Select Start - Gaming News

2008-02-01T20:35:00.000-05:00

If you just so happen to like Team Fortress 2 and Soulja Boy, then this video should make you feel all "squishy" inside. Great video, enjoy. Oh and as for me, I am still a victim of "Rock Band-itis," and am just getting over it. Hopefully I'll have a chance to play some of those games that were ignored from last year's great ending. Got Eternal Sonata, RE4: Wii Edition, Ace Combat 6 or maybe I'll try to rekindle my love for the Nintendo DS by playing some Advance Wars: Days of Ruin. God, I love being a gamer!

- R

Lego Mario

2008-01-29T19:09:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the absence, it's hard juggling an internship, and whatever time I have free is Rock Band time (man that game is horribly addictive). But I found this video and thought it deserved to be shared. Enjoy and thanks for holding on to SS! I promise I'll update more often once my schedule levels out or when I get writing help with the site.

- R

Super Mario Mod Shows Gamers True Potential

2008-01-18T00:13:00.001-05:00

There are several mods for games out there. Some add new sprites and music, others a take a classic game and add a creative twist to it. While reading up on news at Kotaku, I noticed this video and I though it was well worth mentioning here. I am always amazed by the creativity and knowledge in computer coding that some of todays "hackers" have and it just makes me jealous. The talent that some people have, some without even taking a class in programming, and just their ability to read series' of coding is astounding. So here is a pretty cool video that someone made adding Halo weapons and enemies to a Super Mario background.

- R

SS Timeline: Foot In Mouth Edition

2008-01-15T13:15:00.000-05:00

Saturday Jan. 12, 2008
11:28 a.m. -

Rock Band is still on my list of games I want to buy, but until I really get a strong reason to keep playing it past the first two months, I don't think it'll become a part of the SS gaming family. - SS

Approximately 8:37 p.m. - A copy of Rock Band for the Xbox 360 was purchased and brought to the SS household. I didn't buy it, my roommate did. Either way, it comes home with me.

Sunday Jan. 12, 2008
12:15 a.m. - We have been playing Rock Band non-stop since we opened the box. I must admit that this game is a whole lot more fun than Guitar Hero due to its multi-player.

2:30 p.m. - I have decided that I want to play guitar and sing at the same time, so I construct a make-shift microphone stand out of PVC piping and loads of duct tape. It's not glamorous, but it works.

5:00 p.m. - Rock Band is transported to [my best friend] Matt's house and the fun from the night before continues. We even go as far as to buy a few songs from the Xbox Live Marketplace. This is getting serious.

Monday Jan. 14, 2008
All Day - I have the song Maps by the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs stuck in my head, and I won't be satisfied til I play it. And so ... the 360 gets turned on again. Some time around 6:00 p.m., Matt shows up to take on his role as the band's drummer and we play our hearts out.

Tuesday Jan. 15, 2008
11:15 a.m. - Fourth day in a row that Rock Band as been played. Last three nights have been Rock Band with friends. Since the game has become a routine, me playing bass guitar, my buddy Joel on the lead guitar, Matt on drums and my roommate, Patty, singing lead vocals, I figured it's time to try and memorize a song.

1:00 p.m. - I have successfully memorized Maps on hard with the bass guitar. I have come to the conclusion that the game is worth every penny, (even though I didn't buy it) and that this might be the most fun I have had playing a game since Halo 3's release. I laugh as I look back and remember how I thought that I, a shooter fan, would never like a music game, but I was proven wrong. And as a gamer, there's truly nothing wrong with that.

- R

image: http://www.topplebush.com/humor/mtw_bushfootinmouth.jpg

Turn The Volume Up To 11

2008-01-12T11:29:00.000-05:00

Rock Band has been out for about two months now, and aside from a few hours playing drums at a local electronics store, I haven't really had the chance to really get the whole experience. I was a fan of earlier adaptations of music games such as, Karaoke Revolution and Guitar Hero, so the idea of a additional instrument was always appealing. Last night, my best friend, Mrs. SS and I, went to another close friends house and started a band. Well not really, we just played songs, but it felt like we had started a band.

As usual, I was given the microphone because I was the only one with the stones to sing, and my two other friends "rocked" the guitar and drums (which may I add hitting the kick pedal while drumming is utterly impossible for me). To make the mood fun, I decided to go all out on each performance and basically mimic Jim Carrey's The Cable Guy performance throughout each song. It was fun and I was able to get Mrs. SS to reconsider buying Rock Band, but she shot me down when she reminded me of how often I play Guitar Hero 2, which is never.

Rock Band is still on my list of games I want to buy, but until I really get a strong reason to keep playing it past the first two months, I don't think it'll become a part of the SS gaming family.

- R

image: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/81/Rock-band-screen.jpg

Gamers Get Their Very Own YouTube

2008-01-10T21:01:00.000-05:00

Tired of YouTube.com, need a new place to flaunt your gaming achievements? Well, try out WeGame.com! This new site, still in it's beta phase, allows users to upload their video (as long as they are game-related) much like YouTube. What this site offers that YouTube doesn't is unknown, and it might just be just another YouTube knock-off, but I'll mention it because it's a place for gamers to post their gaming videos and that's what SS likes to report.

- R

[I know the picture it has nothing to do with the subject, but I thought it was cute. Don't judge me!]

image: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2b/Cat-and-computer.JPG/800px-Cat-and-computer.JPG

Multitasking Is Always Fun

2008-01-08T22:05:00.000-05:00

So, if you haven't noticed, I've been slacking on updating the site and I apologize. I just recently started an internship at an Orlando news publication, and I have been pretty much occupied trying to impress the suits there by pumping out work. I just wanted to give you guys the heads up and say that although I may miss a day here or there, I will still keep up on gaming news and share my feelings when "sharing's" due.

Speak to you guys later and happy gaming!

- R

Image: http://onida.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/frustrated.jpg

Japanese Brawl TV Spots

2008-01-06T12:16:00.000-05:00

Just like here in the US, Japan gamers must be beaming with excitement for the release of Smash Bros. Brawl. Here is one of the three videos showing in Japan right now. Enjoy.

- R

Games We Look Forward To In 2008

2008-01-03T14:24:00.000-05:00

The year 2007 has come and gone, and so has it's many game titles. Although the year is over, we can say that 2007 was a great year for video games. With titles such as Halo 3, BioShock, Mass Effect, Assassin's Creed, God of War 2 and Rock Band, what was there to be upset about? Sure we had some slip-ups with Lair, Kane & Lynch and Jericho, but overall this year was pretty smooth.

But let's not dwell in the past. It's a new year and new games should be on the way. So, follow the jump for a few titles that we believe will be interesting to check out in 2008.

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 - Released March 11, 2008
There are a few games that I consider actual "keepers," games that I believe are fully worth the price tag, and 2006's Rainbow Six Vegas is one of them. And now that Ubisoft has announced a sequel that has a planned co-op mode, you can imagine how excited I am.

Fable 2 - Released Q3 2008
Even though Fable's game length fell a bit short, the impression it left was everlasting. Lucky for us fans, Lionhead Studios has decided that an even more complex and long sequel was needed and are in development of it now. Hope it still follows the formula the first Fable introduced because it showed me that it's always more fun to be bad than good.

Turning Point: Fall of Liberty - Released February 26, 2008
If you're sick and tired of WWII shooters or a die-hard fan of them, be sure to take a peek at Codemasters unique spin on the war in Turning Point: Fall of Liberty. Based in an alternate reality where Nazi forces have invaded and began occupation of US cities, you take control of Dan Carson - construction worker turned freedom fighter - and his attempt to take back the US. Something that has us excited is that Codemasters stated that the game will utilize not-completed Nazi technology and show what might have been if history turned sour.

Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena - Released TBA 2008
The original of this adventure, Escape from Butcher Bay, was one of the diamond-in-the-rough type of finds. I remember my roommate renting it because he liked the Riddick movies and I decided I'd give it a try as well. The game introduced a fresh look to stealth FPS gameplay, and a smooth storyline that I was amazed this was a spin-off movie game. So to hear that Starbreeze Studios has a remake of that adventure with new added content and next-gen graphics, I can only say that I'm happy to be a gamer.

Other honorable mentions: Devil May Cry 4, Burnout Paradise, Turok, Frontlines: Fuel of War, Army of Two, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

So there you go, a few games that might hit it big this year. I'll keep my fingers crossed for another delivery like 2007, and maybe a lucky lottery ticket for the cash to buy them.

- R

Images: http://www.justindauer.com/wp-content/homer-drool-702026.gif
http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/803/803263/fable-2-20070711020821326.jpg
http://img.qj.net/uploads/articles_module/93303/g176_qjgenth.jpg

A New Year Means New Games

2008-01-02T17:12:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year! I'm finally back home from a vacation in my home town, visiting friends and getting inebriated on anything and everything. So, I received some late Xmas presents that made me all warm inside. My brother came through like a promiscuous hillbilly locked in a petting zoo during mating season (too much?) when he got me a nice hefty Best Buy gift card and Call of Duty 4 for the Xbox 360. I had previously played the title and it was just amazing, but my bank account didn't agree with me at the time. Also, Mrs. Select Start is happy because our best friends got us the Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action game, which Mrs. SS is is a fan of the board game version. And then to round off, GameFly sent me Super Mario Galaxy in the mail and I'll finally get the chance to play it comfortably now that I caught up on most of 2007s other major titles.

As for my New Year's Resolution, it was to find a way to keep my dog protected from the bobcat-sized possum that roams our neighborhood before it eats him. When I say "bobcat-sized" I am not exaggerating, I am actually contemplating on searching the web for small, economical, household electrical fences to fry the bastard. Hmm, I wonder if I could use the gift card on that, does Best Buy sell high-voltage fencing, have they ever? I'll probably just use it to venture into the PC gaming world since I have been wanting to try out Company of Heroes or World in Conflict. Oh well, but I bet that fence thing would have been pretty neat when that rat just meandered into it. Would've been like squeak, ZAP, crackle, thud, sizzle then ding, HOORAY!

- R

image: http://www.skinbase.org/files/archive/shots/271/Happy_New_Year_by_clwoods.jpg

1UP Show - Street Fighter IV Special

2007-12-29T09:52:00.001-05:00

The 1UP Network has released a video that shows some video from Street Fighter IV and some of the impression the 1UP guys had after previewing the game. They cover a lot of questions with the games producer, Yoshinori Ono, and talk a little bit about the games new Saving System, online capability and new characters. It runs for 20 minutes, but it's worth it if you can't wait to get your hands on it and need your daily SF fix. The video above is a much shorter version showing just the gameplay.

- R

JFG - A Jeff Gerstmann Story

2007-12-27T22:46:00.000-05:00

Writing something would just distract you, so just watch and enjoy. It's great.

- R

Video: http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/151964.html?playlist=featured

LEGO Portal Creation

2007-12-27T22:23:00.000-05:00

Caught this on www.digg.com's top gaming stories and thought I'd share it. I don't know exactly who created this, but kudos to them for their creativity. Portal is a great game and LEGOS are always fun to play with, so for someone to make a video game rendition is neat. So I did a little searching and found a few other LEGO creations that might bring back good gaming memories.

- R

Image:
http://www.neublack.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/nintendo-lego-video-game-02.jpg
http://www.neublack.com/art-design/740
http://pictures.deadlycomputer.com/d/17182-2/4347-noscale-Hog1.jpg
http://www.core77.com/blog/images/lego_games.jpg

Brand New Xbox 360 = Tears Of Joy

2007-12-27T21:41:00.000-05:00

Christmas has come and gone, and I have to say that this year was a good year. I hit the gift card jackpot with over $400 in Best Buy currency, and it was exactly what I asked for. So, since my 360 had a problem reading discs and I had been going through a gaming withdrawal because it died just days before the Mass Effect release, I decided that a new Xbox 360 was a must. I got the new Arcade model because I already had everything else from my previous console.

Today, as soon as I awoke, I ran to my local Blockbuster and rented Mass Effect and once I heard that drive load the disc, I shed a tear. It was beautiful. i finally feel like a "real" gamer now, and I'm not saying I needed a 360 to be one, but i was missing out on some of the years best titles and it was driving me insane. Well, that's all. Hope to see you on Halo 3!

- R

Image: http://www.indielondon.co.uk/images/4384.jpg

Mario Level Defeated With Ease

2007-12-26T14:15:00.000-05:00

I don't remember playing this level in Super Mario World, but I'd love to test this out myself. Apparently, this gamer was able to defeat a whole level, one filled with pits, baddies and man-eating plants, without even moving. Some of the readers commented that they believe this to be a fake, saying that the video was custom-made by the player to work this way. I don't have any evidence to say it isn't a fake, and honestly, I really don't care. This type of creativity is awesome and it would be rude of me to bash someones hard work to give me two minutes of entertainment. Good job to whoever made the video.

- R

Video: http://www.break.com/index/mario-level-can-autoplay.html

Twas the night before Xmas - A Select Start Remake

2007-12-24T07:47:00.001-05:00

Twas the night before Xmas, and all were indoors,

Not a gamer was playing, they gave up on Contra 4.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that they would be safe from that thieving Altair.

The gamers were nestled, all snug in their beds,
While visions of Jade Raymond danced in their heads.

Miss SS in her peejays and I ready to snooze,
Had just settled down after a night full of booze.

When outside the house came such a noise then a crash,
Like Freeman I grabbed a crowbar, ready to bash.

I jumped in a nearby box, I moved with a shake,
Got close to the window stealthy - like Solid Snake.

The sight of the night sky was so clear and so bright,
That I saw myself in a mirror and wondered if I was mentally alright.

When, what to my pondering eyes may appear,
But a warthog-looking sleigh and six Grunts, dressed like reindeer.

With a driver behind the wheel, his armor battered but still sleek,
I knew at that moment, that it must be the Master Chief.

And so quickly they flew, out of order and in disarray,
That the Chief got angry and yelled out their names:

“On lead one and lead two! Stay steady three and four!
Get in line five and six! I won’t repeat this anymore!”

So up to the driveway the little grunts flew,
A sack full of toys and the Master Chief, too.

I was turned around and startled by the shattering of my door,
That bastard kicked it in, it laid in shambles on the floor.

He was dressed in his armor, from his head to his feet.
And he wore a Santa hat, one that covered the helmet’s peak.

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he pulled out guns and grenades his sack.

His visor - how it reflected! His movements – so fast!
Twenty bucks says that he could severely kick my ass!

He muttered to himself, as I stared and stood still.
I said hi, hello and how are you, but nothing – damn, bad social skills.

He finally stood up and looked, he was fit with no fat on his belly,
The armor was magnificent, and yet a little bit smelly.

He gave a me thumbs up and so did the hologram female,
Probably an apology for the door, sorry Chief expect a repair bill in the mail.

And so Cortana looked at the chimney, she analyzed each brick,
The Chief nodded, jumped up and destroyed it. God, what a prick!

He yelled as the Grunts flew up, and this may sound kind of lame,
“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good game!”

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

- R

Image: http://images.google.com/url?q=http://www.christcenteredmall.com/stores/art/barnes/the-night-before-christmas-zoom.jpg&usg=AFQjCNHLzCHRFkDqu8YFZZHvcnaJS1J5QA

At Least The Dolphins Have A Chance In Madden

2007-12-23T19:15:00.000-05:00

I have never been a sports game fan, except for the NFL Blitz and NBA Jams classics. But while watching today's Miami Dolphins against - the undefeated - New England Patriots game, I finally realized why people play sports games like Madden '08. As a resident of Florida, there is somewhere in my state legislature that states that I must be a fan - or at least root a little for - the home teams. So since the game is still not looking too good, I wonder if I could teach Tom Brady, and the rest of the Patriots, a lesson in Madden.

But I'm not into sports games. So the best thing I can do is play Blitz and enjoy a disturbing wave of satisfaction every time I elbow drop Mr. Brady. No hard feelings Tom, I didn't expect Miami to win anyways.

