Anybody Out There?

Wuzz Upppp?!!? I can't believe I haven't updated this blog since July. I can't believe people still visit, I just checked and there's 60 people a day who come by. That's great! I also know that some of you were kind enough to move on over to my new site with me. Thanks! Ready to hear my excuse for being a bad As the Gaming World Turns blogger? I've been busy - very, very, very busy. I started working for GamePro at the start of the year and after taking over as editor of GamePro Arcade (shameless plug), this poor sight has been neglected worse than one of Britney Spears kids.
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So what exactly have I been doing that's keeping me so busy? How can a site dedicated to Arcade games be that taxing? You'd be surprised. Besides reviews, there have been plenty of interviews, contests (you really need to check this out, I give away stuff all the time), news on DLC and upcoming games and op-ed pieces when I find the time. Its a ton of work. I even have two college interns who help me out.
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I do miss this blog though. I don't get to cover console games as often as I used to. Which brings me to a question - has anyone else been overwhelmed with all the great games that have come out lately? Between Fable 2, Dead Space and the recently released Fallout 3, there's just not enough time in the day. Its forced me to put some decent games (Saints Row 2, Force Unleashed, FIFA 09, LEGO Batman, among others) on the backburner. And some of the biggest titles (Call of Duty: World at War, Gears of War 2) haven't even come out yet? Gah! Looks like I need a 2 month vacation, just to play games.
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If there's anything you want to share, have at it. Feel free to post a comment. I'm going to try and check back in more frequently. And if you don't feel like commenting, that's cool. I hope you can join me on GamePro Arcade. Stay in touch!
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coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

E3 2008: The Adam Sessler Interview

The Sess takes on E3 - On the last day of E3 I hung out for awhile with my favorite interview subject, G4TV's Adam Sessler. The X-Play co-host was his usual chatty, humorous self. Half of my interview is below, for the rest head over to GamePro Arcade.
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TT: How is this year's E3 now that its back at the LACC?
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AS: For us the benefits of coming to the convention center were huge. All the games are under one roof, where last year we were presented with huge problems because everyone was in hotels and getting everyone over to our stage (in the Barker Hanger) in a timely manner proved to be an impossibility and we didn’t get anywhere near the amount of demos we wanted to as a result of that. When you consider the traffic in Santa Monica during the summer period, then with E3 going on? This year was just nice. Every game that I would consider to be a major title that was in a playable form, on the whole, came to the stage and we showed it off. I just loved being able to broadcast to viewers a game as its being played. It’s the most effective way to get a sense of how you’ll be playing that game and what you’ll be experiencing in that game.
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TT: So no E3 complaints?
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AS: One of the things I noticed, in comparison to last year, is that I saw more of my colleagues. My biggest complaint about last year was that because things were so spread out you pretty much saw what was on your beat and didn’t get to see that much more. So getting that kind of overview of the industry as a whole, even if you’re not writing about something, it’s easier to get that big picture. From where I’m sitting, the industry is doing just fine.
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But what we don’t have is that kind of fanboy excitement in the background. Even though those fanboys really weren’t supposed to be at those E3’s all those years ago, yes, they were there. Now you’re always getting the press’ take on things, and with all due respect to so many of my colleagues, I think there’s a fair amount of jaundice that’s out there and cynicism about things. The fanboys offered a kind of counterweight with their enthusiasm and there is something of value to see a more general consumer’s reaction to something. They’re the true audience of video games because they don’t make games for the press; they make games for the gamers out there.
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TT: Was there anything from the Big 3 press conferences that caught your attention?
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AS: Yeah, Nintendo not having anything for their core audience. I know they’re trying to say that Animal Crossing is for their core audience and it’s a great game, don’t get me wrong and I think the games they showed were cool games but they showed a very limited catalog of titles. They had made statements that they were going to show something for the core gamer and that didn’t seem to manifest itself. Animal Crossing was great, when there were other games coming out. When it came out the first time it was the same year as Wind Waker and Sunshine, it can’t stand out on its own in one year as the one core game. I’m just mystified how Nintendo thought that what they were showing was going to go over well with a western audience and they actually seemed to be surprised by the reaction. Afterward there was some degree of scrambling as we heard successive citations by Miyamoto, and from Reggie and from Iwata that the Zelda and the Mario teams are working on something and then there was the admission that they were working on a Pikmin. It’s almost like they were scrambling to remind people. It’s almost like they completely forgot how vocal, and strong, and passionate those core Nintendo people are. If you pull back from the casual gamers, they won’t go screaming from the rooftops that they’re not getting enough of their games.
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TT: How about Microsoft?
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AS: What really struck me was that they seem to be moving in a direction that might work out better for them. They came in as a hardcore console and now they are branching out. They actually have something of a Trojan horse; they put the console out into the home, primarily maybe for the one gamer in the family. And then there are all these new things coming out for it – with all the success of Xbox LIVE Arcade, with downloadable movies. It suddenly has all these other things that other family members can take advantage of. They seem to moving in a very practice way. A lot of people think they’re just aping what other consoles are doing, but as Morgan Webb likes to say, “Nintendo didn’t invent the avatar.” So on one level it may look like they’re copying but that’s not to say they shouldn’t go in a direction other people have succeeded in. Their trying to branch out and broaden their base, but its funny, when you go online and reach message boards and see that people really seemed irk by casual games and stuff like Rock Band because they feel games have to be this one thing. The thing is these games aren’t making Fallout 3 any less fun, that’s what’s so perplexing to me. Lips is fine for people who like Lips, Fallout 3 is fine for people who like Fallout 3. The two can co-exist very easily.
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Want Some Free Gaming Stuff?

...over at GamePro Arcade - Hit this link to enter a contest to win a free download code for the recently released Schizoid on XBLA. Its all part of the E3 coverage I'll be dishing out over at GamePro Arcade. All you have to do to win the Schizoid code is put up a post on what you're most looking forward to seeing/hearing about at E3 2008.
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But you can win more free stuff! If you want to win a free 1600 Microsoft Point Card or a free 2000 Wii Point Card, all you have to do is write a comment on any of my E3 posts next week and you'll be entered into a drawing to win either card. Of course the more comments you write, the better your chances are of winning.
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coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

Complete E3 2008 Coverage...

...over at gameproarcade.com - My poor neglected blog won't be getting the love it did last year at E3. Nope, for all the E3 goodness you previously enjoyed, you'll have to go GamePro Arcade.
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What should you look forward to? Interviews with Adam Sessler and Geoff Keighley, the latest news on upcoming games, plenty of pics, and best of all, a personal tour of what E3 2008 is really like. Think I'm full of it? Then check out this, this, this, this , this, this, this, this , this and this from last year. You'll get the inside info, guaranteed, or your money back.
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coloradojoemail@yahoo.com
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Madden 09 Achievements

The Achievements for Madden this year are much different than in years past. For starters there's only 25 when there are typically twice that many. Almost all of the points are for single game accomplishments and some of them are somewhat confusing. Why are they making gamers play as the Jets, Dolphins, Titans and Falcons to earn points? With the league being a-holes about touchdown celebrations, why are we getting points for them? And what the heck is the endzone hotspot? Guess we'll find out next month.

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1. 2 TD Kickoff Returns in a game: Return 2 Kickoffs for a TD in a game (non co-op) - 75 points
2. Shut out Rival in a Franchise: Shut out Rival in a Franchise game (non co-op) - 50 points
3. Kick a FG for over 50 yards: Kick a FG for over 50 yards in a Franchise game (non co-op) - 15 points
4. Complete a game without an INT: Complete a game without an interception, 5 min+ quarter length (non co-op) - 30 points
5. 6 Rush TDs with the Dolphins: 6 Rush TDs in a game with the Dolphins (non co-op) - 50 points
6. Catch 10 passes in a game: Catch 10 passes in a game with one receiver (non co-op) - 50 points
7. Complete game without fumbling: Complete a game without fumbling, 5 min+ quarter length (non co-op) - 25 points
8. 2 TD Punt Returns in a game: 2 TD Punt Returns in a game (non co-op) - 65 points
9. Intercept 6 passes in a game: Intercept 6 passes in a game (non co-op) - 50 points
10. Hold a Rival to under 300 yards: Hold a Rival to under 300 yards total offense in a game (non co-op) - 50 points
11. Score 60 points in a Rival game: Score 60 points in a Rival game (non co-op) - 30 points
12. Score 40 points in a Rival game: Score 40 points in a Rival game (non co-op) - 20 points
13. Record 12 sacks in a game: Record 12 sacks in a game (non co-op) - 50 points
14. 6 sacks with 1 player in a game: 6 sacks with 1 player in a game (non co-op) - 50 points
15. 80% completion for a game: 80% pass completion in a Franchise game, 5 min+ quarter length (non co-op) - 50 points
16. 7 Pass TDs with the Falcons: Throw 7 pass TDs in a game with the Falcons (non co-op) - 50 points
17. 550 Pass Yds with the Titans: 550 Pass Yds in a game with the Titans (non co-op) - 50 points
18. 300 Rush Yds with the Jets: 300 Rush Yds in a game with the Jets (non co-op) - 10 points
19. Hold a Rival to under 20 points: Hold a Rival team to under 20 points in a game (non co-op) - 10 points
20. Midway Monster: Create a legendary player from the past. - 50 points
21. Can You Believe These Seats?!: Celebrate a touchdown in a wall hotspot - 30 points
22. Steal Their Thunder: Steal an opposing player's touchdown celebration - 30 points
23. Slam Dunk All-Star: Dunk the ball over the goalpost (or at least attempt to) after a touchdown - 30 points
24. Shine In The Spotlight: Celebrate a touchdown in an endzone hotspot - 30 points
25. Secret Achievement: Secret achievement - 50 points

