Sony, INCLUDE THE HDD! Little Jonny and his parents will be mighty upset Christmas morning when they discover their new game machine is missing the $100 add-on that allows it to actually play games.

PS3 Info Revealed

2006-03-15T10:29:00.000-05:00

PS3 Conference Report - Date and More! News Story From 1UP.com
Well, it's official. No PS3 til November. What is surprising is that Sony has opted for a worldwide launch with only 6 million units. That would barely satisfy a single country's demand, let alone the world. I applauded MS for attempting the first worldwide launch with the 360, but I think we all learned that it just doesn't work. Supply is spread thin consumers are left angry. It seems to me both companies just wanted to get their systems out before year's end regardless of meeting demand.

I applaud Sony for apparently including the hard drive. It's a move I wish MS would have taken. I'm not sure what we're gonna do with Linux on there, but hey, whatever. It's also about time they admit they need an online service comparable to Live. PS1 and PS2 games in HD is nice and I would think expected now that thte 360 does it for the Xbox games it plays.

Now all we need are some games. Real games, no Killzone 2 movies or Metal Gear Cell commercials, thank you.

Total Annihilation 2ish

2006-03-14T22:46:00.000-05:00

IGN: Supreme Commander Preview
Supreme Commander is one to watch. A new breed of RTS being design by Chris Taylor, creator of Total Annihilation. TA was a very special game. Air units acted like real planes that needed to land and could not just float in the air. Resource gathering was new an unique. And the graphics and music was incredible. In fact, the reason I ever bought the game is because I heard one of the battle songs from Jeremy Soule's brilliant score online and bought the game solely based on that.

Supreme Commander is a sort of spiritual sequel to TA. You can zoom in and out as close or far as you want, from tiny soldiers to massive robots. Everything is physically simulated. Units give ETAs to their arrivals and will coordinate arrival times (something I've clamored for). Mr. Taylor, you are my supreme commander.

Oblivion Teaser!

2006-03-14T17:42:00.000-05:00

The Elder Scrolls
Now they're just teasing us. Go to the above link and download the new video teaser for Oblivion. This game is going to be something else. Just today I hit up Best Buy to put my 5 bucks down and a gamer gift card (that includes a $5 off coupon for any Xbox game $19.99 and up). This is going to be a long week.

Have You Spoken to Your Senator Today?

2006-03-14T17:33:00.000-05:00

Video Game Voters Network
Now here's a political campaign I can get behind. This site provides all the tools you need to contact your Senators and tell them that you do not want to see video games banned or regulated by the government. Music, movies, and television have no laws limiting their sale and use. Why should video games?

Gasp! PS3 delay official?!

2006-03-14T17:20:00.000-05:00

Sony Delays PlayStation 3 News Story From 1UP.com
Now here's some not so shocking news. It would seem that the oft rumored, sometimes denied delay of the PS3 is official. But I thought the system would still come out in Spring even though there has yet to be a playable game and it's March. Since we didn't know anything about games, the controller, or even the final hardware design, this news is not so shocking.

Obviously this is a boon to Microsoft and Nintendo. MS gets another Christmas without Sony here in the States and Nintendo only has MS to compete with on its launch. With more Revs and 360s in households and the expected high cost of the PS3, it may be a hard sell, especially if it comes out post Christmas when mom and dad have already dropped a bunch of money. The only thing that will save Sony is brand loyalty.

What amazes me is that they blam copy protection on Blu-ray for the delay. The Blu-ray is the PS3's UMD. A rather unneccessary format that is more designed to sell you movies instead of games. Sony has created quite the paradox. They need Blu-ray to sell the PS3, and the movie studios need the PS3 to seel Blu-ray. Me? I'll be buying the lower priced HD-DVD add on for my 360, thank you.

I would have thought Sony would have learned their lesson after the whole rootkit fiasco. Here's a basic truth. Copy protection does not work. Those who want to get around it do, and those who get hurt are the genuine, legitimate consumers. It's sad, really. I personally love how Stardock handled GalCivII. They feel that if you treat consumers right by not forcing them to leap through the hoops of DRM and provide them with content as a thank you for buying your software, they'll pay money for it. Bravo I say. Sony, take notes.

Greetings

2006-03-14T17:12:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my GamePad (you see, it's a double entendre). Here I'm just going to scavage the interenet for gaming related news that pique my interest, link to it here for you benefit, and post what I feel about said news when I feel up to it. If what I'm taking about pertains to a specific article, just click the title and the magic of the web will take you there. Sometimes I'll be funny, sometimes you'll pity my sad attempts at humor, and sometimes I'll actually take a moral stand on something. Enjoy!