- R

Image: http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2003/screen1/914752_20030515_screen008.jpg

Merry Christmas From Aperture Science

2007-12-22T12:37:00.000-05:00

The guys behind Portal would like to wish us happy holidays and they created this humorous little clip. Lots of gags from the game are included such as the Companion Cube, the mini-turrets and presents "coincidentally" wrapped in orange paper. It's very nice of them to give us this video, but I wonder what that sign over the fireplace means for Santa. Please don't kill Santa, GLaDOS, all he wants is some cake.

- R

Video: http://aperturescience.com/

New Smash Bros. Brawl Video

2007-12-21T11:39:00.000-05:00

The guys at www.smashbros.com have released a new video of one of Brawl's game modes - Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary. The video looks great and - as always - makes us REALLY want to get our hands on the game. Just the idea that the game will have an in-depth single-player story mode sounds fantastic. Now, I won't feel bad for buying a party game like I did when I got Mario Party and then barely played because no one was around.

Looks like it's time to dust off the Gamecube controllers, put Mountain Dew Code Red in the cooler and set Europe's "The Final Countdown" on repeat. It's time to get serious ... it's time to train.

- R

Video: http://www.smashbros.com/en_us/

Demo Review - Frontlines: Fuel of War

2007-12-20T12:47:00.000-05:00

Frontlines: Fuel of War developed by THQ division team, Kaos Studios, would be the game love-child if GRAW 2 and Battlefield 2 had one too many cocktails. Frontline is based in 2024 where the world has fallen into conflict over what remains of the planets natural resources. The game pits the Western Coalition (US and European Union) against the Red Star Alliance (Russia and People's Republic of China) for global supremacy.

In the demo, now available on Xbox Live, you take part in an assault on weapon caches and intelligence headquarters held by the Red Star Alliance. The game resembles GRAW 2 through its use of futuristic weaponry such as mini-helicopters, detonating remote control vehicles (pictured) and other miniature UAV's. Where Battlefield's influence shows is how each vehicle can be controlled by the player. For example, the game features the use of futuristic aircraft, tanks and other land vehicle, all of which will be used in certain mission. The game states that you will "play the entire mission," so if air strikes are needed, chances are you're in the cockpit. Also, since you don't take the role of any particular character, if you die on the field, you are given a choice of which type of equipped soldier you would like to respawn as. The demo only allows a mixture of an assault template, equipped with a grenade launcher, and a rocket-wielding demolition template, but it would be safe to say more will be available in the full game.

It was fun for the short time I got to play and, if you are a GRAW or BF fan, I would really recommend giving it a go around. Frontlines: Fuel of War will be available for the Xbox 360 in February of 2008.

- R

Images: http://games.gearlive.com/blogimages/ffow3.jpg
http://www.frontlineswar.com/images/news/drone_tigerrunner.jpg

Become a Game Developer With XNA Game Studio

2007-12-19T10:14:00.000-05:00

Want to be a game developer? Well, now you can with Microsoft's XNA Game Studio 2.0. The program allows the user to create a game for use on Windows and Xbox 360. That's right. If you make a good enough game, you might grab Microsoft's attention and hopefully have your game distributed on Xbox Live. For example, here is a short video of The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai, a game made through the use of XNA Game Studio Express (another version of XNA) by James Silva that's slated for a 2008 Xbox Live release:

Both XNA programs are free to download, so have at it. This could be a great tool to start with for some of you that want to be future game developers. Enjoy and send us any of your creations and we'll make sure to feature them.

- R

Paper Mario ... Literally

2007-12-18T22:43:00.000-05:00

This video by sketch, a you-tuber, is pretty neat. I am guessing that sketch went through a long and tedious ordeal of stop-motion capturing to get this video right. According to his description, the video took a total of six weeks to complete, so enjoy his video ... especially the ending. I wonder why he reacted like that, maybe he's had enough.

- R

Video: Paper Mario Animation

Writers' Attempt At Satire Sets Gaming Journalism Back

2007-12-18T12:31:00.000-05:00

Being a writer takes a lot of creativity and understanding of the language. A good article is devoid of factual errors, zero misspellings and, if satirical, written in good taste. But every so often an author neglects these "guidelines" and, in the case of gamerhelp.com's article "Your favorite video game characters unmasked" feature, the author(s) shame gaming journalism by trying to use tasteless insults. Readers on the site and on Digg.com left many negative feedback about one particular comment about Catherine Disher, the actress behind the voice of Resident Evil heroine, Jill Valentine. We did censor for profanity, but we left the gist of it so you can figure out what the author meant when he wrote:

This lardy b**** is a testament to the fact that just because the chick sounds hot on the phone, doesn't mean she is. But hey, don't get us wrong--we'd still pork this piggy... and then tell our friends that we did it with Jill Valentine!"

Although we here at SS don't want to promote this type of writing, it would benefit more to show what "crappy"writing is all about. Now I know that this is my opinion and I shouldn't judge another writer's style, but these guys successfully set gaming journalism down a peg or two. And with all the heat from the Gamespot incident, any credibility and integrity a site can maintained is very valuable.

- R

Image: http://madsenblog.dk/billeder/chimp_at_typewriter.jpg

New Oregon Trail Remake Comes Dysentery Free

2007-12-17T11:29:00.000-05:00

If you've ever played Oregon Trail in school, you'll remember these simple rules:

Never try to cross the river, take the ferry.
For some reason rabbits are worth more points than bison, even though you get more meat.
Don't get attached to anyone because dysentery is a b****.
If you finish the game, gloat and boast because you've earned the right to.

Now, here we have Thule Trail, an Oregon Trail remake with much less dysentery and much easier gameplay. The game also includes small mini-games to earn you and your traveling buddies some extra cash. It was fun and worth the ten minutes I spent playing, so I thought it would be fun for you guys. Games don't always have to be filled with pizazz, sometimes the simple things are just as good.

- R

Images: http://bp3.blogger.com/_Kvr_gxaBjMM/RyVJJAE0AsI/AAAAAAAAAnM/UlbiygpHg_c/s400/thule_bill.jpg

DeviantArt Showcase: Twilight Christmas

2007-12-16T20:07:00.000-05:00

I am a fan of other gamers' creative works and this seemed to fit the season. This image created by a deviantArt member by the name of "cody4king" shows us that Hyrule's savior, Link, loves this time of year. The picture was originally taken from the Nintendo website and Cody added his own touch to the picture, which is remarkably good. Good job, Cody, keep up the good work and we'll be sure to post up any future works that wow us.

- R

Image: http://fc03.deviantart.com/fs12/f/2006/339/a/6/A_Hyrulian_Christmas_by_cody4king.jpg

Baby + Cute Blanket = Dangerous Combination

2007-12-16T19:31:00.000-05:00

Call the Pentagon, there is a new type of W.M.D. (weapon of mass destruction) and it's this baby. There isn't much to say, except that this baby is one cute little S.O.B. And that Nintendo themed blanket made by little Leilani's dad's friend, makes this picture even more precious. As you can see, the blanket is graced with some of the gaming industries most famous celebrities. Each character pattern was taken from Mario Kart DS and it looks like they got her "covered." (I'm so sorry.) Keep an eye on that kid, this may be an early sign that she will be destined for video game greatness, or at least a few days of Internet fame. Ugh, it's so cute I have to stop now before I "aww" myself to death.

- R

Images: http://lh4.google.com/richaroo/RWBqAb_GABI/AAAAAAAAAhI/nIHc-Bliae8/IMG_4838.JPG?imgmax=512

BioShock GOTY Breakdown - Part Four: BioShock

2007-12-15T22:11:00.000-05:00

Well, finally I will be able to answer the question Chris asked last week. But for a quick recap, here it is, "Tell me why BioShock won game of the year, when it was up against better games." Congratulations Chris, we will answer your week-old question to the best of our knowledge. And, without wasting your time with a second paragraph, Select Start will finish it's BioShock Breakdown starting right ...

Now, there are four main points to making a game: story, gameplay, graphics/sound and multiplayer. Some games omit the last feature if the developers decide to cut it out. In BioShock, the game lacks a multiplayer aspect, but you easily forget that when 2K Games provides you with such an interesting formula.

STORYLINE
I can't really say much without risking spoilers, so I'll just sum up the beginning. You play the mysterious silent hero, who is stranded on a deserted underwater utopia after your plane crashes over the ocean. The utopia, known as Rapture, was built by a 50's visionary that believed a new society must be created as an escape from the oppression of the surface world. Rapture, now in ruins upon your arrival, has changed from a beautiful civilization to a cesspool of greed, corruption and insanity. And so, your adventure starts as the explorer of this forgotten city and the last hope Rapture has of cleansing it's impurities. Did I pretty much sum it up? Yea, and that's only the beginning. As the story unfolds, you can't believe what happens and you will never have a second where the story ceases to amaze.

GAMEPLAY
BioShock doesn't have the regular ol' storyline you're used to and neither is it's game style. BioShock is both innovative and unchanging depending on whether the game is the first -Shock game you have played. I say this because BioShock had an earlier "cousin" franchise, System Shock, that undeniably resembles BioShock. While System Shock had a "psionic" power set, BioShock had the same type of power-up system used to add a supernatural element called, Plasmids. The plasmids system allows the player to obtain powers such as telekinesis, summon insects, electrocute, incinerate and freeze enemies. Before you ask, yes BioShock incorporates guns. You'll be able to get a machine gun that can eventually be upgraded by Rapture technology creating a more powerful and accurate weapon. And this is just the weapons system, which I barely skimmed the surface on.

The game also incorporate mini-games for the player. Throughout Rapture you will encounter mechanical turrets that open fire on you upon sight, but get close enough and you can enter a "Hack" mode that is really a small puzzle game. This puzzle game, if successfully completed, will allow you to modify the turrets mechanics to attack your enemies instead. This ability stretches towards cameras and flying automated machine turrets, so eventually you can create the perfect ambush for enemies. The turret systems are a small part of the BioShock gameplay, I could go on forever on what you can find, but I don't want to ruin the surprise.

GRAPHICS/SOUNDS
Here is where BioShock knocks it's competitors and it's other features out of the water. Graphically, BioShock blows any other game I have seen so far to smithereens. The water motion looks and reacts realistically. Fire, smoke, bullet-flash, and everything else that should normally stress a system, run perfectly. The scary thing about this is that it makes the game that much more realistic, and that's not really bad at all. The enemies have emotion that makes you dive straight into the story and it makes you feel for your mysterious hero. Character models will be running erratically towards you and you'll be tempted to let them hit you just once so you can get a close-up shot. The games "mini-bosses," the Big Daddy's, bring a sense of creepiness and their near-invulnerability to your weaker weapons make them a force to be reckoned with at first. After a while you'll be able to stand a chance, but be ready to have those "friendly" guys making you wear your ass as a hat regularly. Seriously, these guys started the ass-hat industry.

BioShock's soundtrack is dated. It's old, nothing of our time, full of crappy songs we don't appreciate and it makes the game f-ing awesome. There is no heroic Halo-like theme repeated over and over to help give you courage, instead it's all classics about love while you're fighting for dear life. The music, although being light-hearted, makes the game that much more scary. The distinct sounds of water dripping and distant sounds of enemies mumbling are made ever so pleasant by the idea that hundreds died dancing to that tune you're listening to at that moment. It's feelings like those that haunt you throughout the game. The voice-acting is clean and your character's lack of a voice makes it a bit annoying, but at that point you welcome his silence after all the crap you've seen. If you ever get the chance, sit still and listen to one of the records playing while observing the environment's creaks and haunting noises. See how long it takes before you say, "OK, I've had enough sitting here, I want to get the hell out of here. Now!"

OVERVIEW
BioShock lacks a multiplayer aspect and although that sucks for someone like me that loves online gaming, it doesn't once take away from what the game brings. With a storyline that makes you curse at the screen promising revenge, and a hauntingly happy soundtrack to make you wonder if you're to old to break out your old teddy bear, BioShock shows that original games still got it and it isn't always about vibrant colors, mainstream music and lots of flare. It's the game of the year and if I had to pick one, I would give BioShock the best chance. It was the game that wowed us all and made an impact on the industry by raising the bar on what games should strive for, and that what we thought the game of the year should be.

And I'm done. That's why BioShock won, Chris. The game of the year award should go to the title that revolutionized the industry the most and made an example of what we want to see from future games. And that was BioShock: nothing more, nothing less.

Thanks for the question, and next time pick one that doesn't take a week to answer. I'm only one guy, you know!

- R

Images: http://jackb.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/bioshock_screenshot_banner.jpg
http://jakeinthecity.com/jitc/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/bioshock_16a.jpg
http://www.sfgate.com/blogs/images/sfgate/techchron/2007/08/21/bioshock_06.jpg
http://www.fpsteam.it/img2007/bioshock/bioshock_10.jpg

Video Game Flashback: Point-And-Click Adventures

2007-12-15T08:13:00.000-05:00

Games have evolved to unprecedented heights in the last 20 years. We've gone from simple uses of lines and block to the use of digital modeling and texturing to create the characters and environments in today's games. But we should never forget the games of the past that helped bring today's games to their current splendor. And one of those types of games is what today's Video Game Flashback is about - the point-and-click adventure games.

Point-and-click games are PC games that utilize the mouse to point at certain objects on the screen and in genres like adventure games, they are used to further the story of the game. For example, as a character enters a room, the player then searches the room clicking on objects that could be an item needed to get past a current puzzle or saved to be used later on. It's hard to describe this type of gamestyle, but if you've ever played a Sam & Max title, you'll know exactly what I mean. And so, I dive into some of the point-and-click titles that I played back in my infantile stages of PC gaming.

DAY OF THE TENTACLE (LucasArts)
DoTT, is a sequel/spin-off of the Maniac Mansion franchise and is a game that, to this day, has me remembering the small jokes to the largest puzzles. The story revolves around three characters, Bernard Bernoulli (from the original MM) and his two friends, Hoagie and Laverne. The trio use a makeshift Port-a-Potty turned time-machine to stop Purple Tentacle, a creation bent on global domination. The trio are separated after the time-machine malfunctions and Hoagie is sent 200 years into the past, Laverne sent 200 years into the future and Bernard left in the present.

The game has you working with all three characters to help each other overcome puzzles in their time period. For example, Laverne needs a small animal in the future and Bernard, in the present, has to grab a hamster and place the unlucky rodent in a nearby freezer for Laverne. Switch back to Laverne, look in her nearby futuristic freezer and, presto, ham-sicle equipped with futuristic puzzle-solving action. The game uses puzzles like these to keep you on your toes and, trust me when I say this, when you finally catch a break and use an item right, you feel practically untouchable. A great game, with a great story and full of humor that makes the experience that much more fun.

THE DIG (LucasArts)
The Dig is a more serious type of point-and-click game. I say this because the story is darker and involves things like characters dying, being revived and also succumbing to madness. The story revolves around a group of astronauts sent to destroy an asteroid headed for Earth. The player taking the role of Commander Boston Low alongside two other primary characters, Dr. Ludger Brink and Maggie Robbins, find themselves an alien spacecraft that transports the crew to a distant planet.

Here is where the main story of the game begins, the player must learn to use the alien technology to eventually find a way to return to their ship. While on the planet, the player has to overcome puzzles that, like DoTT, move the story forward after each solved problem. In my opinion, Dig is one of the most original games I have ever played. For example, in the game you will eventually find a set of egg-like capsule that hold a goo that revives the dead. Well, while walking around the planet, you eventually run into the skeletal remains of an alien turtle (pictured). Where the puzzle starts is that you must rearrange the remains to their proper placement before reviving the turtle with your "miracle goo." Do it wrong and your turtle dies a horrible disfigured death, get it right and you get to move forward with the "help" of your new buddy. It was a mind-melting puzzle my first time around, but I'd play it again if I got the chance.

I could write all day about point-and-click adventure. There were hits like King's Quest, Space Quest, Sam & Max and, a personal favorite, Full Throttle. All these games used a perfect fusion of puzzle-based adventures and it is a helluva genre. Unfortunately, even though episodes of Sam & Max get released occasionally, the genre has kind of lost it's ground and that sucks. So next time you have a drink, make sure to honor a toast to the oldies that couldn't stand the test of time, but still rocked.