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coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

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Wanna Win A Free XBLA Game?

Sorry, Karate Champ is still not available - I'm looking to give a game away and who better to give it away to than some of my oldest readers. Of course, this requires you to leave this poor neglected blog and head over to www.gameproarcade.com. Today I posted an up to date version of my "Games You Wish You Could Download" piece here.
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If you want to win a free XBLA game, put up a short post on which game you wish you could download. I've recently also put up some interviews with two XBLA game developers and there are a bunch of reviews of downloadable games on all systems. Check it out.
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coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

When Technology Attacks

Podcasting sucks - Ugh! Once again technology bites me in the ass. Thursday night I finished a 3-part podcast with Achievement Junkie's Natalie Sousa. It was good, everything went well and we had a nice conversation on a wide variety of topics. I was pretty pleased. Then I loaded things up and only about half the recorded time ended up being downloaded. I have no damn idea what the problem is. Was it the mp3 recorder? Is it the webhost (podbean)? I have no clue but I'm pissed. What's the frickin' point of doing a podcast if it doesn't work?!?
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In better news, on www.gameproarcade.com I've been working on a new segment on called the Arcade Game Developer Questionnaire. Its where I ask questions of developers who create downloadable games. Earlier in the week I interviewed Denis Bourdain of Load Inc (Mad Tracks, Things on Wheels) and recently I put up a post with Scott March of SpiderMonk. Check'em out when you get a chance.
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coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

NCAA Football 09 Achievements

1. Create Stadium Sound - Create a custom Stadium Sound event. (20 points)
2. Break The Ice - Make a Field Goal when "Iced". (10 points)
3. QB Quiz Success - Successfully Complete a Quiz the QB Challenge. (10 points)
4. Sick 'Em Smokey - While playing as the Tennessee Volunteers, celebrate a touchdown by running to your mascot. (10 points)
5. Don't Mess With Texas - While playing as the Texas Longhorns, celebrate a touchdown by running to your mascot (10 points)
6. Got Gator Bait? - While playing as the Florida Gators, celebrate a touchdown by running to your mascot. (10 points)
7. Play a Mascot GamePlay a Mascot Game with any mascot teams. (15 points)
8. Let The Air Out - As the away team, get into the endzone in the first 30 seconds of the game. (15 points)
9. Triple Threat - Score a receiving, rushing, and passing touchdown with one player. (20 points)
10. Pick-Free - Do not throw any interceptions in a Play Now or Dynasty Mode game. (15 points)
11. Cue the Fat Lady - Win a Play Now or Dynasty Mode game by 21 points or more. (10 points)
12. Tippy Toe! Lemon Tree! - Score a touchdown with your receiver by performing a toe-drag animation. (30 points)
13. Get Creative - On a non-option play, score a TD with at least one lateral. (30 points)
14. That Just Happened! - Score a rushing touchdown with your punter in a Play Now or Dynasty Mode game. (25 points)
15. Go Deep for 50+ - Complete a pass for 50 or more yards in a Play Now or Dynasty Mode game. (20 points)
16. Breaker Breaker 4-9 - Break a run for 49 or more yards in a Play Now or Dynasty Mode game. (20 points)
17. Ice In Your Veins - Be the hero and win a game by taking the lead as time expires. (20 points)
18. HIT STUCK - Jar the ball loose with a User-Controlled Hit Stick tackle. (10 points)
19. Pick Two - Intercept 2 passes in a Play Now or Dynasty Mode game. (15 points)
20. Record Breaker - Interceptions - Break the game record for interceptions with one player (5) in a Play Now or Dynasty Mode game. (25 points)
21. Pick 6! - Take an interception back to the house in a Play Now or Dynasty Mode game. (20 points)
22. Scoop and Score! - Scoop a fumble on defense and take it to the house in a Play Now or Dynasty Mode game. (20 points)
23. Take Control In The Clutch - Sack the QB with a user-controlled defender on 3rd down to force a punt situation. (10 points)
24. On Lockdown - Hold the opposition to under 100 total yards in a Play Now or Dynasty Mode game. (20 points)
25. Up and Over - Take it up the middle in a goalline situation and dive into the endzone. (10 points)
26. Safety And Sound - Force a safety in Play Now or Dynasty Mode. (30 points)
27. Mmmmm.....Donut - Pitch a shutout by holding your opponent to zero points. Valid only in Play Now or Dynasty Mode. (30 points)
28. Is That Even Legal? - Return a missed field goal for a touchdown. Only valid in Play Now or Dynasty Mode. (20 points)
29. I'm Special! - Take a punt or kickoff back to the house for a touchdown. Valid only in Play Now or Dynasty Mode. (20 points)
30. A/V Club President - Upload a Video or Photo Highlight. (20 points)
31. Join the Ranks - Play a ranked game. (10 points)
32. Reach Out and Crush Someone - Join or Host an Online Dynasty. (30 points)
33. BCS Conference Invite - Get an invite to a BCS conference in single team Dynasty Mode.(25 points)
34. Conference Champs! - Play and win a conference championship game in single team Dynasty Mode or Campus Legend Mode. (10 points)
35. Heisman Memorial Trophy - Win the Heisman Memorial Trophy® in single team Dynasty Mode or Campus Legend Mode. (25 points)
36. Out On a High Note - Play and win a bowl game in single team Dynasty Mode or Campus Legend Mode. (10 points)
37. National Champions! - Play and win a BCS championship in single team Dynasty Mode or Campus Legend Mode. (30 points)
38. Oil Tycoon - Develop a new pipeline state in single team Dynasty Mode. (25 points)
39. Mr. February - Have the #1 ranked recruiting class in a season in single team Dynasty Mode. (30 points)
40. Win at H _ _ _ _ - Win the H.O.R.S.E mini-game. (20 points)
41. Special Teams Challenge Winner - Win the Special Teams Challenge Mini-Game. (20 points)
42. Russell High School Champ - Win the Russell High School Championship Game in any state. (40 points)
43. The Legend of Campus Legend - Earn More Than 1,000 Points in Campus Legend Mode. (100 points)
44. Place at the Table! - Become a Starter in Campus Legend Mode. (10 points)
45. High School Hero - Become a 5-star legend prospect. (20 points)
46. Pontiac G8 4th Quarter Comeback - Win a Play Now or Dynasty Mode game when down by 14 to start the 4th qtr. Min Difficulty: Varsity (30 points)
47. Old Spice Red Zone Perfection - Complete a Play Now or Dynasty Mode game with a Red Zone Efficiency rating of 100%. (15 points)
48. Old Spice Red Zone Shutout - Complete a Play Now or Dynasty Mode game without allowing a Touchdown from the Red Zone. (5 points)
49. Secret Achievement (5 points)

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coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

Don King Presents: Prizefighter First Impressions

Living up to the hype - I have to be honest, I wasn't sure quite what to expect when I cracked open Prizefighter. EA's Fight Night series seems to be handling the boxing genre quite well. But just like every other sports franchise, 2K isn't afraid to get in EA's face and throw some punches, an appropriate response considering 2K Sports first boxing title lands plenty of them. I'm not quite finished with the game yet, my work on GamePro Arcade is keeping me pretty busy (What!?! You haven't been to GamePro Arcade yet?!?! What are you waiting for?) but here are my first impressions on Prizefighter, a title I'm enjoying quite a bit so far.

