Before I post the most recent news that has been filling my in-box while I've been away, let me share some events from the last two weeks.
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I've been flying all over the place and I've been in more airports than a contestant on the Amazing Race. Well, that's how it feels anyway. I spent a week in my own personal Mecca - Boston (love the city, love the food, love the East Coast attitude and love the sports teams - except the Patriots). I came back to Colorado for a couple of days then headed out to Las Vegas for a short vacation.
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Now Vegas is an odd place for my wife and I to go for a vacation because neither one of us gamble. Its almost like going to a Bronco game for the food. But its not like there's nothing else to do, the town has turned into a very family friendly place with plenty of attractions, two of which were perfectly suited for me - the Cirque du Soleil Beatles Love show and the Star Trek Experience. I won't go into the details of the Beatles show but just take it from a huge Beatles fan whose mother is from Liverpool - its psychedelic, the music is fantastic and if you have a chance I highly recommend seeing it.
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As for the Star Trek Experience? Its a Trekkie's dream come true. I'm not kidding either. There was a guy in line in front of me paying for his ticket and he was telling the guy working there that he'd been looking forward to it all year. All year! (Insert your own joke about how lonely/single/nerdy this guy is here.) While I wasn't looking forward to it all year, it was the first place we went to on our first day out in Vegas.
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Walking into the Hilton I felt like a kid on Christmas day and when I finally saw the entryway (after having to walk through a bar and slot machines of course) I was in nerd heaven. Replica's of the original Enterprise, the Enterprise D (see pic) and Voyager hang in the air. Quark's Bar, at the lower level of the facility is a mix of Star Trek set design. A little Borg here, a little Federation there. There's guys dressed up like Star Trek characters, a very cool gift shop, a Star Trek museum and two fun interactive "rides" that feature actors playing Star Fleet officers.
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Of course I dragged my wife with me to all of this. These are the times when a marriage can really be tested. Let me explain. Every guy has a geeky side and I mean EVERY guy. I guarantee you even tough guy Chuck Norris has a nerdy side. Maybe he collects stamps or baseball cards or knits sweaters for cats, I don't know, but I guarantee you he does something only his wife knows about. So how did my wife, who already has to deal with my love of gaming deal with being at the Star Trek Experience (and the only woman within a parsec I should add) for 3 hours? With a sense of humor and a positive attitude. But I'm sure if I ever dress up in a Star Fleet uniform, my butt will be kicked to the curb. Enough about me, on to the news!
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Who's really number one - Last week EA announced that Madden '07 was the number one selling game of 2006, selling over 5 million copies on ten different platforms. The company stated that the first week of sales accounted for 2 million of those copies.
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While I do enjoy the game and can't think of another sports title I'd rather play, EA seriously needs to fix its create-a-player feature on its Xbox 360 version. Having to go through all of those button mashing drills just to create a player who's overall ranking is a 25 sucks. Make it optional EA!
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Halo 3 Betamax - I mentioned a few weeks ago that Microsoft is looking for gamers to sign up for its Halo 3 beta test, which you can still sign up for at www.halo3.com. Well now you can increase your chances of getting chosen through two different methods according to my Microsoft contact:
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1. Qualifying over Xbox Live and then being one of the first 13,333 Halo 2 gamers to register for the Rule of Three program at www.halo3.com in early February - Beginning Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007, at 12:01 a.m. EST, all gamers need to do is participate in at least three hours of “Halo 2” multiplayer sessions, via Xbox Live, before Feb. 3, 2007, at 11:59 p.m. EST and then be among the first 13,333 to register at http://www.halo3.com. The “Rule of Three” program is currently planned for gamers in the 50 United States age 17 years and older who have access to an Xbox 360 Pro console or an Xbox 360 Core console with hard drive, a valid Xbox Live Gold subscription and the “Halo 2” game. Gamers around the world are encouraged to visit http://www.halo3.com in the coming weeks for more information on the “Rule of Three” program in their region.
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2. Purchasing the upcoming game Crackdown - When Crackdown hits store shelves, gamers eager to take home a copy of the highly anticipated exclusive action title for Xbox 360 will find marked boxes of Crackdown that include an invite to participate in the coveted “Halo 3” multiplayer beta program when it becomes available. When the “Halo 3” multiplayer beta surfaces in spring 2007, owners of “Crackdown” with access to an Xbox 360 Pro console or an Xbox 360 Core console with hard drive and a valid Xbox Live Gold subscription simply need to load their copy of “Crackdown” into Xbox 360 and use the disc as a key to download the beta from Xbox Live Marketplace and join the battle in “Halo 3” multiplayer. “Crackdown” will be available in the U.S. on Feb. 20, Asian territories on Feb. 22 and European markets on Feb. 23.
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I guess if you really want to participate in the Halo 3 beta you'll follow up on these other two ways. Playing three hours of Halo 2 isn't exactly demanding and Crackdown sounds great anyway so maybe its something most gamers will end up doing regardless. If anyone ends up getting picked, let me know.
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