- R

Image: www.ancientabandonware.co.uk/screenshots/Day%20of%20the%20Tentacle/day_of_the_tentacle_5.jpg
http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/824/dig15pe.jpg
http://www.the-spoiler.com/ADVENTURE/Lucas.Arts/dig.turtle.gif

Iron My Big Boy Pants, I'm Growing Up

2007-12-14T00:08:00.000-05:00

And so another chapter closes in my life's story. After today, I will no longer be a college student, but a college graduate. I will be receiving my degree in journalism from the University of Central Florida and starting my journey into the journalism industry. I'm hoping that I will land my dream job as a online writer/producer for a publication's video gaming section, but I'll settle for anything in technology.

I'm might, MIGHT, take a break today, but don't go too far because Select Start will be back reporting gaming news and the like on Saturday. Make sure you check in because we'll have two new features; we'll be wrapping-up our BioShock GOTY Breakdown and we'll have another Video Game Flashback for you video game veterans out there.

- R

BioShock GOTY Breakdown - Part Three: Mass Effect

2007-12-13T20:39:00.000-05:00

So to save us time, this is our third installment of Select Start's breakdown on why BioShock won the Spike 2007 Game of the Year Award. This next game was recently released and, in my opinion, didn't have enough time to really establish itself in the gaming community. I'm a prime example since I have yet to receive my new Xbox 360, and the only 360 game time I have had was when my buddy brings over his. Pushing that aside, today we'll be tackling Bioware's Mass Effect.

I know some of you might be wondering, how can I possibly review it for the breakdown if I have never played the game? I have taken the time to research different reviews of Mass Effect and I have tried to come up with a clear understanding of what Mass Effect brought to the gaming industry. Besides, I always promote my readers to input, so feel free to fill in any of my mistakes. Now that that disclaimer has been announced, let's start our breakdown of Mass Effect.

STORY MODE
The storyline of Mass Effect is quite simple; the universe needs saving and only you, Commander Shepard, has the slightest chance of actually doing it. The reason why many gamers have been waiting for Mass Effect to be released is because it mimics the same formula that Bioware's Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic had - a decision-based gameplay that determines the future outcome of the story. To further explain this, if you have ever played KOTOR, where your decisions determine your character's personality and role in the story, Mass Effect also provides this and thus guarantees it's replayability.

GAMEPLAY
What makes Mass Effect something unique is that it's also a third-person shooter, and that is one of the ways you can gain experience in the game. Side-quests implemented in the game help to merge the role-playing aspect of the game into the shooter, such as through the use of levels requiring you to take control of a lunar-rover type vehicle and explore planet surfaces. What many reviews state is that these side-quests come in lots and give the player multiple chances to stray away from the main plot line, interact with new people and ultimately prolong a great game.

GRAPHICS/SOUND
Mass Effect has an amazing display of graphics and sounds. From the environments to the characters, Mass Effect made sure not to be stingy with the 360's power. Character faces have the most amazing and realistic expressions and each expression differs that, if you spent the necessary time during your character's creation, you'll be watching a near-perfect rendition of yourself die and that's disturbing and impressive at the same time! Where Mass Effect's graphics lack or slip up, is during the loading of it's environments. When your character enters a new environment, the backdrop will render slowly and it gets increasingly noticeable and annoying at the same time. Luckily, the game is so good that the layering skips can be tolerated, but when you get the impression that you bought a triple-A title, you kind of expect better fluidity.

Mass Effect is made more enjoyable through the use of talented and convincing voice-acting. The game adds that extra bit of realism and just plain ol' geek-fan feeling by including popular actors like Seth Green (Family Guy, Robot Chicken and Austin Powers), Keith David (Pitch Black, Chronicles of Riddick and Halo 3's Arbiter), Lance Henriksen (Aliens and Alien 3) and Marina Sirtis (Deanna Troi of Star Trek: The Next Generation). Each character is portrayed so well that there will be times when you will find yourself so immersed in the game that you feel for the characters you may lose in battle. You may even cry ... it's OK, it's considered manly now.

OVERALL
Mass Effect has so much to offer for player's of all genres that there shouldn't be any disappointments at all. Most of the reviews that I searched mentioned how the texture rendering was Mass Effect's weakest point, but each also said that the problem was easily forgivable for such a well-developed game. Any game that offers more than 20 hours of gameplay and the ability to replay the game with a different outcome is well worth giving a chance. Can I recommend Mass Effect as a purchase? I won't say and that's only because I haven't had enough time to sit down and really make the decision, but (and that's a huge BUT) this game brings to the 360 something that we needed - a new kind of RPG for a shooter dominated system. Mass Effect brings to the table the RPG-style of gameplay most FPS fans have been waiting for, a shooter that allows us to become more bad-ass the more time we spend doing it. No more starting off from the beginning as an unstoppable force that plows through the opposition with ease, instead we have to work for it. And I can say that that's the type of "work" I can appreciate.

That's all for our Mass Effect breakdown. Catch up with us on Saturday (I will be out Friday since I will be graduating from college and need to celebrate) when we take on the BioShock and finally explain why it was worthy of game of the year. I promise it will be worth it, the game was outstanding and it paved the way for future console shooters, but that's for another day. Until then, feel free to bash away if I missed anything in my overview, you guys are gamers and your insight helps.

- R

Images: http://www.wallpaperez.net/wallpaper/games/Mass-Effect-643.jpg
http://www.totalvideogames.com/screenshots/Mass_Effect_71525.jpg
http://mm.consolas.com/%2FEspa%C3%B1ol%2FOcio%2FConsolas%2FXbox360%2F31010/mass-effect.jpg
http://www.dignews.com/admin/screenshoot/mass_effect_21.jpg

Are You A Video Game Masochist?

2007-12-13T01:13:00.000-05:00

Since I enjoy torturing the 15-20 people that read my blog daily, I thought I'd just make the experience even worse. If you ever had the chance to watch the Legend of Zelda cartoon in the late 80's, this line will make you cringe. The video is only one minute and 48 seconds long, but I dare you to try to watch the whole thing. I could only make it to about 45 seconds before I began rubbing my eyes like I do when a fork scratches a plate. Come on SS readers, show me what you got, are you man enough?

Oh, and please come back.

- R

BioShock GOTY: Breakdown - Part Two: Halo 3

2007-12-12T17:33:00.000-05:00

To continue off from Monday's Orange Box breakdown on why BioShock won Spike's Game of the Year award, we now take a look at Microsoft's golden child, Halo 3.

If you have never heard of Halo 3 or the Halo franchise, where the hell have you been and what have you been playing since September? Halo 3, isn't the end all be all of video games, but it does bring two new features to the table that no console game has had before - video capture and map editing. But before I get ahead of myself, here is our breakdown on Halo 3.

HALO 3
During the week of Halo 3's release, it's safe to say that probably 99 percent of Xbox 360 owners were on Live playing Slayer and who could blame them, it was fun. Halo 3, which currently holds the record for the highest grossing opening day in entertainment history, allowed players to take the role of space marine, Master Chief, and finally put an end to the war between humans and their alien enemies, the Covenant.

FINISHING THE FIGHT
Throughout the entire campaign mode, there is never one second that you don't feel like you're in the middle of an epic battle. Each, level is filled with short down times that immediately turn into gunfights because of an ambush. And although the Marines with you are better off just acting as bullet-catchers, the dialogue they provide makes the fight a bit more realistic. I remember many times when I would jokingly interact with the Marines, and more than often scream at them for running a Warthog into a wall. The campaign mode can be somewhat short if you're not playing it on Legendary, so once it's finished you hope that it's not really over. The story is solid with a few down times, but overall it's pleasing to play.

MULTIPLAYER/CO-OP
One of the things that made Halo 3 one of the titles worth nominating for game of the year, in my opinion, was Halo's multiplayer and co-op modes. Being able to go through the story mode with a buddy might have made the game incredibly easier, but it gave you an exhilarating experience to compete against each other for points. And if you got bored of playing that way, you were given the chance to turn on some of the skulls to add some difficulty to the gameplay. If you have never played with the Grunt Birthday skull, do so, you'll love it.

Now, Halo's online multiplayer is where the real magic happens. With over 20 different game modes, including custom games, there is never a time when you have nothing to play with friends. Each map is filled with sniper points and ambush points to make sure that you play as a team and maximize your teams efficiency, or you can just go "balls to the wall" blazing. And for us here at SS, we enjoy every second we get playing Capture the Flag games because playing strategically and the excitement of trying to get back to base with the flag is loads of fun. Also, the postgame trash-talking is worth it.

FORGE
The first of the two newest additions to Halo 3 and by far one of the most creative, Forge allows the player to customize any of Halo's existing maps and gives the gamer complete control. For example, I was a fan of the map Valhalla, and I thought it would be fun to have an all-human base across from a all-Covenant base, so I tried to make it as even as I could. With a Hornet, the Marine aircraft, at one end, and the Covenant's Banshee at the other, I was stoked to finish and try out the map. Unfortunately, when I was put on the team opposite of the Marine weapons, I realized why the Hornet was never put on a map originally, it was completely unfair. Just a fore-warning the Hornet is broken and if you end up on the bad side of the barrel, kiss your Spartan-rump goodbye because you have little chance to dodge it. Whenever someone asks me why I think Halo 3 is one of the greatest games to be released this year, I always mention the Forge feature and how it let us become the developers.

SAVED FILMS
By far the best feature added to the Halo franchise, Saved Films allows player to watch previously played games and edit the movie to their liking. This had to be the feature, I think, that made Halo 3 most worthy of the game of the year title. Having the ability to watch past games and make videos to share with friends was a blast. Players were able to spend hours trying to find that one snapshot that had their Spartan doing something silly and then post it on www.Bungie.net. I can say that I spent at least an hour a day searching through videos looking for tips that other players could provide or that small clip that was worth recognition. Certainly, the most innovative feature I've seen on any game, nonetheless a console game, saving game matches should be implemented in more online games.

OVERALL
I'll honestly say that I thought Halo 3 would win Spike's Game of the Year award because of all that it brought to the table. Cooperative play, solid online play, customizable maps and a video viewing option, Halo 3 had a ton of amazing features to offer and a helluva chance to take this year's gold. In my opinion, what I think may have harmed Halo 3, was when match up against the other game graphically, it just didn't stand up. I'll be the first to say that graphics don't make a game, but I do think that graphics are what we, in the gaming community, judge all games on. Just like I mentioned in my overview of the Orange Box, Halo 3 is a must-have game for the 360. The game has an outstanding gameplay value and if that isn't enough for you, then you can't really call yourself a "gamer." If you don't own Halo 3 yet, be sure to ask for it for the upcoming holidays, you won't be disappointed.

Well, that completes our breakdown of Halo 3, please feel free to add anything on why you think Halo 3 should/shouldn't have won game of the year. I am sure that there are several reasons so speak up!

Come back tomorrow for the third part of our BioShock: Breakdown. In tomorrow's overview we will take a look at Bioware's Mass Effect, the game that everyone gives credit for being the next big step in role-playing shooters. And if you've played Mass Effect already, I promise there won't be any long elevator waits.

- R

Images: http://blogs.theage.com.au/entertainment/halo-3.jpg http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1085/775700808_9d91b3ab3e_o.jpg
http://www.bit-tech.net/content_images/2007/05/halo_3_multiplayer_beta_impressions/1.jpg
http://www.bungie.net/images/News/WeeklyUpdate/4stoshsrocket_ComTeamSatStoshU.jpg
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Why BioShock Won Game of the Year 2007 - Part One: The Orange Box

2007-12-10T18:48:00.000-05:00

We here at Select Start think that the Game of the Year Award is meant for the one video game that wows both the industry and the individual gamer. That game should not only revolutionize the industry as a whole, but it should also have a lasting impression that makes us say, "Remember when [insert game here] came out?" And so that's why when Chris, a reader, asked, "Tell me why BioShock won game of the year, when it was up against better games," I figured I'd shed some light on the 2007 nominees and it's winner - BioShock.

Before I dive into BioShock, I thought it would be courteous to take a glimpse at the other games in the race, but along the way I realized that a "glimpse" didn't do it justice. Also, know that these games received the chance for 2007 game of the year because of their near-flawless developing, so while I'll try to find something negative to say, don't be surprised if I can't.

And so, without further delay, we'll start with a game that transitioned beautifully from PC to console to show us that not all shooters have to be completely about gun-blazing, bullet-ridden bad asses and that even an FPS can be graceful.

Orange Box (Valve)
It's hard to talk bad about a game that is actually five games for the price of one and especially one that contains Portal, but I'll try. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what made this gem miss the game of the year award, but we can at least find out what made it become worthy enough for one of the best titles in the gaming industry.

HALF-LIFE 2 / EPISODES 1 & 2
Half-Life 2 and Episodes One & Two were all great games, they each graphically ousted the previous and the storyline is like none other. But what I believe lacks are how the episodic content leaves you hanging at the end. Since Valve took an episodic approach at the Half-Life franchise, you're able to finish Half-Life 2 and, without missing a beat, you can easily continue the unlucky adventures of Gordon Freeman in the other two episodes. Then, all of a sudden, you find out that each episode only spans about 4-5 hours and before you know it, the game is over. This left me wondering why Valve didn't just wait and give us a full-length game and save us from that feeling of despair watching LOST gives us. It's a lot easier waiting three months for a show than it is waiting three years for a new installment.

TEAM FORTRESS 2
Team Fortress 2 brings something to the multi-player world that no other game has brought - humor. Most FPS games made now try to bring that bad-ass, unstoppable, make your enemies wear their asses as a hat kind of attitude and sometimes that approach is delivered horribly. For a game to try and throw that out for a comedic approach is not only original, but welcomed to us FPS-ers that just need a light-hearted break from the serious gun-n-run type of games. Unfortunately when I played a few rounds of TF2, I was bombarded by horrible lag issues and that significantly lowered my opinion of the game. From what I got to play, TF2 had a wide array of selectable characters and each had their own strengths that made the game that much more strategic and fun. Plus it was always fun to set up a gun turret as the engineer and rack up kills in hiding.

PORTAL
I left Portal for last because it was the game that I believe made the Orange Box. Even though Portal was at first considered just an add-on to the Half-Life combo, within it's first few minutes of gameplay, Portal showed me what Valve was truly capable of. Mixing outstanding FPS gameplay with mind-boggling puzzles, Portal paved the way for a new world that shooters can now strive for - casual light-hearted shooters. The artificial character, GLaDOS, brings witty humor to the game and in doing so, helps to brighten any dull situation you may encounter. Her interaction with the player makes for a love/hate relationship that become more entertaining as you move through the levels. Though it may only take you 7-8 hours to complete Portal, it successfully keeps you entertained and we here at SS hope that Valve decides to make a sequel.

OVERALL
The Orange Box is a great game and truly deserved to be in the running for game of the year. Although I did not talk about the negatives of the Orange Box, know that I really couldn't find any and if I had to, I'd have to make stuff up. The Half-Life games are well worth a try, and if you haven't played them yet, then you're really missing out on a ground-breaking franchise that dominated PC gaming. Team Fortress 2 offers an alternative type of multi-player and anything besides the gung-ho attitude 90 percent of shooters offer, is welcome. And lastly, Portal, the game which I believe has, by itself, defined why Valve is at the top of the gaming industry and what the future of first-person shooters can be. If someone asked me if this bundle is worth it, I'd laugh and say, "Not only is it a steal for $60, it's almost better than sex ... ALMOST."

That's all for part one of our BioShock GOTY: Breakdown, please before the flaming starts about how little I know about the game, I spent hours playing each game and have come to my own conclusions. Select Start is all about gamers voicing their opinions and we want you to. So here's your chance: Tell us why you think Orange Box should have/shouldn't have won Spike's 2007 Game of the Year Award.

Also, check back tomorrow for part two of the breakdown when we attack Microsoft's heavy-hitter, Halo 3. Was Master Chief robbed of the title or was he another victim of the trilogy curse?