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The Good

Plot -The most pleasant surprise in Prizefighter so far has been its storyline. Its filled with live-actions clips that show your rise ("The Kid") rise to the top. Actors portray some of the people who help you on your way up but there are plenty of cameos by real boxing insiders. You'd think a storyline in a boxing title would be completely unnecessary but it really works.

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Choices -Most people are well aware that many fighters end up leading lives of excess. Prizefighter gives you these same temptations. Do you skip training to - play in a celebrity poker tournament? Go to a magazine photo shoot? Head out on a quick vacation with your girlfriend? The more successful you get, the more people want to take up your time. If you do these things your media profile rises but your skills decrease.

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Controls - Some people will struggle with the controls in Prizefighter, especially if you're used to the Fight Night series pick-up-and-play style, but with a little time they're not hard to master and add some realism.

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Fight Strategy - There's a surprising amount of technicality involved in boxing and gamers get a feel for that in Prizefighter. Opponents come at you in different ways, so you can't always beat someone the same way. Make sure to listen to your trainers advice, its actually useful.

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Random Stuff - I enjoyed the commentary by Jim Lampley and Emmanuel Stewart, which you don't get until you've made a bit of a name for yourself...The sepia tone classic fights are a nice touch, kind of like a boxing history lesson...the soundtrack (which includes "Eye of the Tiger") is pretty good

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The Not So Good

Unresponsive controls - Sometimes in fights, particularly when you're going up against a tougher opponent, there's a short delay between hitting the button and your character throwing the punch. It leaves you awfully vulnerable to counter punching and is pretty annoying.

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The graphics - While the character models look fine and the damage they take is reflected over time, the graphics overall are pretty average. Some collision detection issues (punches going through parts of an opponent) are also disappointing.

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Online play - I fought a couple of online matches and found the above problems to be even more noticeable. A lot of lag and clipping issues.

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The controls - Yeah, yeah I know. I listed this as a positive but with 30+ controls, the learning curve is pretty high. If you don't have the patience, the controls will frustrate you.

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So does Prizefighter have what it takes to knockout the Fight Night franchise? No, not yet. But it certainly is a step in the right direction. I can't really give a grade to a game I haven't yet finished but as of right now, Prizfighter is a solid B-.

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coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

GamePro Arcade Launches

I'm looking for a few good writers - Well, I can finally let the cat out its proverbial bag. I've been hinting for months about something I've been involved with but couldn't really discuss because it was ready yet, but it is now. GamePro's new arcade gaming website has just launched and I'm proud to say I'm heavily involved. GamePro Arcade is a satellite site for GamePro.com that covers arcade and casual games, features op-ed pieces, top 5/10 lists and anything else that relates to casual/downloadable games. Its a great place to go for Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii, and mobile arcade gaming coverage.
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Running this site is going to be a blast but a ton of work, here's where you come in. I'm searching for a few good writers. I'm on the lookout for 2-3 consistent, solid contributors to the site. If you're looking for some experience and a foot in the door to the gaming journalism industry, send me an email. The bad news is that I can't really pay you anything but a free game and maybe some gaming schwag here and there, my budget is pretty small. But again, its a great way to get some experience and some exposure.
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Check out the site when you get a chance and if you're interested in working with me, my email address is below.
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coloradojoemail@yahoo.com
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Natalie Sousa Interview

Everybody appreciates a good success story. A person who follows their dream and realizes it is an inspiration to everybody. In the gaming biz, one of the best examples of this is the husband and wife duo of Natalie Sousa and Nelson Rodriguez. The Achievement Junkie couple started out just like many other gamers (myself included), a member of the video game community with something to say. They started off with a podcast that gradually grew in popularity and now Nelson works for Microsoft and Natalie is the webmaster for talkingaboutgames. Besides their podcast, you can also catch them on Pick Up & Play, a weekly videocast on Xbox Live Marketplace.

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Recently I spoke with Natalie about her success and what its like to be behind the gaming curtain. As you would expect if you listen to her podcast, she was very easy to talk to and has a great sense of humor. I even managed to talk her into being a guest on the coloradojoe podcast in the near future so look for that soon (a Father's Day Gaming Gift Guide podcast will be available tomorrow). Here are a few of the things we discussed.

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You are the webmaster for the Talking About Games website. Its mentioned in your profile that you are a trained photographer. How did a photographer end up so involved in the gaming community?

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There's no direct link to photography and video games. Both just happen to be things I enjoy. Photography is somewhat tech-y and gaming connects to my geeky side a bit. There's also a creative, imaginative side to both. I ended up in the gaming community simply through podcasting. I started podcasting about photography at first, then decided to jump into the podcast-gaming scene.

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When I first started listening to Achievement Junkie (two summers ago if memory serves) I was confused about your relationship with your partner Nelson Rodriguez. There were moments when I thought you were a couple and other times I thought otherwise. I now know that the two of you are married. How did you two meet and was your mutual love of gaming the impetus for you to get together? Please tell me you fell for each other while taking turns playing Ms. Pac Man in a Pizza Hut.

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Haha! I wish I could say that! Nelson and I worked for the same company years back. He was located in their NJ office, and I worked from their headquarters office in Boston. They had a company wide meeting in Montreal one summer, and we fell in love with Montreal. We started a long distance, email/phone relationship a few months later.

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What is it like working with your spouse? Do you ever have differing views about games you should focus on and if so how do you handle that? Do you play co-op games together or are you interested in completely different titles?

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Working together is fun, but it can also be a bit stressful. Its easy to blend personal feelings with work and we have to try hard to separate the two. (I'm not saying I do that well, btw) The types of games we enjoy are pretty similar though I have a higher tolerance for cutesy little arcade games, like Eets Chowdown & Boogie Bunnies. We love playing games together: Gears of War, Commanders: Attack of the Genos, Puzzle Quest, Poker Smash, etc. Co-op games are preferred (I wish every game had a co-op campaign), but versus will do.

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Tell me about the genesis of the Achievement Junkie podcast. What motivated you to start podcasting and why did you make it Xbox 360 specific? What is the process you and Nelson go through when you create a podcast?

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Our podcast developed a few months after Nelson started writing for a gaming blog. It happened to be Xbox 360 specific, simply because that was the only next-gen console that we owned (at that time). The show has changed a lot since our first episode, including a name change, going from weekly to daily episodes, then back to weekly and even a few vid-casts sprinkled in between. We wanted to create a gaming podcast where we were engaging with our audience, and not talking down to them or assuming they knew all of the insider-gaming terms.

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Achievement Junkie's popularity seems to have led to a lot of other opportunities for the both of you. Did Nelson end up at Microsoft as a result of his work at Achievement Junkie and was your involvement in Talking About Games before or after AJ?

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Achievement Junkie had everything to do with Nelson getting hired by Microsoft. Looking back, we can identify some of the turning points that had a big impact. The first was meeting Microsofts community team at a Lost Planet launch party (that we almost didn't attend). John Porcaro, Director of Online Communities at Microsoft, pulled out his Zune and Achievement Junkie was on his play list! It was awesome to find out that a major player in the gaming industry listened to our show! It was exciting and encouraged us to experiment with the podcast. A few weeks after launching a daily vid-cast, another turning point, Nelson got a call from Microsofts community team. The idea for Talking About Games developed shortly after Nelson started his role as a Community Manager for Gamerscore Blog. We realized that the time needed to maintain our original site was going to be difficult as a result, but we still had ideas for launching an even larger site; one that focused on a strong community presence while still bringing people reliable gaming news, reviews, and content. So we connected with our podcasting buddies: Jay Van Beveren (he's our Editor in Chief), Parris Lilly (he's our PR guy) and Jose Betancourt (he's our Community Manager). We pooled our creative and technical talents, and from that, TalkingAboutGames.com was born.

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How did you and Nelson get involved in the Pick Up and Play videos on Xbox Live?

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When we started doing our vid-cast, we did it every day for a few weeks, which was incredibly stressful, at times, but it was fun, too. We wanted to prove to ourselves that we could do it. In the back of our minds we thought 'wouldn't it be cool to put something like this on Xbox LIVE?' We always have crazy ideas like that. When Nelson joined the community team, the idea of us doing a video for them came up. This was at least a year ago. And they said 'now, we can't promise anything, and we don't want to get your hopes up... but, we'd love to explore the possibility down the road.' So, for the first few months of Nelson being at Microsoft it was put on the backburner. Then, Inside Xbox was launched, and they were looking for new content. We ended up spending MONTHS submitting proposals and shooting demos and re-shooting demos, until finally, we got included as one of the programs on there. We've been shaping it the whole time, and are still trying to improve it, but we're thrilled that we are now working on something we only vaguely wished about a year ago.