- R

images: http://www.theaveragegamer.com/wp-content/Screenshots/HL2/EP2/HL2%20-%20Episode%202.jpeg
http://pcmedia.gamespy.com/pc/image/article/782/782564/team-fortress-2-20070420084418678-000.jpg
http://images.tomshardware.com/2007/10/16/portal_review/portal16-small.jpg
http://www.absoluteblog.co.uk/images/orangebox.jpg

Iron Man Trailer: Not A Soldier ... An Army

2007-12-10T13:52:00.000-05:00

Guess I missed more of yesterdays VGA's than I thought since I never saw this trailer for the Iron Man game. If I never shared a little about myself, along with video games, I am also a huge comic book fan. Yeah, I know I'm a full-fledged nerd, but it's my hobby so leave me alone. So a video game about a superhero is definitely a game for me. Hopefully it's just as good as the Hulk and the first two Spider-Man games - the third one was horrible.

Enjoy the video and catch you guys later.

- R

Prototype Trailer Looks F-Bombing Awesome

2007-12-09T23:26:00.000-05:00

Going to keep this short since Robot Chicken is going to start soon, but if you saw Spike TV's 2007 Video Game Awards you might have seen this trailer for Radical Entertainment's game titled Prototype, which is slated for a late 2008 release. Radical is responsible for developing The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, which was basically a destruction-fest starring the Green Goliath in a sandbox world like the Spider-Man games. The Prototype video hints that the game will also take on that open-world feature, except this time players will be causing the destruction with Alex Mercer, an experimental human weapon gone renegade.

IGN.com provides this short description:

Players will take control of anti-hero Alex Mercer, who wakes up in a mysterious laboratory as an experiment with no memory of his past. The world of Prototype is engulfed in a three-way conflict between the military, a mutated viral epidemic, and Mercer -- who has become a weapon in his own right. The whole game is built around the idea of "weaponizing" yourself. Mercer can absorb his enemies, taking on their memories, appearance, and abilities. Consume a helicopter pilot, and you'll learn how to fly a helicopter.

Reminds me of what an evil Kirby would be like. I liked Ultimate Destruction and I liked Crackdown for it's over the top superhero-esque gameplay, so consider me sold if this follows the same path. Watch the video and tell us what you think.

- R

Video Game Flashback: Classic FPS's

2007-12-08T14:21:00.000-05:00

Names like, Duke Nukem, Wolfenstein, Doom and Quake all bring fond memories of the early days of first-person shooters on the PC. Each of theses titles laid down the foundation to some of today's household FPS's like Halo, Half-Life, Far Cry and Call of Duty. And so here at the SS household, upon digging through my closet, I came across three not so well known game titles that laid down the foundation of my first-person shooter addiction.

Below are some pictures of the games I found, follow the jump to find out just which games they are ...

The first title was Raven Software and id Software's game called Heretic. The game was set in a medieval background and had a feature that not many FPS's had at that time - the ability to look up and down. The game took advantage of one of the most influential and amazing game engines at the time that was originally used in the popular title Doom. Heretic spawned several sequels titled, Hexen, Hexen II and Heretic II, but none that really left an impression on me like the original. Heretic was definitely a good game and was one of those three titles I'll always remember, but this next title I'll always consider a classic.

His name was Lo Wang and he was a ninja assassin, but most of all he was the most stereotypical protagonist I have ever seen. Shadow Warrior was a 3D Realms game that used the same engine used in Duke Nukem 3D and incorporated the same style of gameplay and unbelievable humor. With power-ups taking the form of fortune cookies, each cookie came with mock-philosophical sayings like, "Baseball is all wrong. Man with four balls cannot walk," and "Man trapped in pantry has ass in jam." Shadow Warrior tried to follow Duke Nukem's crudely entertaining gameplay and , in my opinion, copied it successfully. Shadow Warrior didn't really bring anything new to the FPS-genre, but it was definitely fun and, in the end, that's enough for me.

This last title I originally bought in a two-pack special so I'll try to keep it fair , but it was one of the coolest FPS's I have ever played. Star Wars: Dark Forces & Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II followed the story of Kyle Katarn, a mercenary that in the original lacked the Force powers only to inherit them in the sequel. In the game the player is able to battle iconic Star Wars villains such as Storm Troopers and Boba Fett and meet the infamous Jabba the Hutt. Most noticeably in Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II, the player must make ethical choices that determines what type of Force powers the character will later obtain. Be good and lead a righteous path and your character will learn Light powers, but should you decide that the universe should bow before you, you will succumb to the Dark Side and be bestowed with destructive powers. Sounds cools, right? It was.

The FPS-genre had gone a long way since it's first emergence into the gaming industry. We now have incredible graphics, sounds and in-depth story lines that push the latest technologies to the brink, yet we can't forget those games that paved the way here. I'm not sure if I can get these classics to work on my new computer, but if I can, you can be damn sure that I'll be the happiest gamer alive.

- R

images: http://fitsnews.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/back-to-the-future.jpg
http://takegame.com/shooter/pictures/heretic.gif
http://static2.filefront.com/images/aycjzjudsd.jpg
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Sega bringeth and Sega taketh away

2007-12-07T16:04:00.000-05:00

It took only one day for the rumour about Sega developing a possible Dreamcast 2 to have most of the gaming world grinning from ear to ear. Readers on Digg.com skyrocketed the story's popularity to the top with some leaving ecstatic comments and others believing the rumour to be a misunderstanding. And just as the hopes of having another Sega console filled gamers minds, it was shot down when Sega Corp. denied any involvement in making another gaming console.

Gamedaily.com reports that:

Sega of America PR Director Charlie Scibetta is currently looking into the trademark issue and why it was updated. In the meantime he told us that Sega "has no plans to get back into the console business," adding, "We're very happy being a platform agnostic company and have moved up the ranks the past three years from #11, to #9, and now stand at #6 in terms of our market share by units among third-party publishers. We like our current strategy and have no plans to change in the middle of this outstanding growth."

Disappointing. Anyways, follow the jump as we reminisce on the Dreamcast's success ...

For those who have never had the chance to play the original Dreamcast, the console was released in 1999 to compete against Sony's PlayStation and the Nintendo 64. Unfortunately, the Dreamcast came out too late and was grossly overshadowed by the release of the ever-popular PlayStation 2. But mistakes aside, what made the Dreamcast one of the most "successful failures" was it's popular line-up of both original and arcade port video games. With titles such as Soul Caliber, Crazy Taxi, Sonic Adventures, Shenmue and Power Stone, the system was a multi-player powerhouse. I remember spending hours of my life with my brother playing Marvel vs. Capcom over and over until our thumbs grew blisters ... ha, good memories.

It would have been kind of cool to have a Dreamcast 2. Then again, seeing as I still need to buy a PS3, I probably would've ended up having to consider selling some organs to actually afford another gaming console and I can't really condone that.

Rest in peace, Dreamcast, you really did have a good run old friend.

- R

image: http://www.racketboy.com/retro/dreamcast2.jpg

Don't Miss Spike TV's Video Game Awards Sunday

2007-12-06T23:35:00.000-05:00

And so they are here once again, Spike TV's 2007 Video Game Awards have come back to make gamers set their TiVos - just like them "Oscar-people." The show will have a line-up of celebrities like skateboard legend Tony Hawk, UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Jackass' Steve-O and NFL's Rocket Ismail among others. But the biggest headliner, in my opinion, is host of the show, "mother-f***ing" Samuel L. Jackson!

You can check out all the categories and nominees here, but a fore-warning, this year seems to be dominated by the Xbox 360. I guess that's not a surprise since we got some great titles on the Xbox 360 and the Wii and PS3 kinda didn't deliver too much. We do get a few of the Wii and PS3 hits in there, but not enough to sway the 360's heavyweights. But who knows, I've been surprised before.

Be sure to catch the VGA's when they air on Sunday, December 9th at 9pm ET.

- R

Image: http://www.ifilm.com/show/23733

Hot Damn! Michael Bay Uncovers Microsoft's Master Plan

2007-12-05T22:45:00.000-05:00

[Early apologies, I am writing this while preparing for a medical procedure tomorrow and am on some drowsy medication. Thanks again for reading my babble! - R]

I love Michael Bay as a director, what can I say Transformers is my favorite movie, and recently it seems that Bay has taken it upon himself to start the tenth Crusade against HD-DVD. Bay has been quoted on his forums stating that, "Microsoft wants both formats to fail so they can be heroes and make the world move to digital downloads ... That is why Microsoft is handing out $100 million dollar checks to studios [to] just embrace the HD DVD and not the leading, and superior Blu Ray."

And now, giant robot films aside, I'd like to congratulate Bay on uncovering this scandalous act and saving us from a world where media would cost less and we would be able to store/manage it with ease. I am not mocking Bay's attempt to protect the DVD collector, like myself, but instead his conspiracy theory that the big bad MS is out to screw the world. I have not chosen a side on the format war yet, and it's not due to the idea of digital downloading (which I like - more on that later), but because I am not willing to risk money on a format that might become obsolete in less than a year.

As for my feeling on digital downloading ...

As a DVD collector myself, I am not sure if I can just transition to digital downloading if it resembles what we currently have on the Xbox Marketplace. I have always thought of the idea of downloading movies, TV shows and other media on your Xbox as one of the most unique features provided on Xbox Live. But where the service falls short is when Xbox Live limits you of that purchase by restricting you to watch a movie within 14 days of purchase or 24 hours of starting it.

One of my best friends told me once that he believes we'll give up on DVD's and move to just having movies stored to a large hard drive and/or streaming media fed straight to our TVs. Maybe that will be the future of media and consumer entertainment ... or maybe he should jump on the "crazy train" with Bay. Your guess is as good as mine.

- R

image: Courtesy of CNET

Letter to Santa: "All I want for X-mas is GameFly Tampa"

2007-12-05T07:34:00.001-05:00

Dear Santa:

GameFly stated a few months ago that a new distribution warehouse was set to open in Tampa, Florida and I'm stoked. I haven't been able to buy a title in a while (or a new Xbox 360 to play some of those games on), so I have resorted to GameFly to get my fix. Before I begin sharing my dislikes of the company, I'll gussy them up a bit. GameFly is a more efficient way to play games for the gamer who cannot/does not need to buy new games. You receive your game and, in my case, for roughly $16.95, you can keep that game as long as you want until you're done playing. Fair trade, sounds good, beats the ~~hell~~ heck out of Blockbuster, right?

But here's where it gets a little murky, crappy if I may. If you live in Florida or some other Eastern state not covered under GameFly's Eastern Distribution Center, then you've experienced my gripe about long turnover rates. It's ironic, no idiotic, that some East Coast states have to still be part of the Los Angeles shipping center when the Pittsburgh center is obviously closer. I guess they don't like us Floridians with our nice tans, warm winters and all.

And so here I am ...

Sending my Christmas wishes to you, Santa, in hopes that the new distribution center in Tampa will open. Oh, just the sheer thought of a three-day turnaround, makes me all giddy inside, since I play games like it's a full-time job. And finally I'll feel like I am actually getting my moneys worth and not being robbed to spend half my month waiting for a game to reach my mailbox.

No more worries like receiving a game I decided to rent/play/finish from Blockbuster and finding a new GameFly envelope in the mail and the game I just beat is in there, which just happened to me with Xbox 360's Eternal Sonata. And so I am left with the gut-wrenching feeling that I have to resend it back and wait two more weeks to get my next game. I've been extra good this year, I've prayed every night, donated all I can and bought a crap load of Girl Scout cookies to make sure that you can see I tried.

All I want is to have an unlimited access of games and sit at home a get fat playing them, that's all. I wanna live the American Dream.

Thanks Santa and have a Happy X-Mas!

- RichieB (from Select Start)

http://www.fethard.com/photos_2005/santa_mel.jpg

Crank up the volume, Select Start plans to go audio

2007-12-04T10:09:00.000-05:00

These plans are still in their early stages, but I think it's about time to try to take Select Start to the next level - through podcast. I've always been a fan of podcasting and after doing some research on how to create/run one, I think I almost have something worth a try.

But as of right now ... I am trying to find a co-host for the show, since 15 - 30 minutes of just my voice would be mind-numbing. The show would cover most aspects of gaming, such as releases, reviews, politics and issues in the gaming world. I am also hoping to be able to interview some professionals I have previously met through stories I wrote as a reporter. These professionals are programmers, artists and producers from companies like EA, Activision and even some guys I met from Team Pandemic, a professional video gaming team. And that's just for starters.

But before I get too many hopes up, mainly mine, remember that this is still in it's experimental phase. So keep your fingers crossed that my next step to ~~global domination~~ ... game journalism comes to fruition.

- R

image: becky.the.hedgehog.sheezyart.com

Save us the trouble, bring back prior restraint

2007-12-02T14:06:00.000-05:00

There was a time when governments would censor material before it was published to make sure that they found it satisfactory to their liking, today that process is known as "prior restraint." Maybe those were easier times due to the government always being happy and journalist stuck writing PR since they were devoid of all rights. Kind of seems like the good ol' days right? Besides, freedom is overrated.

Lucky for us those times have never left due to the video game journalism world being set ablaze by the recent Gamespot incident. Most other reviewers and game sites have thus decided to unite against the notion of advertisers threatening journalism's integrity. Some people have shown their support for Jeff Gerstmann, the game reviewer fired, and others have taken it upon themselves to mock Gamespot, such as Destructiod.com's new name and site design.

The good news is that we haven't let this slide since people have begun boycotting Gamespot. And owner-company CNET might be worrying from the idea of a united movement to stop visiting Gamespot since it might cause other advertisers to pull out their campaigns. On the other hand, this boycott will probably not do much because advertisers will pay for a spot and expect good reviews and publications will once again have that internal struggle between it's sales and editorial departments on who actually has the companies better interest in mind.

While in college I took an ethics class and I remember being told that a journalist's integrity is his most valuable asset, give that up and no one will hire him. I'm sure most of you would agree with that, but most of today's publications are owned by conglomerates and sometimes they'll trade that asset if it'll make their wallets just a tad fatter.

It's sad, but true.

- R

At least the old consoles came problem free

2007-12-02T01:48:00.000-05:00

While playing Assassin's Creed on a friends Xbox 360, since the laser in mine died, I guess the disc got dirty and the game was stopped due to an "unplayable disc." My friend was with me and told me that this wasn't anything new, and that he has had to clean the disc repeatedly and still the error would randomly show.

At first I was ready to tell him that maybe his laser was dieing like mine had, which first showed signed of a loud noise and an inability to read certain discs on the first go, but he said it had to be the game because his system was one of the newer 360 models.

And so... I began noticing that it wasn't until the new generation of gaming, post-Super Nintendo/Genesis era, that video gaming to a fragile turn. Think about it, the PlayStation was one of the early adopters of console CD gaming and if that disc got scratched or that laser got damaged, you were screwed. Solutions, at that time, would be either to replace the game or maybe try to use a CD/Laser cleaner and hope it worked.

It just seems to me that when something went wrong with any SNES or Genesis game, all you had to do was the "magical" cartridge-blow technique and your game would run fine. Now I know that you might be thinking, "obviously those would work on cartridges, but the newer 'fragile' media was able to bring us better graphics and gameplay. So as long as you took care of it, you were fine." You're right, it was that simple, but we don't have that kind of luxury for this generation of gaming.

Now we don't even have a chance to wonder what happened to our video games because we are receiving glitchy discs that might or might not work on our consoles and if they do, we have to expect crashes/freezing. And if that's not enough, we have to hope that the console itself doesn't just up and die from shoddy workmanship. It just seems to me that back in the day it was much easier to play video games. You didn't have to worry about problems such as, how long you were playing for before giving the machine a break and if a certain game is glitching/freezing so much that you want to scratch your eyes out.

All I'm saying is that it seems to me like those were simpler times.

- R

The treats were a lie!

2007-12-02T00:57:00.000-05:00

The treats were a lie!
The treats were a lie!
The treats were a lie!

On Thursday Mrs. Select Start promised to make one of my favorite sweets, Rice Krispies Treats, and I still haven't had my dream granted. Now I was a bit occupied the last couple of days with both interviewing for a newspaper internship and also the C-USA Conference Championship between the University of Central Florida (where I currently attend) and Tulsa University.

Needless to say, both came out great. I landed the internship and UCF beat Tulsa giving us our first conference championship. But just when I thought that good things might come in threes, I was blindsided. There were no celebratory tasty treats waiting at home.