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As a former gaming community member who is now a gaming insider, what do you think the average gamers biggest misconception/s is/are about the gaming industry?

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What I realized since sneaking behind the curtain of this industry, is that its easy to look at the gaming industry as a whole and assume that its an expert - it does it everything right, every step is calculated and it's a huge, well-oiled machine. When you get a little closer, you see that its just a bunch of individual people who are trying to create something exciting, or offer a different experience with a console or a game or an accessory. They all have to take chances, not always knowing how its going to turn out, and not always getting it right but hoping for the best every time.

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You've mentioned in podcasts that its sometimes tough being in the spotlight. What are the positives and negatives of being a public figure in an industry that can have such harsh critics?

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When we started the podcast we were excited to learn that we had 200 people listening to us. We now have thousands of viewers every week, which is amazing and fortunate and lucky AND intimidating. The challenge is that the internet is a safe, distant layer that makes it easy for people to say things that they wouldn't normally say to you if you were face to face. We've had to learn to grow a thicker skin when it comes to that stuff, and its something we have to work on all of the time. The positive stuff makes it all worth it - having an interaction with our audience, learning about games that they play with their friends and family, and having that connection keeps us motivated.

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What does the future hold (career wise) for Nelson and Natalie? Will you continue to do the Achievement Junkie podcast? Will Nelson try and team up with his crush Olivia Munn? Will you drop Nelson like a hot potato to work with pretty boy Geoff Keighley? The two of you have had incredible success, where do you go from here?

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Haha! Olivia Munn is the only gamer chick that Nelson has my OK to team up with. I haven't had a chance to meet with or work with Geoff Kieghley, but I'm sure Nelson would be ok with it. I want to be able to create an experience that people can relate to, that they are inspired by and learn from and have fun with. I want the audience to feel like they can connect with the shows that we produce and that they are part of it too! All of this feels a little dream-like... I want to share that with our audience and have them feel like they are along for the ride.

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And finally...what three games are taking up most of you time right now and what are your top 3 all time favorite titles?

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Top 3 favorite games of all time? I love them equally, but for different reasons: Gears of War - they say you'll never forget your first shooter. It opened up the shooter genre for me and gave me an incredible, movie-like experience. Pac-Man CE - totally addictive and fun! Its the only game on the 360 that I continue to play even though I unlocked every achievement. Super Mario Bros. - an all time favorite platformer. When I was growing up I was limited to 3 hours of video gaming during the school week (it was SOOO unfair!) and I'd spend it playing Super Mario Brothers every time. New Super Mario Bros on the DS is amazing.

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At the moment, I'm spending time with Boogie Bunnies - I'm trying to unlock a silly achievement where I loose NO bunnies in a beach scene (its harder than you think!). Lumines Live, which I enjoy playing against Nelson. Sadly, he beats me 9 out of 10 times!! Those are terrible stats and I'm trying to change that, I've got a way to go. Another game I'm playing at the moment is embargoed. If you are willing to honor the embargo on it, I can tell you the game. I'm really loving it... its an awesome co-op experience. (She told me but I'm not sharing, sorry. TT)

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coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

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Too Much Gaming Bad For Your Eyes

Not enough gaming bad for your soul - This post on Yahoo! Games warns about the dangers your eyes face if you play games for too long. Maybe this is why I wear glasses. Who can I sue about that?
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According to the Minnesota Optometric Association, hardcore gamers are at heightened risk for Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), a condition marked by a variety of symptoms including "eye irritation, dry eyes, headaches, pain in the eyes or surrounding facial muscles, squinting, excessive blinking, increased sensitivity to light and difficulty focusing."
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Alas, CVS is caused by strain from constant eye movements, often due to long hours in front of a monitor or television screen. By way of lengthy gaming sessions, gamers in particular are susceptible to developing problems, but non-gamers should also be wary of how long they watch. A survey by the American Optometric Association found that 82 percent of Americans frequently work at a computer and that 41 percent of its respondents have suffered from eyestrain.
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Well, this isn't good news. When I'm not staring at my TV playing a game, I'm staring at it while watching the many programs my TiVo records for me while playing games. I also watch a lot of movies. Looks like I'll soon be going blind, no more Playboy channel for me. To be honest I'm absolutely shocked that staring at your TV for too long is bad for you. You mean that experts suggest that too much booze, food, smoking, work and even exercise could be bad for me? Contrary to the old adage, "too much of a good thing is a great thing", isn't that always the case (except for sex, you can never have too much of that)? What do doctors take us for, morons? Thank goodness I have guys with lots of letters after their name who can tell me what to do.
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Looking for an arcade game? - If you're in the market for an Xbox Live Arcade or PSN game, take a look at some of my reviews of recent arcade releases on GamePro to see if you can find something worth your money.
- Aces of the Galaxy (Xbox 360)
- Warlords (Xbox 360)
- Roogoo (Xbox 360)
- Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 (PSN)
- Echochrome (PSN)
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coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

The Podcast is Back

Sort Of - You might have noticed a new edition to the As the Gaming World Turns front page. On the right side, below my gamertag and GTA IV youtube videos are the first two new coloradojoe podcasts. I kind of buried it because its still a work in progress and to be honest, hitting the link to listen to it is a pain in the ass. I recommend subscribing to it through iTunes. If you type in coloradojoe in the iTunes Store power search you'll see it. Actually you'll see two, the one from last year and the new one. You'll want the one that's marked "explicit" (finally I can curse all I want!) and with the picture of me and my brother sitting on a lion at Trafalgar Square. On the iTunes menu it'll only list one episode but when you subcribe it'll download the two I've recently recorded. So what do you get in these two podcasts? Not a whole hell of lot to be honest. The first one is just a reintroduction and some ideas of what I have planned for the podcast, the second is mostly me cursing about podcasting. I've been off for a year so try and cut me some slack.
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So after whining in a post about podcast problems how did it get resolved? My brother suggested doing 3-4 mini-podcasts to deal with our upload issue and it worked. This means that instead of downloading one 30 minute podcast, you'll have to download 3 or 4 but I do it with my Adam Corolla podcasts so its really no big deal. Its still early and my usual sidekick is out of the country for the next 2 weeks but I do plan on doing the podcasts regularly. Since they're going to be in short 5-10 minute bursts the format will probably be a little more streamlined but I still plan on talking about the same stuff I did before (and did I mention there'll be cursing?) - videogames will be the focus with music, TV, films, and sports filling out the rest. Interviews, always a personal favorite, will happen as often as possible and I plan on offering some giveaways (games, game guides, faceplates, etc.) through the podcasts as well. So if you're a frequent reader of the site, go to iTunes and subscribe. If you don't like it, I'll give you double your money back.
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coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

Bourne Conspiracy First Impressions

I (Jason Bourne) am a badass - Like most Jason Bourne fights, I'm going to keep this short and sweet. The Bourne Conspiracy is a cool game and you should buy it. What? I'm supposed to elaborate?!? Didn't you read the title of this post? First impressions are usually brief. Still not good enough? Fine here are the highs and lows after the first four levels.
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The Good
- The fighting mechanics are excellent. They're relatively simple yet effective and truly give the feeling that you are Jason Bourne. This game was made for 95-pound weaklings to feel good about themselves.
- The story, which is expanded upon greatly if you've only watched the movies, is well told. The flashbacks stay honest to the feel of the films. I read the first Bourne book a long time ago so I don't know if that's where the extra story comes from but it sure works.
- The overall game presentation is superb. The character models and backgrounds are all detailed and the weather effects are a nice touch. The in-game music adds plenty of tension.
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The Not So Good
- The shooting mechanics are pretty lame. It reminds me a little of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Thankfully you spend more time fighting than shooting in the game. At least I have through the first four levels.
- There are some collision detection issues - an enemy's head going through a dumpster on a melee attack, getting stuck behind boxes while still running. Its not a major problem yet, but it gives the game an unpolished feel.
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Its early but I'm really enjoying this game. I haven't tried any driving missions and the shooting mechanics should be better but as an unabashed Bourne fan I'm pretty pleased. At this point I'd give it a solid B+.
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coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

Coldplay on Guitar Hero III? Oh yeah!