Fortunately my friend and I were killing time waiting for Mrs. SS to cook them by playing some Assassin's Creed, when all of a sudden we noticed that the sun had set. Immediately we both knew that could mean only one thing -- Mrs. SS was going to fall asleep soon and we would be left shafted.

So my friend, out of nowhere, said, "Wait a second, I came because I heard that Rice Krispies Treats would be here, the treats were a lie." And if you have ever played Portal, you would agree that that certain line is priceless. So hilarity ensued and we nagged Mrs. SS by screaming "the treats were a lie" until we got them.

So if anyone tells you that playing video games doesn't get anything done, tell them to call me because I got freshly made treats to prove it!

- R

Rumour: Gamespot editor fired over a negative review

2007-11-30T12:11:00.000-05:00

[Update] - Gamespot's owner company, CNET, has released an official comment which states, "we [at CNET] stand behind the editorial content that our teams produce on a daily basis." For the full story follow this link to Joystiq.

Since news has spread of the firing of Jeff Gerstmann, an editor and senior game reviewer for Gamespot.com, most of the game journalism world has been flipped upside-down. Recent updates have stated that Gerstmann's termination was confirmed and the reason for his termination still a mystery, but rumours are spreading.

According to Kotaku.com, the rumour heard is as follows:

According to the source, Gerstmann was fired "on the spot" due to advertiser pressure for his [6.0 out of 10] review of Eidos' Kane & Lynch: Dead Men. A visit to Gamespot shows that the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 game has taken over the site very prominently, with backgrounds and multiple banner ads all pitching Kane & Lynch. Allegedly, publisher Eidos "took issue with the review and threatened to pull its ad campaign."

Now that the situation has been explained, a media outlet should always be objective and never -- I repeat -- NEVER should it give in to advertisers or put it's journalists on the chopping block. While searching other sites I read comments from readers that were never fans of Jeff due to his allegedly bad reviews, most noticeably the disagreement to his 8.8 review score of Wii's Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

In all honesty, I agree with the 8.8 score for Twilight Princess. The game did nothing to revolutionize the franchise and I still believe it was little more than a cleaner Ocarina of Time. Some fans of the game believed that the review was poorly executed and should have deserved a near-perfect score. There was even demands that the game be reviewed a second time by another reviewer, but Gamespot stood by Jeff's decision without fail ... until now.

My respect for Gamespot has been destroyed, not once did I think that they would buckle to an advertiser. Guess we were proven wrong and that's a damn shame.

- R

Living in a video game would probably be like this ...

2007-11-29T12:32:00.000-05:00

While performing my daily rounds at game news site, I came across a video at Joystiq.com. In short, the video is about a guy named ... well, Guy and his realization that he is actually living in a video game world - hence the series' name, Life in a Game.

So far only three episodes (the last being the second part of episode two) have followed Guy's acceptance of living in a video game and him trying to do something about it. I'm trying my best not to give too much away because I appreciated every reference and I know - if you've been into gaming as long as I have - you will too.

Life in a Game just spews out game references repeatedly, but does it in such a serious yet humorous manner that it reminds me of the Street Fighter: The Later Years series. Whether it's referencing, Pokemon, DDR, Diablo, Mario, Mortal Kombat or whatever, this series has definitely won me over.

So as not to take any more of your time away, I'll provide the first episode above and the links to Episode 2-1 and Episode 2-2. Enjoy and, if you like it, try to promote further videos of this quality because it's always fun to see what gamers with a video camera and a editing software can do.

- R

Better late than never, Hitman movie reviewed

2007-11-29T01:40:00.000-05:00

Blood, bullets and beauties - It's the perfect formula for an action film and that's exactly what Hitman brings to the big screen. Based off of the Hitman video game series, Agent 47, portrayed by Timothy Olyphant, must figure out why he has ended up on the wrong side of a gun. Filled with intense gunfights that have you tracking multiple shootouts at once and wondering how one man can survive it, Hitman proves that Hollywood is finally catching on to what video game movies are all about.

Don't shrug off this holiday-flick if you are not a fan of the game or if your significant other is not interested. In fact, Mrs. SS said that she liked it and that she couldn't believe how well they portrayed the character identical to his digital counterpart. Olyphant not only mimics 47's bad ass attitude and unsettling comfort for extreme violence, but he also mimics the agent's stiff movement that we've all come to love from the bald and bar coded assassin.

Did that "stiffness" make the movie seem less realistic? Maybe, but who really expects to see a video game movie portrayed realistically? It's a movie based off of an assassin who enters a room chock-full of baddies and somehow leaves it without having to reload once, which is exactly what you should expect from a video game movie.

Hitman is one of those movies that makes you forget about past atrocities like Street Fighter and gives us gamers hope for the future. Now if only the Van Damme nightmares will end and the sweet bullet-ridden Hitman ones begin.

- R

Level One Blogger & Level 17 Gamer

2007-11-27T21:14:00.000-05:00

It's only been a few months since Select-Start was created and even though it is still in it's beginning stages, I'm proud of what's been accomplished so far.

But as I am obviously not a blogging expert yet, I wasn't sure if I could consider myself a video game expert. What actually determines when someone can be called an "expert" in their field? For example, I have been playing video games since I was six-years-old, so does roughly 17 years of playing video games make me an "expert?"

Since there is no one else to argue my point, I'll provide myself with a self-rebuttal. As a reporter, I've interviewed actual artists, producers and developers involved in video game projects and I can say that those people knew their field far better than I could ever.

I could easily ask any one of those gamers I see waiting outside of my local Gamestop before a midnight release and I bet at least half of them are just as tuned to the video game world as I am. Whether they read media outlets A to Z and play more than 30 hours a week of gaming (like I do) those guys are game "experts" in their own right.

So my point is ... um, what was I whining about? I forgot already. Oh well, I guess I can move on to my next problem, which is whether or not I still have beer in my fridge. God I hope so, it would definitely wash these earlier problems away. C-ya.

- R

Street Fighter IV's trailer gets dissected

2007-11-26T11:35:00.000-05:00

If you haven't already seen the Street Fighter IV trailer, shame on you. But since it is the season of giving, here is a link to it.

Well, since some of us have been wondering what will make this SF differ from the previous ten models, the folks at GameTrailers were nice enough to try and break down what the SF IV might be bringing us.

Looks like it's about that time to dust off Capcom vs. SNK EO and tune-up my moves with Ken. Maybe this time around, I can finally beat my brother - the bastard has always beat me and I still have yet to win.

Are there any Street Fighter gods I can pray to or maybe even make a sacrifice to ... Hmm, I wonder if sacrificing your first-born is still frowned upon?

- R

I'll never let you go, Xbox 360. Never!

2007-11-23T16:06:00.000-05:00

So after having someone look at my Xbox 360 and replace the laser, the video game gods still did not smile down on me. Here I am with an game system that can't do what it was built to do and no money to at least buy a replacement.

'Tis a dark day, but my hopes are not lost yet. I have been searching eBay for a new drive and I think I may have found a suitable donor. I just hope that it isn't a scam or an already broken drive meant for spare parts..

Just in case, I think I'll stop by the mall and ask Santa for a new Xbox 360, I've been good this year ... mostly.

- R

Survey shows that most stores ignore game ESRB ... no shocker there

2007-11-22T21:22:00.000-05:00

I know most of us will be only a few minutes from entering a kind of "turkey-comatose" state, but the news never stops and things need to be reported so ...

According to a survey done by the East County Youth Advocacy Coalition (ECYAC), a group of high school-aged youths from San Diego, nearly 50 percent of video game retailers surveyed allowed underage youths to purchase M-rated games.

According to a quote from the San Diego Union-Tribune:

During a two-month undercover survey of more than 60 stores countywide, 46 percent sold video games rated M for 'Mature' to teens younger than 18, said Shontey Hambrick, adult adviser to the East County Youth Coalition.

Unfortunately, this means more bad news for the video game industry and even more if this reaches the desk of a certain attorney.

This will definitely start more arguments on how much actual parenting are parents doing and what can we do to make incompetent retailers follow the law? It's saddening because it's actions like these that keep making M-rated games get repeatedly censored for us adult gamers.

So stop gawking at the girl that walked in the game store - yes women play video games too - and pay more attention to the seven-year-old buying Gore-tacular III: The Impaling ... or something like that.

- R

* Destructiod: Almost 50% of stores ignore ESRB ratings, according to undercover survey

Rise of the Video Game series

2007-11-21T23:09:00.000-05:00

Seems a little late since the series aired earlier today, but for those of us who can catch a repeat showing, Discovery is airing a five part special on the history of video games titled Rise of the Video Game.

I am watching it as I write this and I have to say it is pretty cool to finally see a documentary on our favorite hobby. And to make it even better, it is only level one - which is what each segment is titled - out of five.

The show is currently covering the very beginning of gaming, even before the Pong days! Anyways, the show is back on and I'm missing it so make sure you catch it when you can.

- R

* Rise of the Video Game: Discovery Channel

Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 given the green light

2007-11-21T15:34:00.000-05:00

IGN reports that, Ubisoft Montreal, creators of Rainbow Six: Vegas, has announced that a sequel to the Vegas shooter is slated for a March 2008 release.

For those of you who haven't played the game, let me tell you it's a good game. I have always been a fan of the FPS genre and played my fair share of low-budget titles, but Rainbow Six: Vegas was one of the best shooters I've ever played.

One aspect that I have always admired in shooters is the ability to give orders to your teammates.
I don't know if it is because it gives me a sense of ownership over the team or because it makes me hold back that "Rambo-esque" ego I get when playing FPS'.

You know that feeling, right? When you decide there is nothing more strategic than just rushing in, screaming and emptying your clip on everything that moves in the room. Well, that feeling is instead replaces with me screaming orders to my teammates and at the same time yelling, "Don't you die on me, DAMN IT," to the fallen ones.

Anyways, can't wait for it. Although I'm sure my girlfriend will see things otherwise, when I'm yelling at 2 or 3 o'clock at night.

- R

* Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 Announced

Rumor: Bruce Wayne's fate is looking grim

2007-11-21T14:30:00.000-05:00

Now I know that this is not game-related news, but I figured that this story is interesting and should be shared.

Warning: This is a RUMOR and not much other information has been released to confirm.

According to www.joshshill.com, a news blog, there have been multiple reports that DC's son of Gotham, Bruce Wayne, is destined to die in the coming year. The site states that the new story arc will have one of the great heroes - which consists of Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman and others - will bid his/her farewell to the mortal world and become one of the New Gods, a sort of deity over the DC Universe.

According to [Valerie] D’Orazio [of the blog, Occasional Superheroine], rumor had it that the DC universe was going to promote all their number one’s, presumably including Bruce Wayne, Superman, Wonder Woman, among others. However Johnston in last week’s Lying in the Gutters column said that DC had abandoned promoting the entirety of the roster, and reduced it to be only Bruce Wayne.

The rumor also stated that one of the earlier Robins, Jason Todd, better known as the Robin killed in the A Death in the Family story arc, will be taking over the cape and cowl of Batman. DC has recently reintroduced Todd into the DC Universe through one of it's "unusual" revival plots and has thus cemented him back into the Batman universe.

Whether or not this story arc goes through, I can say that there is no better hero in my mind than Batman. Sure I have been a Marvel Comics fan a long time, but there has been no better excitement while reading a comic than just experiencing the coolness and "badassery" that the world's greatest detective gives to readers.

If the story line does comes to pass, then maybe it was about time the original bat is given his overdue vacation from protecting the dark streets of Gotham. And if not ... well, it's always fun to have him around keeping the other "supers" in check.

- R

* The Ascension of a Batman

Hooray, free Psychonauts on GameTap

2007-11-20T16:46:00.000-05:00

I have not been able to give GameTap a try, but for those who do subscribe, the site has given an early gift in the form of Psychonauts. Now I have been able to play Psychonauts and let me say that it is one of the most remarkable games I have ever played.

What makes the game so memorable, in my opinion, is the concept of the game. You take control of Raz, a boy from the circus that has hopes of joining the elite psychic special agent force - the Psychonauts. While attending a psychic training facility, which resembles a summer camp, Raz must help his mentally-troubled friends by entering their minds and overcoming worlds relative to the owners personality.

Sound weird enough? Well, it is and damn it if it isn't fun! The game has wickedly awesome landscapes and a dark humor that makes this so-called "disturbing" game hilarious. If the mind belongs to a crazed war veteran, you enter a battlefield, if the mind belongs to a diabolical computer genius, then you're in a digital mainframe and if the mind belongs to Tom Cruise ... well, then that's just too damn scary.

Anyways, for those who haven't been able to play Psychonauts, or find it at the local game store, GameTap has it. And as an added bonus, the site has also released the first three Hitman titles for free.

Never played any of the Hitman games myself, but this might be the perfect chance. And during a time when money is a bit tight, all I can do is thank the video game gods.

- R

* Psychonauts on GameTap

New Halo 3 maps releasing December 11th

2007-11-19T14:19:00.000-05:00

If you've taken a short sabbatical from Halo 3 to get some Call of Duty 4 or Assassin's Creed time in, it looks like it's time to visit good 'ol Master Chief for some renewed fun. According to Microsoft, on December 11th there will be three new maps available for download.

The three maps titled Standoff, Foundry and Rat's Nest, will be available for 800 Microsoft Points, which translates to roughly ten dollars. Here is a description MS provided for the maps:

The symmetrical valley of Standoff, with its entrenched bases and fields of boulders is ideal for mid-sized objective and Slayer game types.
The vast, labyrinthine passages of the Rat's Nest bring something completely new to the multiplayer experience: an indoor vehicle paradise. Strongly influenced by the Campaign mode, this map is ideal for big team battles.
Foundry is the ultimate Forge map. Players can edit every single object in this voluminous industrial warehouse, placing stairways, walls, bridges, and tunnels to create an entirely new play space and build almost any kind of map imaginable.

For those of us who can't afford to purchase the maps now, MS has stated that the maps will become available for free in Spring 2008, just prior to the next Halo 3 map release. Now if I can only get my Xbox 360's laser to read discs, then I'd be a happy camper. Bummer.

- R

* Microsoft Halo 3 Press Release

Black Friday is a'coming!

2007-11-19T00:40:00.000-05:00

Loosen those belts and put on grandpa's stretchy pants because Thanksgiving is coming and it's time to put on that holiday weight to keep you warm for the winter. That's right folks, all the happiness that turkey, gravy and a pound of other food brings can only be beat by one thing - Black Friday sales.

What does that mean for us gamers? Well, a whole lot if your looking for the cheapest game deals, the best console bundles or maybe that new "fantastical" HDTV you've been waiting to get so you can see Halo 3 in all it's pixelated majesty.

Anyways, here is a link to a list that yours truly will go by this coming Friday. The list contains many of the sales to be had from stores such as, Best Buy, Circuit City, Target and of course Gamestop and EBgames. One that caught my attention was Gamestop's buy two, get one free on all USED games and all the other price drops that will be available on newer titles.

So make sure that you're filled to the brim and ready to wait in line because I will be waiting alongside with a lawn chair in tow. Oh and for the record, I will not save you a spot in line no matter how much money you give me ... although I do accept 7-Eleven Slurpees and maybe the occasional Krispy Kreme donut.

Don't you judge me!

- R

A rainy day in the SS household

2007-11-18T16:19:00.000-05:00

So I have had a rough week due to my Xbox 360's disc laser not recognizing games anymore. Unfortunately, I do not fall into the 3-year warranty and I am not ready to wait until the new millennium to get it back.

Do I try to just replace the DVD drive - since I have some computer experience and I have nothing to lose - or do I just purchase a new HDMI system and hope to the gods that it doesn't red ring?

I had a whole rant ready for you guys about Microsoft but that argument has been around the block ... a lot. So I'm sad, so upset with the console and I guess I'll have to accept that I love wasting money on faulty products.

- R

Marching band steals my heart!

2007-11-13T22:06:00.000-05:00

I saw this video on Kotaku's daily news and I just had to share it. Blame me for posting this here, but if you're a gamer and haven't even heard of Kotaku - shame on you!

Anyways keeping this short, the band play classic tunes from Super Mario Bros., Tetris, Pokemon, Mortal Kombat, Legend of Zelda and other greats.