Eli will be overjoyed - I wasn't planning on putting up another post until Thursday, when I was going to give my Bourne Conspiracy first impressions, but then I read this. According to a post on hollywoodinsider.com a few days ago, Coldplay will be in Guitar Hero III. You read that right, COLDPLAY. You might have seen the band sing their new song Viva La Vida at the MTV movie awards a couple of days ago (but more likely you didn't because winning an MTV movie award is the equivalent of winning a Dundie...scratch that, I'd rather win a Dundie). The bands new album comes out in a few weeks and as part of their promotion the song Violet Hill will be available as a download on Guitar Hero III.
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Personally I'm a huge Coldplay fan (and I've taken a ton of crap for it but that's cool...haters) but since I don't own GH III anymore I could care less about the news. But even if Coldplay was coming out on Rock Band I wouldn't be that excited. I'd certainly buy it but I'm not sure how their style of music fits into these kind of games. I'd rather have music from my all-time favorite band, The Beatles, but it'll be a cold day in Phoenix when that happens. Still, the release of Coldplay music on GHIII is an interesting experiment. If gamers are willing to buy Coldplay songs, will they be willing to buy other songs that don't quite fit the rockin' genre of Guitar Hero and Rock Band? What about hip hop? Rap? Country? Showtunes? What about Peter Griffin's man-crush Barry Manilow? Sales of Violet Hill could lead to some interesting results. In the meantime, enjoy jammin' to Coldplay Eli.
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coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

Jason Bourne is in the Hizzy

Treadstone training not included - A slew of titles come out this week (Ninja Gaiden II, Grid, Lego Indiana Jones, Kung Fu Panda, The Incredible Hulk) but the one most worthy of your time is The Bourne Consipiracy, which you can pick up tomorrow. The very lengthy demo has been available for download for PS3 and 360 gamers for awhile so if you're even remotely considering picking up Bourne you should take a look at it. And if you're a fan of the Bourne movies and books, Conspiracy is a must own, even though Matt Damon wasn't kind enough to grace the game with his voice or likeness.

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My review copy came by FedEx today and looked like something out of a Black Briar debriefing at CIA headquarters. The binder/attache case had the Bourne Conspiracy logo on the outside and when opened up sported a notepad, a 360 copy of the game and assets in the guise of a debriefing report. As press packages go its not on the same level as the mini-pinata that came with Viva Pinata, but its pretty cool. I haven't had a chance to put the game disc in but as a long time Bourne fan, I'm looking forward to it.

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coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

Podcast Podshmast

Where's the technical manual? - I thought I had it all figured out. After looking all over the internet for free podcast hosting I found what I was looking for, or so I thought. Its been almost a year since the last coloradojoe podcast ended due to technical difficulties (stupid Odeo). I've been working on trying to get the podcast up and running but after trying a number of different free sites (podbean, gabcast, my podcast recorder, odeo again) I ended up with nothing. My brother came down to visit this weekend and we recorded a short 30-minute podcast using the Mymp3 recorder, which works fine.
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I felt pretty good about what we recorded. Phil and I discussed the Michael Hollick situation, GTA IV, Metal Gear Solid and threw in a little NBA Finals just for kicks. It was a lot of fun and I was looking forward to getting back into the routine of doing a weekly podcast. The problem was that none of the free hosts listed above would load it up. Its infuriating as hell. Maybe I don't have a good enough computer, maybe I'm not as technically savvy as I thought, I have no clue what's going wrong. I'm tempted to use a pay site and I'm willing to pay a small monthly amount, but I'm concerned I'm just going to end up having the same problems anyway. If anyone has any tips on how I can get the coloradojoe podcast up and running, let me know. Otherwise the podcast is as dead as Britney Spears career.

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coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

From the Desk of Don King

Don's gonna knock you out - A few press releases before the weekend. First up, a personal letter from Mr. Don King regarding his new boxing title followed by some free SimCity stuff.

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Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

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It is my extreme pleasure to personally introduce to you today the next great step in sports entertainment, the latest evolution in digital drama, the pinnacle of sports superbitude and the only game with fame to bear my name: Don King Presents: Prizefighter!Language lacks the power to express the sheer magnitude of magnificence emanating from this unparalleled sports entertainment experience, and what words cannot describe, only visuals can provide. To that end I am pleased to present you with a stellar collection of magnificent media designed especially to bring you into the awesome thrill and spectacle that is Don King Presents: Prizefighter. Prepare yourself for a graduate course in pugilistic perfection and epic gladiatorial combat as you immerse yourself in this seminal sports simulation.

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Only Don King Presents: Prizefighter lets you experience the incredible highs and lows of a young fighter in poverty and shame rising up to the heights of fortune and fame, going from underdog to boss hog, from underrated to celebrated. I am a promoter of the people, for the people, by the people, and I am ecstatic to bring you my greatest cultural contribution. I've always said that my magic lies in my people ties, and nothing is going to stand in the way of the people getting to experience the pinnacle of sports video game entertainment. We are now bringing pugilistic pride to the people far and wide. To help spread this message to people around the world, we're introducing www.hypekingdom.com, the one-stop destination for entertainment salvation.
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Don King Presents: Prizefighter will be available on June 10, 2008 for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and this fall for Wii™ home video game system from Nintendo and Nintendo DS™. For more information, please visit www.2ksports.com/prizefighter/.
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- It's the best anything ever! Only in America!

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Did someone say free? - A Demo Version of SimCity Societies With Updated Content and Features Will Be Available As A Free Download On June 12 At SimCity.com
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WHO: SimCity Societies from The Sims Label, Electronic Arts

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WHAT: That demo will show off much of the new fan requested content and features that have been added to the game over the last few months through five free game updates. Just some of the features and content added to Societies include:· New strategic modes: Basic, Hardcore and Nightmare, each one a more intense challenge to your city buildings skills.· Three new exotic disasters, including UFOs, a giant robot and a massive monster· New events and crises, including counter-cultural revolutions, general strikes, epidemics and more· Easy firefighting controls. Put out the flames faster!· Improved road placing controls· Almost countless UI additions, everything more charts and graphs to new auto-execute buttons for special abilities· City Policies, giving you the power to enact Universal Healthcare, Indoctrination, and other ways to affect, or control, your citizens lives· Six scenarios ranging from the relaxing the intense· Dozens of new buildings and special Sims· More than 100 other additions and improvementsThe free downloadable demo will include the tutorial, a challenging scenario and two major disasters.

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WHEN: Look for it on June 12 at www.simcity.com.

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WHERE: The SimCity Societies free game updates are available right now at www.simcity.com. When you download update 5, it will include all previous updates.NEXT: Upcoming for SimCity Societies after the demo launch is its first expansion, Destinations, and the massive compilation, The SimCity Box (which includes Societies, Destinations, SimCity 4, SimCity 4 Rush Hour, Snap City and Spore Creature Creator Trial Version), due out on June 23. Check www.simcity.com for more info.

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coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

Does Niko Deserve More Money?

After reading this article on Yahoo!, this one from nytimes.com and talking with my brother about Michael Hollick's financial woes, I'm left conflicted. Hollick, the voice of GTA IV protagonist Niko Bellic, is complaining because he only made $100K for his efforts. He spoke countless lines of dialogue and performed motion capture work for Niko yet he'll get no residuals, no checks after reaching a certain amount of sales...nada.
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My initial reaction was that he was getting robbed. Actors, musicians, writers and other artists receive money for their work based on sales but because the Screen Actors Guild has nothing in its contract covering electronic media, actors in video games get paid a standard daily rate. While I'm certain big name actors like Samuel L Jackson and Ray Liotta got treated like royalty from Rockstar, the average actor is screwed. $100K for 15 months is nothing to sneeze at, but when your work grosses $600 million in two weeks and you were an integral part, that has to suck. It seems that Rockstar would at least throw him a bone and give the guy a little love, right? Once again the corporate "man" makes his money and runs.
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But after I talked with my brother (who did some fine impressions of Niko, Master Chief and Solid Snake, but a weak Mario) I started to change my mind and thought about the following things.
- Hollick signed a contract so he knew what he was getting paid, nobody made him agree to it and $100K is good money for a no-name actor. In fact, this should help him get more work in the future.
- Rockstar was playing by the rules, its the Screen Actors Guild that should get with the program. They're hurting their own clients by not having electronic media accounted for in their contracts.
- If you pay Hollick, who did make a strong contribution, when does the compensation end? Do the scriptwriters get more money? The designers? At some point you have to accept that you just get paid for the work you agreed to do.
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But the most important reason this is a non-issue is because Hollick is completely replaceable. Niko is certainly a compelling character but the game would have been just as good if I was the one performing his voice overs. The story, GTA's successful history, the setting, and the crazy things you can do in the game are what sells GTA IV - not the voice over work of Michael Hollick. The same could be said for pretty much any game with an iconic character. I can't really see anyone doing a better job than Charles Martinet (the voice of Mario) or David Hayter (Solid Snake) but if Gilbert Gottfried did the voice of Master Chief instead of Steve Downes would anybody really care? Well, yes you probably would. But when my brother does a dead on Master Chief, I realized how relative voice work in a game is. Just like those times when the importance of graphics are discussed about games (usually when new consoles come out), the truth is that when it comes right down to it, its the gameplay that makes a game memorable. That's always how its been and how it'll always be.
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So what do you think? Is Hollick being underpaid or does he just need to get over it? Let me know your point of view.
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coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