The performance is outstanding and kudos to the band. Congratulations on making a grown man tear. That doesn't make me less of a man does it because I am still trying to recover from a leather pants incident. Don't ask because I won't tell ... ever.

Print and the Internet - Best Friends Forever

2007-11-13T18:00:00.000-05:00

When I first started SS (Select-Start) I wrote a story about a possible death of magazines due to the Internet. I believed at the time that maybe magazines would become less popular due to the accessibility and cost-free perk of Internet sites. And then something happened.

As I looked on my kitchen table for Monday's mail I saw it, my very first subscription copy of Electronic Gaming Monthly and for the first time in a long time I felt euphoria. And that feeling reassured me that magazines were here to stay. And I'll explain.

I have bought many magazine before, but this was my first subscription and I had been waiting weeks to see if I would actually receive it. And once I saw that new, shiny mag on the table I couldn't think of anything else but flipping through it. I realized right then that there was no better feeling then just thumbing through pages of a magazine and being able to take in all the design that not many websites can provide.

I read lots of my daily news online, but not many of the sites have the design aspect that pulls me in like magazines do and that just reinforced my dream to aim to have a career in both a publication print and online aspects. Hopefully.

I think people will still want to have that ownership feeling of a magazine or newspaper and I think that that feeling will make sure that print publication stays around. Print publication don't have to end, but instead just get with the times.

Adding online content isn't about giving up to the times, but instead just rolling with the punches and adapting to the world. Think about it, Darwin would be proud.

-R

Accents are funny, [insert laugh here]

2007-11-08T11:37:00.000-05:00

I spend lots of time looking at game reviews for the sake of making a purchase. I usually head to my five main sites and in reading/watching each game review, I make the decision if the game is worth a buy.

Then there's the Escapist's Zero Punctuation game reviews.

Created by an Australian fellow named "Yahtzee" and filled with his satirical humor and obscene/innocent stick figure designs, he reviews each game and blatantly depicts his opinion.

Now let me say upfront that don't purchase anything solely going by his reviews, but I can say that sometimes his reviews ares spot on.

Anyways, enough of piling the sweets on Mr. Yahtzee. If you want to see for yourself, play the attached video for his review for Halo 3.

Smash Bros. Brawl looking so much better!

2007-11-05T12:21:00.000-05:00

So after looking at some upcoming game videos, I saw a great movie trailer for Smash Bros. Brawl and it made my excitement for the game shoot through the roof.

For example this video is about Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong chasing a group of Koopa's and Goomba's (Honestly, how do we say these names seriously?) whom have stolen the Kongs' banana stash.

There is also another video that has Diddy Kong being saved from a Rayquaza, a pokemon, by the space ace Fox McCloud. My favorite? Seeing Diddy Kong shoot those bullets with his coconut guns was just the icing on the cake.

Long story short, the game looks fun and the trailers look to be a good added feature. Can't wait to see it in action and can't wait to use Sonic in is super chaos emerald mode.

And here is the video for those who might have been living under a thomp all year and haven't seen the Sonic video or for those like me who just like to hear that song from Sonic Adventure.

- R

Back and full of steam

2007-10-30T23:21:00.000-05:00

I've been gone. Apologies for everything. Starting anew and life goes on.

So while watching an episode of Friends (the one with the leather pants) on my 360, I noticed the Gamefly envelope sitting on my speaker and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption just waiting to return to it's owner. And let me say that although the game is pretty good, it just wasn't what I was looking forward to in a Wii hit.

My two cents? Sure! Let's see how do I say this sensibly ... WHERE THE HELL ARE THE GOOD GAMES!

Why have I not had a great game yet on this console. Sure I have played some good ones like Legend of Zelda, but I haven't been able to really give up the 360 experience for the Wii. There are like a million available games for the Wii, but forgive me if Dewey's Adventure and the upcoming three installments of Petz doesn't tickle my fancy.

And that makes Richie sad. I bought the console for the pleasure of being two-thirds of the way to owning all the consoles and for the innovative game play, of course. I know that this season brings a golden child, Super Mario Galaxy, but damn it until then give me something to hold me over until Galaxy, Brawl and whatever else worth it comes out next year. I don't have a lot of money, Nintendo, make my investment worth it!

Wii helping to promote good health.

2007-04-15T21:52:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know I have been M.I.A. for a long time, but I'm back. No excuses, lets just report something interesting and keep it short.

According to an article at www.time.com, since the release of the Nintendo Wii people have been saying how they use the gaming system as a workout tool, but no one has seen much proof. Until now:

Active video games like the Wii can fight child obesity, according to a report published by the Mayo Clinic in the January issue of Pediatrics. In that study, researchers found that children burned three times as many calories playing "active" video games versus playing traditional hand-held video games.

We've heard of the several injuries that have followed "Wii-fans" such as blisters, cuts, bruises, even cases of broken fingers due to players swinging the remote and either losing balance and colliding with something or sending their remote through television sets.

The article even mentions a gamer who played approximately 30 minutes a day and was able to lose nine pounds in six weeks.

So I found a new hobby for my Wii. I think I still got some of that Christmas turkey that needs to be worked off and now that summer vacation is coming, I might need to double-time it.

-R
*Link to article: Here

PS3 Sales Making a Come Back?

2007-03-09T12:53:00.000-05:00

According to Kotaku.com, sales for the PS3 in Japan have double from roughly 20,000 units to 44,000 in the week of February 26th to March 4th.

Still at the top of sales is the Nintendo DS Lite with 111,814 units sold. But the news here is the climb in Sony's products. PSP products have also been on the rise, which is something that is a rarity here in the U.S.

Kotaku and other sites, have given the PS3's jump in sales due to the release of Gundam Musou. Gundam Musou is one of many Japanese-loved robot games that allow users to command and wage war in giant mechs.

I really can't describe it any better ... honestly ... they love this stuff. But enough of that.

Woohoo for PS3!

I'm not a fan of any system, but it's good to know that Sony is starting to get some good news. And that it's sale have gone up due to a game release is no surprise.

That's right fellas. Games make people buy systems ... oh you didn't know?

I'm saying this because, in my personal opinion, the Wii has kind of missed this point.

My Wii has been ... well neglected. This is because there really hasn't been much I want to play, besides LOZ: Twilight Princess, of course.

The Xbox 360 has gotten some action, thanks to Crackdown, but even that has slowed down a bit.

Hopefully Sony sent out a message to it's competitor. Maybe they are trying to tell everyone that the "PS3 is not dead, yet!"

Well, kudos for you, Sony.

Perhaps now we can look at that price problem and maybe, just maybe, I'll buy one.

-R

*http://kotaku.com/gaming/top/ps3-japan-sales-double-wii-xbox-360-drop-242874.php
*image: http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/684714/2/istockphoto_684714_sales_graph.jpg

Australian GamePro Magazine Accused of Taking Bribe?

2007-03-07T21:58:00.000-05:00

In an article by www.gwn.com, rumors are spreading that accuse a gaming magazine of accepting an bribe from developer EA to give a rival company's game negative reviews.

According to the article, Australian GamePro's website gave THQ's real-time strategy game Supreme Commander a 5/10 review score and said the game suffered from performance issues.

The on-line review had this to say of the game over-all performance:

This could've been the greatest [real-time strategy game] of all time and maybe down the track after a patch it will be. But due to bizarre performance issues with the final release code, as of writing, the game is virtually unplayable. Truly, this is the saddest moment in the history of the genre.

Website www.gwn.com, which released an article, said that there is little proof if the magazine did accept a bribe. The site also stated that there have been rumors of the website being shut down. Neither rumor has been confirmed nor said if they are related to each other.

The website [www.gwn.com] did take the chance to bring in readers by saying that their review of Supreme Commander is "a fair and honest look."

Australian GamePro, although owned by the same company [International Data Group], should not be confused with GamePro magazine here in the U.S.

According to GamePro.com, the magazine gave the game a 4.5/5 scoring, which is significantly higher than it's sister publication.

Seeing as there is no proof or validation of the bribe, no conclusions can be made of Australian GamePro's review.

All that I can say is thanks for bringing journalism down a peg.

"Paid-journalism" doesn't help news organizations reputation no matter how you look at it.
Instead, these acts null the hard work these organizations shell out while trying to stay honest and credible.

We know everyone would like easy money, but to do it at the cost of your readers trust is disheartening.

Some readers rely on reviews to decide if a game is worth purchasing. To give a game a bought-off review not only hurts that game company's sales but also hurts the news sites integrity.

But I'll stop there. No proof has been given if this happened and we should not pass judgement until everything is revealed.

Overall, it is just one negative review of a game and that should not deter you from purchasing it if you're a fan. Remember, only take other's opinions with a grain of salt.

-R

*http://www.gwn.com/news/story.php/id/11566/GamePro_Review_Score_Bribery_Scandal.html
*http://www.gamepro.com.au/index.php/id;1088855173;fp;2;fpid;36
*http://www.idg.com/www/idgproducts.nsf/typeform?readform&type=publication
*Image courtesy of http://defeatpoverty.com/uploaded_images/bribery-793475.jpg

Rapper Redman Wants In On More Games

2007-03-06T18:35:00.000-05:00

Blogger, www.games.mattsarrel.com, had an interview with rapper Redman about his hobby of playing games and his involvement in EA's Def Jam: Icon.

In the interview, Redman played a round with blogger Matt Sarrel and talked about his gaming past.

I had Atari. I had Coleco. So, yeah. I even had a Jaguar when it was out for a minute. I played a lot as a kid, but when I was introduced to Doom it took it to another level.

Redman also said he was a fan of the first-person shooter genre and of the Doom franchise.

Yeah, man. I always wanted to meet the motherf***ers who did Doom.

In EA's Def Jam: Icon, which was released on March 6th, gamers can take the role of Redman and enjoy whooping other rappers with it's interactive background.

When asked about his characters in Def Jam: Icon, Redman stated:

Yeah. I love it. The thing is with all my characters in all the games they come up to me and say 'Yo, your character is hard as hell to whup.'

On a side note, I was going to add a few comments about the interview but here are some quotes that sum it up.

Beginning of interview:

Redman enters
MDS [blogger]: How’s it going?
Redman: It’s just the bomb, man. The bomb. Smoked this (holds up mostly smoked blunt) We all ready for business.

Um...OK.

A little lower in the interview:

MDS: I gotta tell you, Redman. I am a huge fan of yours. Much of my time in the mid ‘90’s was spent playing video games and listening to your music.
Redman: And getting high.

Wait, is this a legitimate interview?

In the middle of the interview:

Kudo [someone else in the room]: Why don’t you two guys fight it out?
Redman: Yeah, while we’re getting high.

Call me naive but I think he just validated that rapper/marijuana connection we always knew existed.

Luckily by then, most of the smoking references end and the real news begins, but what can we say when he makes songs titled: Boodah Break, Boodah Session and A Million and 1 Boodah Spots.

Nuff' said.

-R

P.S. I apologize for not updating the site more often, but we can thank a friend of mine for giving me the boot. Thanks Steve.

*http://games.mattsarrel.com/2007/03/the_redman_interview.html
*image courtesy of www.vh1.com and from Def Jam: Vendetta

The Days of Our Gaming Lives.

2007-03-01T20:29:00.000-05:00

Earlier today, Sony and blogger site www.Kotaku.com, had a fallout due to the report of a rumor.

It seems, Kotaku got hold of a rumor about Sony releasing a new application for the PS3 called PlayStation Home.

The program was supposed to mimic that of Xbox 360's achievements and Nintendo Wii's lovable Mii characters. It would allow gamers to create a character that resides in a room, which would be decorated with items they could earn by completing PS3 game goals.

Kotaku seemed to have tried to validate the rumor through several sources (including Sony), thus only being able to mark it as a rumor. Sony responded by asking Kotaku not to post the story and if posted all connections with Sony would be lost.

Kotaku editor, Brian Crecente describes:

Specifically, they said we would be asked to return our debug PS3, uninvited from all meetings scheduled with Sony at GDC, including one on blogger relations and a one-on-one with Phil Harrison, and that they would no longer deal with us.
Knowing that, we went forward with the story, choosing not to point out the threats.

Crecente then posted an email from Dave Karraker, Senior Director of Sony's Corporate Communications, that states:

I am very disappointed that after trying to work with you as closely as possible and provide you and your team with access and information, you chose to report on this rumor.... I can't defend outlets that can't work cooperatively with us.
So, it is for this reason, that we will be canceling all further interviews for Kotaku staff at GDC and will be dis-inviting you to our media event next Tuesday. Until we can find a way to work better together, information provided to your site will only be that found in the public forum.

After the email was posted on Kotaku, readers and bloggers all cried out in outrage towards Sony. Here is a piece from www.Gizmodo.com:

To Sony: I know you've gone to great lengths to control the information about the projects you've worked on. But these are your loose lips, and we're just doing our jobs. And if you'd just look at the bigger picture, buzz is far more valuable than whatever the marketing machine can dream up. This is gossip! People love this shit. Don't fight it. Anyhow, the damning move you're pulling on Kotaku does nothing but alienate the press and readers you hope to win over, and confirms the rumor as having legs. Legs like a robot racehorse being jockeyed by Heidi Klum. My god, that is so sexy.
To Brian, Editor at Kotaku, and a friend and colleague: I'm proud of what you've done, and I don't think you had any choice but to burn this bridge. The conditions they threw down were unacceptable. Rest easy knowing that Kotaku is fast enough that you can be on top of any story within 2 minutes of embargoes lifting. You don't need them. But I know you did value the relationship you'd built with them over hundreds of fair posts, rumor and otherwise.

Blog sites after news site after blog site, each reported the news and each with a harsh opinion on Sony's behalf.

But by the end of the day, Kotaku and Sony settled their differences in a professional matter. Kotaku was allowed to keep the post up and Sony has once again allowed a major blog site to cover it's news.

Overall it seemed like a hectic day for Kotaku and Sony. My opinion?

You're probably tired of reading and I'm tired of writing. In short, Sony you're dumb for pulling this move but at least you redeemed yourself and hooray for Kotaku and Freedom of the Press

Ugh. Too much drama.

-R

*http://kotaku.com/gaming/sony/rumor-sony-to-unveil-playstation-home-240746.php
*http://kotaku.com/gaming/top/sony-blackballs-kotaku-updated-240860.php
*http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/announcements/playstation-blacklists-kotaku-for-responsible-journalism-240885.php
*http://kotaku.com/gaming/sony/sony-and-kotaku-makeup-240922.php

Are You Addicted To Games?

2007-03-01T17:07:00.000-05:00

Ahem. Hi, my name is Richie and I'm addicted to games.

Apparently, the Smith & Jones Addiction Consultants are able to treat those suffering from obsessive/compulsive gaming.

"The Smith& Jones GAMESTERDAM clinic is the first residential treatment facility in the world that is specialised in and focused on treating people who’s lives have become unmanageable as a result of their on or offline video gaming behaviour."

The site describes treatment of those who are unaware or deny their problem by helping them "see they have a problem, admit they have a problem and ask for help."

The site says that "computer and video games can be fun and innocent. Most people can play computer games without trouble. However, 20% of all gamers can develop a dependency on gaming."

According to a www.babyart.org article symptoms could include: dropping grades, sleeping at school, Carpal Tunnel syndrome and headaches.

Ahem. Wow.

So where do I start?

An addiction to games, huh? I guess everything is possible.

Three words, World of Warcraft (a.k.a. WOW). This game has become an icon amongst the gaming community.

There have been stories about people spending their saving just to "level-up" their characters.

Proof? I'm a victim.

Not of WOW but of Xbox 360's Final Fantasy XI, the massive multiplayer online role-playing game (mmorpg).

During this time, I spent weekends playing from nine in the morning to midnight non-stop, only to get up for hygienic purposes and nourishment.

Those were dark times. Trying to make my character reach a certain level and keep up with other players was a daily mission.

Oh no, flashbacks. Got to stop.

Well, I guess there is a such thing as addictions. But that someone has taken the time to make a program to "heal" these people is amusing, yet strangely relieving. Emphasis on "strangely."