Guitar Hero World Tour

Competition for Rock Band? - When Rock Band was released it made Guitar Hero as irrelevant as HD DVD players. In order to get back into the fray Activision had to do something and Guitar Hero: Aerosmith Edition was not the answer. So what did Guitar Hero do? Become more like Rock Band, which is a good thing. Check out this recent Activision press release to see what they have in mind.
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ACTIVISION UNVEILS GUITAR HERO® WORLD TOUR – THE DEFINITIVE ROCK & ROLL MUSIC VIDEOGAMING EXPERIENCE, New State of the Art Wireless Instruments, Innovative Music Studio Lets Players Compose, Record, Edit and Share Music, Biggest Selection of On-Disc Music with All Master Tracks, Robust New Eight-Player “ Battle of the Bands” Mode, First Game Ever in the Guitar Hero® Franchise to Allow In-Game Downloadable Content on Wii
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Santa Monica, CA – May 22, 2008 – When the house lights go down this fall, a new generation of axe shredders, drummers and fearless frontmen will come together and rock with Activision, Inc.’s Guitar Hero® World Tour. The latest installment from the #1 best-selling video game franchise of 2007, Guitar Hero World Tour will transform music gaming by marrying Guitar Hero’s® exhilarating guitar gameplay, with a cooperative band experience that combines the most advanced wireless instruments with revolutionary new online and offline gameplay modes. The game will feature a slick newly redesigned guitar, a genuine electronic drum kit and a microphone, as well as an innovative Music Studio music creator that lets players compose, record, edit and share their own rock and roll anthems, along with online Band Career and 8-player “Battle of the Bands.”
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Delivering the largest on-disc set list in a music-rhythm game to-date, Guitar Hero World Tour is comprised entirely of master recordings from some of the greatest classic and modern rock bands of all-time including Van Halen, Linkin Park, The Eagles, Sublime and many more. Additionally, the game will offer significantly more localized downloadable music than ever before on all of the next-generation consoles. Budding rock stars will also be given creative license to fully customize everything from their characters’ appearance and instruments to their band’s logo and album covers.
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In addition to a newly designed more responsive guitar controller and microphone, Guitar Hero World Tour will deliver the most realistic drum experience ever in a video game with an authentic electronic drum kit. Featuring three drum pads, two raised cymbals and a bass kick pedal, the drum controller combines larger and quieter, velocity-sensitive drum heads with soft rubber construction to deliver authentic bounce back and is easy to set up, move, break down and store.
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Guitar Hero World Tour delivers more ways to play than ever before. Virtual musicians can live out their rock and roll fantasies by playing either a single instrument, or any combination of instruments, in addition to the full band experience. In addition to all of the online gameplay modes from Guitar Hero® III: Legends of Rock, Guitar Hero World Tour introduces Battle of the Bands mode which allows eight players to join online and challenge each other band-to-band to determine who is the best of the best. In the Band modes, up to four players can jam together, online or off, as they progress through the game, and in single-player Career Mode, players can jam on any of the instruments in branching venue progression enabling them to rock out in the order of their choice. The game’s innovative new Music Studio lets players express their musical creativity by giving them access to a full compliment of tools to create digital music from scratch, utilizing all of the instruments, and then play their compositions in the game. Music creators will also be able to share their recordings with their friends online through GHTunes™ where other gamers can download their unique compositions and play them.
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Guitar Hero World Tour is being developed by Neversoft Entertainment for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. The Wii™ version is being developed by Vicarious Visions. The PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system version is being developed by Budcat. The game is not yet rated by the ESRB.
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Wanna win a free XBLA game? - The very excellent Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness (pictured up top) was released Wednesday on XBLA. I highly recommend it but if you're not ready to drop $20 on a downloadable title, you have the opportunity to get it for free. Head to GamePro.com to check out my review of the game and if you write a comment you are automatically entered in a drawing to win a redemption code. Good luck!
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coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

What Kind of Gamer Are You?

The Gamer Level Calculator 1.0 – Are you a hardcore gamer or are you a noob who should just pack your shit and move to France with the rest of the wimps? Maybe you’re somewhere in-between, like porn on Cinemax (not quite porn, not quite rated R). Its time to find out with the handy reference guide below. Add up all your points and check the scoring guide to see where you rank. You’re on the honor system here so don’t cheat.
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Consoles
Own a current-gen videogame console (+1pt.)
Own two or more current-gen videogame consoles (+1.5pts)
Own a classic console (i.e. NES, Atari 2600, Dreamcast) (+.5pts)
Use a PC as your primary gaming console (-2pts)
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Gaming Geek Factor
Have padded your stats in any Madden (+.5pts)
Padded your Gamerscore with a game bought or rented (+.25pts)
Padded your Gamerscore with games from Burger King (-.25pts)
Own any videogame related toys/action figures (+.5pts)
Competed in a videogame tournament at a store (+.5pts)
Attended 2 or more midnight releases (+.5pts)
Own 1 or more videogame themed t-shirt (+.5pts)
Called someone a noob online (+.5pts)
Cursed at a complete stranger online or just in general made an ass of yourself online (-3pts)
Wrote a comment on a gaming blog or gaming website (+.5pts)
If you are reading this (+1pt)
Beat Super Mario Bros. (NES), Zelda (NES), Metal Gear Solid (PS1), Halo (Xbox) and GTA III (PS2) (+1pt)
If you ever “accidentally” hit the reset button in the middle of a game because you were about to lose (-.25pts)
Played all of the original versions of following games (+2pts)
- Golden Eye
- Pa Rappa the Rappa
- Tomb Raider
- Crash Bandicoot
- Sonic
- Doom
- NBA Jam
- Resident Evil
- Combat
Played Mary Kate and Ashley: Magical Mystery Mall (-5pts)
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Dedication to the art form
Subscribe to a videogame magazine (+.25pts)
Subscribe to multiple videogame magazines (+.5pts)
Bought a TV specifically for gaming (+.5pts)
Own 1-4 games (+.25pts)
Own 5-10 games (+.5pts)
Own 11-20 games (+.75pts)
Own 21-99 games (+1pts)
Own 100 or more games (open your own game store already)
Play 0-1 hours of games a week (-2pts)
Play 2-5 hours of games a week (0pts)
Play 6-10 hours of games a week (+.25pts)
Play 11-15 hours of games a week (+.5pts)
Play 16-25 hours of games a week (+1pt)
Play 25 hours or more a week (you are a lonely guy)
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Gaming IQ
Name 7 videogame publishers (+.5pts)
Name 5 videogame developers (+.5pts)
Name 3 videogame execs (+.5pts)
Name the creator of the Metal Gear franchise (+.25pts)
Name the creator of the Mario franchise (+.25pts)
Name the creator of the Final Fantasy franchise (+.25pts)
Understand and can explain the phrase “the cake is a lie” (+.25pts)
Know where you can find the Union Aerospace Corporation (+.5pts)
Name 12 consoles (+.5pts)
Name the games these 5 characters come from (+.5pts)
- Meryl Silverburgh
- Bastilla
- Andrew Ryan
- Cormano
- Lian Xing
Name at least 2 games Michael “Jester” Ironside did voiceover work for (+.25pts)
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Scoring Table
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0-1: The Anti-Gamer – You suck. Why are you even on this site? Go out right now and buy yourself a console and get with the program. I’m serious. Gaming is a bigger business than movies baby! Its time to join the party.
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2-3: The Noob – You are one of two people. You are A) a guy who owns a console but never plays it (see: dude who bought a PS3 only as a Blu-ray player) or B) you just got into games. If you’re Guy A, dust off your console and put a disc in. I guarantee you’ll enjoy it. If you’re Guy B, you are a noob and will have to game your ass off to lose your noob status. Welcome to gaming, noob.
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4-5: The Half-Ass Gamer – You play games but are very picky. You can go weeks without playing but when a game comes out that you really like you can play for 6 hours straight, every day for a week. You don’t care about community, you rarely play online or against friends, you only care about what you can get out of a title. Gaming to you is like exercise, its just a good way to blow off some steam. You like it, you enjoy it, but you don’t truly get into it.
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6-7: Joe Gamer – You are the average gamer. Every gaming magazine and advertising campaign is aimed at you. You tend to play it safe with your titles, playing the “big” games that receive a lot of publicity or games you’ve played previous iterations of (Madden, Halo). You have a few tendencies that, if fed properly, could lead you to being a hardcore gamer but you always keep it under control because you’re already self-conscious about being a gamer because either your friends, your woman, or both give you a hard time about it.
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8-9: The Hardcore – Gaming is an important part of your life and you make sure to find time for it almost every day. You know your stuff, almost like a gaming historian, but you never rub anybody’s face in it. You feel your mission is to spread gaming around and convert non-gamers into gamers. Gaming is almost an obsession for you, but you are smart enough to only occasionally let the lines between reality and gaming get blurred. You get a kick out of talking about games with anybody who’ll listen, which most of the time is some random guy at a gaming store.
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10 and up: The Ubergamer – Your knowledge of gaming and its history is Geoff Keighleyesque. You are considered by family and friends to be a walking gaming encyclopedia, mostly because gaming is the only thing you ever talk about but also because you have no boundaries when it comes to showing your love of games. You’re the type of guy who’ll come dressed as a game character at a midnight release and you might even have a game related tattoo. You’ve forgotten more about gaming than most people remember. Joe Gamer and Hardcore gamers admire you, everyone else thinks you're nuts.
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coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

Does Casual Gaming Exist?

For me, you are a gamer or non-gamer. I think most of you know that you can spend ten or twenty hours on an internet flash game and have not realised. The guy who plays these games regularly - he's a core gamer. Someone who is fifty-years old who only plays Brain Training, but plays it like a core gamer is a core gamer. I don't like this word casual so much. Because people consider that casual needs to be something easy. If you're good at any game you can play at a high difficulty level. Take Tetris. There is incredible gameplay, it's very simple, very easy to understand, but it's also very different. I think a game can be a light enough to enjoy and for all gamers to become a core gamer on it. There is no casual gaming. There is just a different way to play.
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- Nintendo Europe Senior Marketing Director Laurent Fischer (5/14/08)
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The definition of irony - As my pappy used to say, "Life isn't black and white, its just different shades of gray. And no you can't borrow $20." I have no idea what he meant or why he was discussing color patterns when I was trying to bum money off of him but if I apply pappy's logic to the quote above it seems pretty clear to me that Mr. Fischer, despite being an executive for Nintendo, has no idea what he's talking about when it comes to gamers. Does Mr. Fischer mean to say that the company that makes the Wii, a console which prides itself on its wide appeal, truly believes that casual gaming doesn't exist?
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I've read those stories in the newspaper about the Wii being used to entertain seniors who live in retirement communities. From Larry's perspective, these seniors and the guy who stays up until 3am playing team deathmatch in Halo 3 are one and the same. With a few exceptions (pregnancy, marriage, gender) saying you're either one thing or another is just plain stupid. So the statement of "you are a gamer or a non-gamer" coming from a Nintendo exec borders on the moronic.
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Mr. Fischer, casual gaming is not Big Foot, it exists and is doing quite well. In fact, its one of gaming's most profitable and popular attractions because its easy to learn, inexpensive, usually short, and enjoyable on a basic level almost anyone can understand. Of course, you should already know this since your company has made some of the most popular casual games of all time. The problem with your statement is that you think only gamers play casual games. Wrong! Games come in different levels of complexity, so do gamers. To simplify a complicated topic for you, here's a basic table you can reference next time you open your pie-hole about casual games and gamers. This is not a complete list since under each level are a number of subcategories, but since you haven't been able to comprehend gamer needs so far, I thought I'd dumb this table down for you.
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Gamer Levels
Non-Gamer - These are people who don't play games, casual or otherwise. They look down upon gamers from on high and view gaming as a waste of time and money. These are the type of douchebags who spend way too much time tying sweaters around their neck and putting dimes in their penny loafers. You might talk them into trying a game, but then they'll just toss the controller back to you and say, "I don't get why you're so into this. This isn't art. You should be reading the classics or watching art house flicks with subtitles." Non-gamers have no soul.
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Casual - This is a bit of a misnomer but since the phrase is already well known its time to give it a proper definition. A casual gamer isn't defined by the games that they play but by the amount of time that they spend gaming. My wife likes playing Tetris and Solitaire, strictly casual fare. But she'll also play GTA IV every now and then, but only for 10 minutes because she likes to run people over and smash into things. The GTA series is considered pretty hardcore, so does this make her a hardcore gamer? No, because she only plays about 30-45 minutes of games a week. I play "hardcore" games (Halo 3, Orange Box, etc.) but I also enjoy casual games (Echochrome, Battle Zone, etc.) just as much. Does this make me a casual gamer? Hell no, because I play about 20 hours of games a week. If gamer #1 played 20 hours of Paper Boy and Dig Dug a week while gamer #2 played two hours of Call of Duty 4 a week, who would you consider the casual gamer?
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Hardcore - As with casual gamers there are varying degrees of hardcore gamers but at its most basic level, a hardcore gamer is someone who just loves games. Usually they have multiple consoles, an entertainment system designed specifically for games, catches up on the latest news online and through multiple magazine subscriptions, and probably posts comments on blogs or forums. A hardcore gamer views games as both entertainment and art form and will argue the point with anyone who thinks otherwise. They also own a few gaming t-shirts and aren't ashamed to be called fanboys. Hardcore gamers are funny, sexy, super intelligent people that are the life of any party.
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Gamer or non-gamer? That kind of labeling doesn't make any sense. Want to know what kind of gamer you are? Find out in my next post.
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Bourne Conspiracy Achievements

Matt Damon not included - That's right, The Talented Mr. Ripley is not taking part in the making of the Bourne Conspiracy videogame. Sarah Silverman's big mouth must have done what no Blackbriar trained agent could ever do, beat him into submission. But if you're a Bourne fan this shouldn't stop you from being interested in this title that comes out in early June. The very lengthy demo is available right now on Xbox Live and PSN, I highly recommend it. While you have to wait 2 weeks for the full version, here are the known Achievements to sink your teeth into.
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1. Treadstone Trainee - Completed all campaign missions on Trainee or higher (40 points)
2. Treadstone Agent - Completed all campaign missions on Agent or higher (60 points)
3. Treadstone Assassin - Completed all campaign missions on Assassin (100 points)
4. Brawler - Defeat 50 opponents in hand-to-hand without performing a takedown (15 points)
5. Pugilist - Defeat 100 opponents in hand-to-hand without performing a takedown (25 points)
6. Heavyweight - Defeat 200 opponents in hand-to-hand without performing a takedown (50 points)
7. Need Glasses - Finished a mission with an accuracy below 10% (5 points)
8. Good Shot Clustering - Finished a mission with an accuracy of at least 75% (10 points)
9. Eye on the Target - Finished a mission with an accuracy of at least 90% (15 points)
10. Deadeye - Finished 3 missions with an accuracy of at least 90% (25 points)
11. Collateral Damage - Destroy 10 explodables (10 points)
12. Massive Collateral Damage - Destroy 50 explodables (25 points)
13. Manual Shooter - Finished a mission without using a shooting takedown (5 points)
14. Fancy Shooter - Finish off 50 opponents using shooting takedowns (15 points)
15. Bullet Master - Finish off 200 opponents using shooting takedowns (50 points)
16. Hard Slog - Finish a mission without using any hand-to-hand takedowns (5 points)
17. Living Weapon - Finish off 50 opponents using hand-to-hand takedowns (25 points)
18. 30 Million Dollar Weapon - Finish off 200 opponents using hand-to-hand takedowns (50 points)
19. Student of Surroundings - Defeat 20 opponents with contextual takedowns (10 points)
20. Master of Environment - Defeat 100 opponents with contextual takedowns (30 points)
21. Lucky Shot! - Kill 25 enemies with headshots (10 points)
22. Laser Aim - Kill 150 enemies with headshots (50 points)
23. Homebody - Collected 5 Passports (5 points)
24. Frequent Flyer - Collected 30 Passports (15 points)
25. World Traveler - Collect all Passports (30 points)
26. Wrecking Machine - Take out multiple opponents with one takedown 30 times (25 points)
27. One-Man Gang - Take out multiple opponents with one takedown 3 times (5 points)
28. Adrenaline Junkie - Use three full bars of Adrenaline while driving through the streets of Paris (15 points)
29. Civic Menace - Rampage through Paris: Destroy the cafe, china shop, and 200 props (20 points)
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GTA IV Stats

Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics - GTA IV tracks more numbers than an official MLB statistician. Keeping with that tradition, here are a few of my own stats after playing the game for almost 2 weeks.
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Odds your wife/girlfriend will get sick of your GTA IV addiction: 90% - If you ask my wife, this might be higher but I'm going to go conservative because I'd like to think I haven't ticked her off that much yet. Although I have heard the words, "I'm tired of the sound of guns shooting," a lot more than I did the last time I became obsessed with a game, but I'm over my Halo 3 crush now.