-R

*http://www.smithandjones.nl/
*http://www.babyart.org/school-age/video-game-addiction.html
*image courtesy of http://mmorpg.qj.net/uploads/articles_module/53114/game-addict_qjgenth.jpg

Gamers TV Show: So Bad It's Good!

2007-02-28T11:55:00.001-05:00

This trailer for a show from www.putgamersontv.com, is ... how do I say it ... good?

The show, which seems to be about the lives of gamers, shows the extreme sides of the gaming community.

Well, not really extreme. But if you live-action role-play (l.a.r.p.), then yeah, you're extreme.

What is larping, you ask?

Well, if you play games such as Dungeons and Dragons, Vampire: The Masquerade and whatever other game there is, you role-play.

But larping takes it beyond the dice. You become the character, dress like them, act in their persona, believe you are them.

Creepy, huh? Yeah well, what can we do.

The show, appears to cover aspects of video gaming and seems to put a funny twist to it. For example, there is a clip where a character looks at his friends and they all have icons which would be seen in a game.

Some sites have given it negative feedback and I don't blame them.

It's a great concept, one that could grab a large audience, but the acting need a thorough cleaning.

Well, not much more can be said.

Just watch the trailer, cringe at the acting, try to make it through without beating on your screen like a chimp and say what I said ...

"Oh my god! I can't turn myself away, it's so horrible, yet intriguing. It's ... it's like watching a car crash about to happen, but you don't want to warn anyone cause you'll spoil the moment."

Ah, I love the Internet.

-R

*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE8LsEk3A1A&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Emaxconsole%2Enet%2F%3Fmode%3Dnews%26p%3D20

Editorial 2: Mystery of Zelda

2007-02-27T09:32:00.000-05:00

So, I went to my local game store and decided to see what new game I could bring home to my Nintendo DS.

Upon searching the game library, which was less than satisfying I decided to take a peek at the "old" stuff.

And there it was.

Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. Now I played this game before when I rented it, but somewhere along the line my save file was deleted.

Yep. I sat there staring at the screen, my eyes watering slowly, the flashbacks of smiles and laughs with little Link, the hours spent saving Hyrule (which really needs to stop being taken over. Hire a militia or something.), all of it ... Gone.

And that was it. I sent the game back, forgot about it, ignored the hype about how good it was and went on gaming.

Well, as I stood before the game and wondered, "Should I give it another shot," it dawned upon me.

What is it about this game franchise that makes it so damn entertaining? I had to find out.

I got home, popped the puppy in my DS and waited to hear that sweet adventure music.

As I started playing, I realized it had been so long I had forgotten much of the plot line. Even better, now it won't feel like I'm slugging through known terrain.

And that's my story. But I began to wonder.

What is it about Legend of Zelda (LOZ) games that make them so appealing?

The stories in each game are far-fetched (i.e. playing musical instruments to wake an egg?).

The baddies are all repeated, except for the bosses, but something has to be new, right?

If you've played any LOZ before, you know that the item you received in the dungeon usually is the weakness of it's boss.

But what is it? The music?

Hearing that legendary adventure music as you hack and slash your way to victory?

I'll never know. But the games are good.

And on that note, I end my rant.

I have land to rescue and a princess to save (good for nothing princess).

Seriously, how many times to we have to save her? Buy a gun or something, sister! Damn.

-R

*image courtesy of http://www.everyvideogame.com/video/The_Legend_Of_Zelda_Title.jpg

Do I need a Restraining Order?

2007-02-23T09:50:00.000-05:00

As you have probably read in previous articles, Aeris, GameStop's automated phone-machine mistress, has reached an all-time high of creepiness.

Earlier in February, customers began to receive calls from the "lady in the phone" about trading in their copies of Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

At first my reaction to this call was amusing. GameStop has gone out of their way to try to make me sell back my game, which I just bought from them.

This is no uncommon, since GameStop is about buying and selling used games, but come on I just got it. Let me enjoy it for a little while.

I, like other gamers, ignored the call and went on with our lives. She didn't.

On February 19th, the day before Xbox 360's Crackdown release, the phone rang again. The number seemed strange, but since that number could be a friend or business acquaintance, I was unable to ignore it.

R: "Hello?"

Voice: "Hi, this is Aeris from GameStop! We see you..."

R: (during Aeris' rant) "Son of a *****."

Yes, she called again. This time to tell me about the midnight release of Crackdown to be held at my local GameStop. I hung up.

Well now it seems another gamer has received, what might be, my third call coming up. The call wanted him to take a quick survey.

The survey asked customers how it was to shop at their local GameStop. The questions focused on the greeting, speediness of employees and overall helpfulness. The usual stuff.

I can say this for my local GameStop. The employees (in no way spunky) are very helpful, quite quick to my purchase and won't let me leave the store without harassing me of pre-ordering some game title I don't want!

Sorry, I was blowing off some steam.

Well, should I expect a call from the sexy-stalker on the phone? Probably.

And I'll feel irate all over again, but I can't do much. Getting myself pulled off the calling-list will lose me those times they call to inform me of great deals.

Damn Catch-22's.

Next time she calls I'll probably pick it up. Why?

Well, what can I say? I'm a sucker for torture.

-R

*http://www.destructoid.com/gamestop-s-aeris-strikes-again-calls-me-to-take-a-survey-30010.phtml#comments
*http://www.hypertxt.com/parker/hypertext/lucy/phonelips.gif

Possible Halo 4?

2007-02-19T15:35:00.000-05:00

2/20 UPDATE: Its seems Bungie has debunked the rumor of a Halo 4. Not surprising, but still a let down. Oh well.

----

While searching through news site, www.Kotaku.com, a story titled "Rumor Halo 4 Confirmed" caught the eye.

As most gamers know, Halo 3, set to be released sometime this Fall (hopefully), is one of this year's most anticipated games.

The article mentions an eBay auction titled "Cameo in HALO 3! Donated by Bungie for Hollywood Arts!"

The auction will grant its winner a Halo 3 voice cameo (auction already closed).

What has stirred the news of another sequel is in the description:

"Voice over will be recorded at Blindlight Studios in Hollywood, CA before May 15, 2007 or this package will have to be redeemed for Halo 4."

Surprised? Probably not.

Microsoft (MS) has a money-making franchise in Halo. So then, why end it after three installments?

Are we really going to "finish the fight" like Halo 3 describes in it's trailers? Who knows?

I don't know. But that doesn't mean we can't discuss it.

Is a fourth Halo so hard to believe? Hardly not.

Putting my game face aside, I can see the financial opportunity MS has by creating another Halo.

Gamers are sure to buy it, thus bringing in more revenue. But that has to take into account that creator Bungie does not butcher the game somewhere in development, which is never impossible.

There are too many questions and what else can we say without proof?

Nothing really, except that if there is another sequel, let's welcome it in open arms.

But for now lets just wait for Halo 3 and enjoy it with all our Brute-hating hearts. Then after that, let's see if we're ready for a fourth adventure with good ol' Master Chief.

-R

*http://kotaku.com/gaming/bungie/rumor-halo-4-confirmed-237828.php
*http://cgi.ebay.com/Cameo-in-HALO-3-Donated-by-Bungie-for-Hollywood-Arts_W0QQitemZ220081945101QQihZ012QQcategoryZ187QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
*image courtesy of another terrible photo crop by me (Hey, I'm a writer.)

Possible New 360: Tall, Dark and Handsome?

2007-02-18T10:22:00.000-05:00

Apologies for the late posts, but this had to be commented on.

It seems that a debunked rumor of a "pimped out" Xbox 360 release has resurfaced with a vengeance.

Yet no official announcement has been made, stores are registering a SKU tag for the rumored release of the new 360. Strange.

At a price of $479.99, the 360 will come with a 120GB hard drive, HDMI-enabling and a new sexy black finish.

What could be cooler than a new upgrade to your 360 with an additional dark and mysterious look? Don't know.

I'm excited about the hard drive and the color-scheme. Currently more space is needed and as a plus, the new black look will go great with my furniture.

The question: Will 360 owners buy this to replace their old console?

Not if Microsoft uses their brains, we won't.

Hopefully, Microsoft will just release the perks of this bundle separately thus allowing fans to just upgrade their existing console.

This must be the answer to Microsoft's weakness to Sony's PS3.

The 360 lacked in memory and Blu-Ray technology that is currently found in the PS3.

But with the PS3 priced at $599.99 (499.99 for a downgraded version), will this be another slap in the face for the PS3?

It was the high price that made most consumers say, "What $600 for a game system, hell no!" At least for me it was.

As a gamer, with no favorites, my opinion is that Sony will be forced to go through with it's talks about a PS3 price-cut.

Even after it's poor sales here in the U.S, Sony's Japanese fan base has kept the PS3 afloat.

But with the European release set for March will those numbers stay the same?

Anything is possible if the price were lowered.

Would it be far-fetched to say a price-cut here in the U.S. would cause sales to increase? Nope, I'd stake my money on it.

At the moment the PS3 has lacked to convince consumer's wallets and if Microsoft releases upgradable accessories, the future could be bleak.

But for now hold high hopes for Sony that they can still pull this off, gamers.

Let's keep our fingers crossed.

-R

*http://www.gameinformer.com/News/Story/200702/N07.0216.1234.57890.htm
*image (NOT OFFICIAL) courtesy of http://www.planetxbox360.com/images/news/black_xbox360.jpg

Is This the End of Game Magazines?

2007-02-16T12:38:00.000-05:00

In an article by www.gameindustry.biz, James Ashton of Future Publishing said he "blamed the publisher's falling magazine sales on the next-gen console transition and the rise in the amount of video game coverage in the mainstream media."

Ashton described the rise of Internet gaming news sites and it's affect on magazines.

"The fact is that the Internet is a booming new medium and obviously everyone publishing on the Internet is showing growth," Ashton said. "The Internet can deliver information for games and has significant advantages over print for delivering that information. It also has significant disadvantages in some areas, so Future's position has always been that we'll be committed to both."

Does this signify the fall in magazines? Maybe it's another step to the grave.

Ask any newspaper, magazine, journalist or publisher of what influence the Internet has on them and watch how long it takes for them to answer. It's instantaneous.

The Internet is an ever-growing, vast space of information that at anytime can be molded in the blink of an eye.

This means that breaking news, no matter if it happened less than a minute ago, has the chance to beat any newspapers or magazine.

But think of the magazine, which is usually distributed monthly and has to report "old news" or try to find a spin on it just to get readers. It's has to be a hard business.

What can magazines do to stay alive? Don't know.

Lots of news organizations have tried to merge with the times by creating websites, but the difficulties in trying to sell a magazine when users can get free information online is the true test.

This issue can't be answered in one blog and won't be answered because instead of dying out, magazines have chosen to adapt.

We probably won't see the end of the magazine. There are still people out there who enjoy holding a tangible piece of paper in their hands instead of typing away.

So there's still hope, for now ...

As you might have noticed, I did not mention anything on what Mr. Ashton said about next-gen console transition affecting media. Why you ask?

It's incompetent.

But instead of me saying it, I'll let an (anonymous) member of gaming news site, Maxconsole.net, answer it.

He said: "What an idiot. Print publications are at an all time low. It has nothing to do with console transitions - if anything they will push MORE copies because of new exciting news on new stuff."

-R

*http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=22849
*http://www.futurenet.co.uk/futureonline/
*image courtesy of www.ghosttoghost.com/ and a little creativity

Editorial: "PS3 Good News, Where Are You?"

2007-02-15T18:10:00.000-05:00

Just for this time, we'll stray away from news and have a discussion. While searching for news to blog about here, I really noticed (more than I usually had) that the lack of PS3 good news was staggering.

For the sake of proof, here are links that are on the main pages of web pages dedicated to gaming news:

I did not extensively look for bad news but instead went to sites and skimmed down the panels and grabbed what I saw. Surely there was some bad Wii/360 news scattered but much of it was either promoting it's product (Wii Channels) or comparing graphics (Xbox 360 vs. PS3).

Even while rummaging through message boards it seems that readers are getting agitated by some sites posting too much negative news about the PS3 and in quick succession.

We all know the PS3 is battling hard times right now, but is there nothing to look forward to?
We here rants and grumbles about Metal Gear Solid 4, Devil May Cry and Final Fantasy XII, but how many times can that be repeated before those cries are muffled out?

I am a gamer that is open to all consoles, I pledge no allegiance and only wish to have a good gaming experience.

But right now, what is to make me (or any other consumer) want to have the console that at the moment is at the gallows awaiting it's fate?

When will we be able to remove Sony's golden child from the stockade and wipe the spatter of tomatoes from it's shiny plastic cover?

And when will I stop using analogies?

Even though this site's post may be riddled with "here comes another PS3 problem," I assure those fans that I too am waiting for the sun to rise on Sony's horizon.

Until then, all we can do is suck it up and read the bad news and hope that one day Sony will give us a reason to buy the PS3.

-R

*image courtesy of a really bad job with Windows Paint.

Guerilla Marketing: Who Can We Trust?

2007-02-14T15:48:00.000-05:00

In the March issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly, a feature story dubbed "Spies Like Us" talks about the issues of "corporate shilling" worming into blogs and message boards.

The story mentions www.alliwantforxmasisapsp.com (fake) where a marketing company by the name of Zipatoni was hired by Sony to create a viral ad campaign promoting the PSP.

The floggers (fake blogger) left messages for readers in a forced slang and bad "1337" (Leet) speak.

It was this suspiciously forced street-slang that made readers question the blogs credibility and eventually a connection between the blog, Zipatoni and Sony together was found.

This caused readers/Sony fans to outrage in disgust with remarks such as, "This is retarded. As a gamer who is part of Sony's target audience I'm insulted not just by the integrity of this website, but that this reflects how intelligent Sony's marketing department thinks I am. Good job turning consumers off your product."

For the record: The article not only mentioned Sony doing this, but I want to leave as much as possible to the article. Now to my opinion.

The consumer is not stupid and to see how companies like MS and Sony try to manipulate them is as the quote above stated an insult to our intelligence.

We can assume these companies (and I include Nintendo) are just after money not consumer fan-based.

But why try to make a shoddy attempt to fool your customer, just to be bit in the ass by it.

It's safe to assume this espionage-type of advertising won't stop until companies know that they will lose more than gain from these acts.

My question to you: Is a company's credibility important to it selling a product?

-R

*PSP flog - http://www.ukresistance.co.uk/sonylieblog/default.aspx.htm
*Zipatoni - http://web.lexis-nexis.com.ucfproxy.fcla.edu/universe/document?_m=2076c27b04a38c3fd70ad61819115404&_docnum=2&wchp=dGLzVlz-zSkVA&_md5=e6e9d9b9b0b1b04557b3966470b57247
Wikipedia site (take with a grain of salt): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zipatoni
*image - http://www.survivalguide.com/picts/espionage.jpg

Making Phone Gaming Easier.

2007-02-14T08:54:00.000-05:00

According to www.boygeniusreport.com has a great story on a new cellphone concept by "a mysterious Russian company named Industrial Design."

The phone, which looks like many of today's models, comes with a built in analog (yes, ANALOG) stick.

The "Compact Analog Thumb Stick" will give users a greater controllable experience than what is given now with the directional pad (d-pad).

The thumb stick, when not in use, is pushed in the center of the d-pad giving the appearance of standard phone models. It is when users give "a slight button push and turn [does] the [Compact Analog] Thumb Stick pulls out."

The future of gaming? In a sense, yes.

There are already games on portable devices. But as for games - such as first-person shooters or 3D adventures - on things like cellphones, iPods and PDA's, mobility was a hindrance.

If produced (and executed properly) this could be a huge step forward in portable device gaming.

How much will it cost?

Well that will probably be the kicker. A device like this would, upon time of release, be gouging much like the iPhone will.

But that's the price for better gaming, right? Hmm ... wonder if we'll ever see major game developers create something for it?

For now we have to see if it gets past development before we can think about games.

-R

*http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2007/02/10/pop-up-joystick-concept-aims-to-make-cellphone-gaming-more-accessible/#comments
*http://www.industrialdesign.ru/project_09_eng.html
*image courtesy of www.industrialdesign.ru

PlayStation 3 Launch Successful ... Um ... Huh?