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Number of times I've ignored the waypoints in order to get to a destination quicker: 35 - Liberty City is a large place so the new waypoint system (stolen from Saints Row) is great, but why in the world does it follow the rules of the road? Following the yellow or green line to a destination will often make me avoid one way streets. This is GTA right? Do you think I care if I drive down a one way street?

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Times the line between the GTA world and reality have been blurred: 3 - You play enough Grand Theft Auto, especially for an extended period of time, and then quit to go out to run an errand and your brain starts getting confused. You see a taxi and think about getting a ride to a safehouse. You sit at stoplight and start thinking, "What the heck am I waiting for? I should just run this thing." You see ramp and think about jumping it. Sure signs that its time to unplug for awhile.

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Number of times I've wished for a custom radio station: 27 - As good as the music in this game is, it seems to repeat quite a bit. So does the dialogue on many of the radio stations. I do like hearing about my exploits on the news reports and the commercials are a riot but I'm tired of listening to the same songs by Phil Collins and Kanye West. Give me a damn custom radio station!

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Hours taken to master the splashy driving controls - Lets see, the game has been out 13 days. I've played GTA an average of 2 hours a day. So that puts me at about 26 hours. So the answer is around 20 hours. Although I'm not confident enough to do any of the single player races yet.

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Number of times I've laughed out loud: 78 - Between the commercials, the in-game dialogue, the billboards, the names of the stores, and the random comments from NPC's just walking on the street, this could be the funniest game I've played since Blasto.

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Signs that gaming is reaching mainstream audiences: 3 (at least) - GTA parodies have popped up on Conan O'Brien, Craig Ferguson and Saturday Night Live, and those are just the ones that I've seen myself. When even non-gamers are getting gaming jokes, you know its a pop culture phenomenon. Of course this is the exception not the rule when it comes to games. Don't count on seeing PixelJunk Monster parodies any time soon.

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coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

Fight Night Round 4 Featuring Mike Tyson

Iron Mike is back - After watching a recent Mike Tyson interview on E:60, an ESPN news magazine type show, I got all nostalgic. At one point Iron Mike was the baddest man on the planet and now he's a complete mess. I actually felt bad for him, which is hard to do for a convicted rapist, ear muncher, father of multiple children from multiple women, and former millionaire who's pissed away every cent he's ever earned. Everybody deserves a second chance (or fifth or sixth) and it looks like EA is giving him one by signing up Mike to be the Fight Night Round 4 headliner. My advice for EA while developing this game? If you're the motion capture guy, don't make fun of Mike when he puts on the skin tight black suit with all the sensor balls. You might get killed. The press release sent out today is below.
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Electronic Arts announced today that EA SPORTS™Fight Night Round 4 is in development at EA Canada in Vancouver under the EA SPORTS brand. EA SPORTS Fight Night is back with the most realistic “in the ring” experience to date, featuring some of the greatest boxers in history fighting in their prime.
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“The EA SPORTS Fight Night franchise has always been synonymous with quality and innovation that raised the bar for the sports videogame genre”, said Kevin Wilkinson, Executive Producer, EA SPORTS. “EA SPORTS Fight Night Round 3 was a platform defining game as the industry transitioned to next generation consoles. EA SPORTS Fight Night Round 4 will change how boxing games are played and measured in the future.”
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Featuring a re-written gameplay engine, EA SPORTS Fight Night Round 4 will add a variety of fighting styles and boxer differentiation to authentically emulate the greatest fighters of all time. Pressure your opponent with the brawling inside style of young Mike Tyson, bobbing and weaving to set up powerful hooks and uppercuts. Capitalize on Muhammad Ali’s reach, hand speed and fleetness of foot to bewilder your opponent with lightning fast jabs and straights from the outside. For the first time in history, EA SPORTS Fight Night Round 4 gives you the opportunity to pit these legendary heavyweights against one another and name a true champ.
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No fight will be the same with an all-new physics-based animation system that recreates the full spectrum of true-to-life punch impacts, giving boxers a devastating arsenal of punches, blocks and ring movement. The new physics system allows for missed punches, glancing punches, knockout blows and for the first time ever, rough and tumble inside fighting. Fatigue, adrenaline, footwork and timing all come into play as you hammer away at your opponents.
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EA SPORTS Fight Night Round 4 will be available for the Xbox 360™ system and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and ships to retailers in 2009. The game has not yet been rated by the ESRB or PEGI.
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What Should Come in Special Edition Games

Gaming schwag - So you just dropped an extra $10-$20 for the "special" edition of your favorite game and all you have to show for it is a Making Of DVD. What a rip! As publishers continue to squeeze extra clams from gamers pockets, its seems like they give us less of what we really want. Keychains? Demo's of other games? A free month of Xbox Live? Get real. Sure the Master Chief helmet that came with Halo 3 is cool and the GTA IV special edition kit offers some nice goodies, but sweet stuff like this is few and far between. Some gamers are so dedicated to their favorite franchises, publishers could stick a licensed logo on a nude, autographed picture of John Goodman and somebody would buy it. But if we're going to blow some extra money at least give us something good. Here are my recommendations for what should come in special edition games.
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T-Shirts - What would say "special" more than a shirt that no one else but special edition buyers can wear? Rockstar embraced this idea but not on a large enough scale. If you pre-ordered GTAIV from their website you got a hilarious Burger Shot shirt. Now that's the kind of special offer gamers can get into. When I was in middle school I owned a MASH videogame (yes MASH, based on the 80's TV show, don't ask). If you earned a certain high score you could send in a picture and get a free MASH t-shirt. When I hit the benchmark, I took a pic of my TV with a polaroid camera, mailed it in and got my shirt in the mail a few weeks later. It was a shit brown, hideous shirt but I thought it was cool. Further proof I've been a gaming geek my whole life, thank you.
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Action figures - It makes perfect sense to put an action figure in a special/limited edition package. They're small, cheap to mass produce and gamers love'em. The special edition of Assassin's Creed comes with a small Altair figure, cool. How about a Snake poseable with Metal Gear IV, or an Alyx Vance model with The Orange Box? Meow! Action figures make great desk decorations and conversation starters.
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Exclusive downloadable content - This was seen most recently with Rainbow Six Vegas 2 when gamers earned a special downloadable weapon if you had a pre-order for the game at a certain game store, but this should be expanded for special edition buyers. Special weapons, vehicles, outfits, music, gamer pics/themes, and even in-game money could be given away. Imagine playing Burnout Paradise with a special car right off the bat or being able to access new multiplayer maps in Call of Duty 4 without having to pay for it.
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Other random crap I'd like to see -Stickers to put on your car or steam trunk (you know, for when you go to Africa and other faraway places like that), plush toys (kids would love these and I personally love the Valve Companion Cube), toy cars (perfect for racing games) and patches would be cool. Patches? Yes patches, like the kind you sew onto a jacket, let me explain. When I was a kid I travelled a ton. My parents bought me a jacket and whenever we went to a different country we'd get a patch from it and sew it on. Other kids would ask me about it all the time and since I moved around a lot, it was a great way to meet people. Would I wear a jacket full of gaming patches as an adult? Mmm, let's see (sitting...think it over...wondering how embarrassed my wife would be walking the dog with me while wearing this jacket...thinking about my friends busting my chops about it), yeah I probably would. Yet more proof of my gaming geekdom.
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