2007-02-13T13:52:00.000-05:00

Apparently, Phil Harrison of Sony told IGN:
"[The] PlayStation 3 launch has been, objectively by any measure, more successful than PlayStation 1, PlayStation 2 or other competing system out previously."

Um, Phil ... Are we talking about the most successful launch here on Earth?

Because last time any person has gone to their local Best Buy, Circuit City etc. I'm pretty sure they saw a PS3 behind the glass.

Wait ... does a "successful launch" mean that products are available but not selling?

If you mean that a "successful launch" is having PS3's on shelves and not selling out, then yeah, you guys are ROCKING the business.

But as far as us competent people can say, the PS3 is about as successful as Michael Jackson running a day-care. (We love you Mike!)

Harrison even stated that he didn't care about the criticism's that PS3 as had. "With all due respect to the naysayer in the media, I couldn't care less," he said.

Couldn't care less?!

You better care, buddy. That's your companies bread-maker.

You should be trying to take all criticism's and adopt them faster than Brad and Angelina adopt Cambodians.

Ugh, I can't stomach this anymore. Sony you have traded your business prowess for a grade A lobotomy.

I'm out.

-R

*http://au.ps3.ign.com/articles/763/763939p1.html
*image courtesy of http://www.thg.ru/game/playstation_3_not/images/phil_harrison.jpg

Learn to Drive via Crackdown

2007-02-13T13:13:00.000-05:00

G4tv.com, posted a video on how to increase your driving stats in upcoming sandbox game, Crackdown.

The game, which places gamers in the shoes of a super-human cop, is much like the GTA series' except this time you're the good guy.

After watching the video, I have settled on some rules to help people become better drivers ... Crackdown style!

Rules of the Road:

1. If and when driving a semi, it is highly encouraged to clear the road of any traffic, by any means necessary.

2. When traffic seems to be slowing you down, it is advised to look for a hill of some type and approach it at a high velocity. Ramping is not a crime as long as it's for a good cause. In addition you might just get little purple orbs as a prize.

3. Taking a civilians car is acceptable in all situations. Remember, they will be willing to give you their vehicle.

4. If the driver becomes difficult, you would be doing no wrong to pick them up and hurl them several feet from their car.

5. The bigger the tires, the better the squish.

Utilizing these techniques in your driving will help you become better driver in society. Remember, as long as you have a badge ... anything goes.

-R

- Link to the video: http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/673405/Crackdown_Training_Videos_Driving.html
*image courtesy of www.msxbox-world.com

Capcom says Wii-Wee Not Mature Enough

2007-02-13T08:17:00.000-05:00

It seems that Capcom, the gaming company known for the Resident Evil, Dead Rising, Lost Planet, Street Fighter and Mega Man franchises, thinks the Nintendo Wii is a bit immature.

"We have more titles coming to Wii than what’s been announced HOWEVER, I must admit, many of them [besides Resident Evil] are not mature titles despite the fact that’s an area Capcom is known for," Christian Svenssen, Capcom's Senior Director of Strategic Planning & Research said.

From there, Svenssen goes on to say that he does not believe the Wii to make it to homes of a mature player base and that within two years it will be a group with a majority of younger players.

Yes Capcom you are correct. The Wii is aiming towards younger audiences with family-friendly titles such as The Godfather (family-friendly), possibly GTA (that's good for slumber parties) and Manhunt 2 (wow so that's how my colon looks on the outside).

What better to do with the family, then sit around the T.V. and eat some brownies while junior maims human beings in such creative fashions. It helps develop their brains for school.

Get real Capcom.

Sure the name "Wii" might not seem mature, but haven't you already realized that in those violent games there will be no button to execute a move?

That's right! Every throat cut, limb severed, gut impaled, eye gouged and abdomen cleaved will be done with the trusty Wii-mote.

There will be nothing more sweet than the sound of the enemy gurgling from the tiny speaker in my hand.

Oh sweet, sweet melody. Woo me to sleep and good dreams.

Stop trying to be a rebel and realize lots of mature gamers picked up the Wii already for Zelda. That's right, Zelda is a classic that most "young'uns" today cast aside for Pokemon.

O ye of little faith, do not fret for the Wii will make a name for itself.

Plus, Nintendo execs said it themselves that they had nothing wrong with M-rated titles.

Why? Two words.

Parental Controls.

-R

*http://wiids.co.uk/2007/02/12/capcom-believes-the-wii-base-is-younger-than-the-360-and-ps3/
*image courtesy of http://wii.qj.net/Cute-baby-plays-the-Zelda/pg/49/aid/8020

Will the 360 Fall Victim to the Wii?

2007-02-12T16:16:00.000-05:00

According to a story by TeamXbox.com, Nintendo CEO Reggie Fils-Aime stated that it will be only a matter of time before the Nintendo Wii achieves a larger installed base than Microsoft's Xbox 360.

During the past months since it's release, the Wii has been a figment of the imagination on store shelves. Retail outlets have all but given up on answering customers demands for the little system.

Flashback a year, during this time gamers would have been harassing retail stores for the Xbox 360, which was in sparse availability until late Spring 2006.

With a one year head start, the 360 has been able to migrate into most homes due to it being the one and only next-generation console.

This past holiday season, both Nintendo and Sony released their consoles - Sony's being the PlayStation 3 - and have had their fair share of ups and downs.

According to the article, "in Japan, Nintendo sold a total 1.4 million units of the Wii, while Sony has managed to sell 614,000 units. At this sales rate, Nintendo will soon have with the Wii three times the installed base of Sony’s PlayStation 3."

Secondly, the Wii audience has reached far and wide bringing together entire families to the ballgame.

It's possible that Nintendo has a hit that could help bring it back into the console war - since it's earlier console, Gamecube, was deserted by the Xbox and PlayStation 2.

The Wii might just be this year's console winner if Nintendo can produce quality games making the Xbox 360 settle for second.

Where's the PlayStation 3?

Well, as of right now, Sony has had little luck on the success of it's next-gen console.

Is it possible to bring it out of an early grave?

Certainly. It would be unwise to underestimate Sony, but they can only make up so much lost ground before they'll have to settle for last.

UPDATE: Due to much criticism - I take no sides in what I believe will be on top. Personally I like the Wii, but know the 360 has an already made base. Whoever comes out on top, they would have probably earned it.

-R

*http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/12758/Nintendo-CEO-Wii-to-Surpass-Xbox-360s-Installed-Base/
*image courtesy of www.cheapassgamer.com

Legit Games Coming to the iPod?

2007-02-12T11:26:00.000-05:00

Just for the record, no Doom on the iPod, but it seems the successful multi-media player will be entering the world of gaming.

According to Douglas MacMillan of BusinessWeek, "the company tapped several game publishers, including Electronic Arts and Namco, to deliver a selection of casual games. Titles include classics such as Tetris and Pac-Man, updates of old staples like the Arkanoid-inspired Vortex, and diversions with current pop-culture cachet like Sudoku and Texas Hold'em."

The games will be available for purchase on Apple's iTunes and slated at a price of $4.99.

Is this Apple's attempt to sweep the technology industry with the mighty iPod?

Probably. What about the Zune?

Zune, Microsoft's media playing answer to the iPod, has currently been overshadowed by the popularity of Apple's golden child.

Some might think, maybe here is where the Zune can take the lead, utilizing games.

Microsoft has already proven itself has a contender with the popularity of the Xbox 360, so what is holding them back from pulling out all the stops? Who knows.

My Opinion?

Well, I'm a fan of the iPod. Don't have one but it is on it's way.

The Zune will have to show something significant and appetising for it to win over the already steam-rolling train that is iPod.

Honestly, is Pac-Man and Tetris really going to make the iPod that much better?

How about some Halo ... no that wouldn't work so well with the scroll wheel would it?

Can't blame me for trying.

-R

*http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/12582/
*image thanks to www.t3.co.uk

Manhunt 2: Game for the Fami-Wii?

2007-02-12T09:17:00.000-05:00

Uber-violent, Manhunt 2, seems to be raising concern since it's announcement to be released on the Nintendo Wii in Fall '07.

On Feb. 10 2006, Nintendo Executives said the Wii's parental control function should be utilized by parents if and when M-rated games are introduced to the Wii.

According to www.Gamespot.com, the original Manhunt premise involved players "to be a death row inmate forced to run a deadly gauntlet at the whim of a sadistic cinematographer."

For those of you who have never played Manhunt before, here is a video depicting the several ways to "end" and person's life in the original version.

Trust me, give this four-minute video a chance and you'll see why some believe the game might be a bit too much for the family-friendly Wii.

WARNING: Graphic Content, may not be suitable for younger audiences

(Wasn't that nice? Now, back to the point.)

On the other hand - isn't this what some gamers want - a game system that is well-rounded instead of just being chalk full of games like Dewy's Adventure.

On that note, be sure when Manhunt 2 reaches game consoles everywhere, it will bring much controversy as well as our old friend, Jack Thompson.

(Note to self: Be more careful on what is watched minutes after eating.)

-R

*image courtesy of www.web.gameguru.ru

YouTube's Success: Originality vs. Pirating

2007-02-11T20:28:00.000-05:00

According to an article at blogs.zdnet.com, columnist Donna Bogatin discusses about the video super-site YouTube and if its content pirated or genuine is YouTube's "magic."

The article states, "Is the YouTube magic really the enabling of a 'creation of sophisticated goods,' or do the YouTube riches stem from the facilitation of the theft of others’ already created sophisticated goods?"

To companies, like Google, it really doesn't matter.

In October of last year, the search-engine mogul purchased YouTube for $1.65 billion.

Sources at Google say they bought the rapidly-growing site due to it being a "popular video-sharing site [providing] an increasingly lucrative marketing hub."

But the question is: Now that YouTube's content is being monitored by networks such as NBC and Fox, will the site lose it's flair?

No.

Why? Because even though YouTube has become popular due to having copyrighted content, it has become even more popular from several independent productions.

Videos such as, Chad Vader - Day Shift Manager, Ask A Ninja and Lonelygirl15 have created such a craze that some are even receiving worldwide attention.

In fact, Lonelygirl15 was the front cover and main feature story included in Wired Magazine's December 2006 issue.Lonelygirl15 is a "user-contributed fictional video-journal" (phew - say that ten times fast) posted by Bree, played by actress Jessica Rose, and her experiences in two-minute segments.

The series has become one of YouTube's most popular videos and continues to gather viewers even after the series' was exposed as a work of fiction.

Furthermore, YouTube's influence, alongside the rise of popular community-site MySpace, made you and yours truly Time Magazines "Person of the Year."

Do people go to YouTube to catch Sunday nights Family Guy or re-runs of Seinfeld?

Sure. But is that what made YouTube what it is? I doubt it.

YouTube's success is not due to it's copyrighted content ... it was and will always be it's originality.

Viewers love the freedom of the site and the ability to be their own director, producer, actor ... whatever.

Viewers should YouTube, whether it be watching Lonelygirl15 or catching up on those childhood episodes of Transformers and Cheers.

So suck it up networks and think.

Advertisement on a website that has increased from 2.8 million viewers to 72.1 million in one year is a gold mine, the golden goose, cash crop, the fat of the land ... get it?

Remember, any publicity is good publicity.

-R

*http://blogs.zdnet.com/micro-markets/?p=961
*http://www.stephanelee.com/wp-content/wired_cover14_12.jpg
*http://web.lexis-nexis.com.ucfproxy.fcla.edu/universe/document?_m=1e9a89502afd5662734e8f22f9b7607d&_docnum=7&wchp=dGLbVlz-zSkVA&_md5=e65a94d04497587533a956595680de60
*image courtesy of www.wired.com

NBA Live: Bring It Home

2007-02-11T10:10:00.000-05:00

This just in!

EA Sports will have a televised reality competition that will feature the eight best players of NBA Live 07. The competition, set for six episodes, will pit competitors against each other for the grand prize of $100,000.

According to the news release, "during this one-of-a-kind reality competition, each gamer will compete to advance through the tournament by using home court advantage - the right to play on their own turf, flanked by family and friends."

Participants will also have to be a game coach for NBA Superstars Vince Carter, Carmelo Anthony, Baron Davis, Antawn Jamison, Dwyane Wade and even Dallas Maverick owner Mark Cuban.

NBA Live: Bring It Home will debut Sunday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN HD.

http://www.easports.com/article.jsp?dcr=sports&id=bih

-R

*image courtesy of www.slamonline.com

Chocobo RPG for the DS?

2007-02-10T23:29:00.000-05:00

It seems that Square Enix, the company known for creating hit series franchises such as Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts, has plans to release a role-playing adventure for the Nintendo DS.

Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales, appears to be Square Enix's contribution to the Nintendo DS game library.

With great colors, adorable characters and a battle scene that has ... er ... pop up monsters what can go wrong?

One interesting notion is the hero of the story is ... you guessed it, a chocobo! Players will have the honor to take the role as one of Final Fantasy's over-grown poultry.

The game currently slated for an April 3, 2007 release date, will hopefully give gamers another title to cheer about or at least get a good weekend out of it.

http://na.square-enix.com/chocobotales/

-R

*image courtesy of www.gamespot.com

Will Halo 3 be this years game breaker?

2007-02-10T18:20:00.000-05:00

When one thinks of Microsoft's consoles, the Xbox and Xbox 360, many titles come to mind: Gears of War, Fable, Elder Scrolls: Oblivion and of course Halo.

With Epic Games' hit title Gears of War rising to the top of lists as a must have for gamers, the question is what will happen when the new up and comer meets the heavyweight franchise, of Halo.

Will it be possible for these two behemoths to share the stage? Or will one fall to the other and become the fall back play for gamers.

One thing is for sure, gamers will be up to their necks in bullet casings and bandages once "superhero" Master Chief picks up his gun to fight off the hordes of Covenant and Brutes.

Halo 3, set to be released sometime this year for the Xbox 360, surely will be a must have for gamers whom have long awaited the super-soldier's return and a little payback from the drag that was Halo 2.

But until then all gamers can do is wait til they can finally "finish the fight."

-R

*image thanks to www.winsupersite.com

God of War II site up and running!

2007-02-10T17:53:00.000-05:00

One of the most anticipated sequels for the PS2 has finally gotten a web page ... Yes it's God of War II.

The epic game featuring the return of antagonist Kratos set to be released mid-March now has a website full of goodies.

The site comes with screen shots of our "anti-hero" with a sprinkle of the "beasties" encountered in the upcoming sequel.

What happened to the cursed Greek warrior in his past adventure? Well, one would not dare to reveal such a great tale due to the fact that it is chalk of fun and excitement.

Video of some in-game scenes and movie clips leave enough for the imagination to absorb and salivate over.

For now all us "Kratoans" can do is sit tight with our hands folded and wait for the god of war to bring devastation to our PlayStation 2's.

www.us.playstation.com/Content/OGS/SCUS-97481/Site/

-R

Sorry for the time without updates and remember ... It's not over til your out of quarters

PlayStation Experience coming to you!

2007-02-01T16:57:00.000-05:00

According to PlayStation.com, Sony's entertainment truck "The PlayStation Experience" will be coming to Florida.

The truck will come with multiple stations fully equipped with the new PlayStation 3 (PS3) console and it's predecessor, PlayStation 2 (PS2).

It will be suited with two 40-inch LCD TVs, outputting a high-definition screen resolution of 1080p, for the new PS3 and competitions involving popular games will be held for fans to duke it out for prizes.

The PlayStation Experience will at Best Buy Race Week in Daytona from Feb. 15-18.

On a personal note, this will be a great time to test out Sony's latest gaming hardware and software while being able to test it on the latest techno-savvy stuff. Get there and game hard.

-R

"Remember - It's not over til your out of quarters."

*Image courtesy of PlayStation.com

The 411

2007-01-30T16:44:00.000-05:00

Well as of day one this site will mostly result around news of the video gaming industry whether technology based, budgetary based and/or whatever happens in the world of gaming.

Also, this blog may supply the latest in digital entertainment news. What does the latest computer operating system do for you and how much will it cost?

Your comments are welcome and will be expected. Why, because you will be as much of a contributor as I will.

Remember ... it's not game over if you still got quarters.

-R