Wonderful World Series

There are times when its flat out amazing to be a sports fan, but surprisingly these times are rare. A championship is an elusive mistress and because of that almost every sports season ends in disappointment. Our favorite teams can't win a title every year and truth be told, its for the best. No one appreciates anything that comes easy and part of being a fan comes from that bond you share with the team and other fans and that is only built through joint failures...and the occassional triumph. As a non-participant, sports fans typically have to enjoy those triumphs and victories at home in front of the TV, or if you're lucky enough to live in the same place as your favorite team, at the celebration parade. When the Broncos won their first Super Bowl in 1998 I was in the same predicament as most fans, I was sitting on my butt in Denver watching it at home. Then the following day, myself and 100,000 of my closest friends joined the team in the parade through downtown. The experience was one of a kind. Everybody was giddy, it was like Christmas Day for 100,000 5-year olds. It wasn't the same as being in San Diego for the game, but how often does someone get a chance to watch their favorite team win a championship? Probably once in a lifetime if they're lucky. Last night I was lucky. This long time Red Sox fan was able to watch his team win the World Series. What a night! Below is my running diary complete with free grainy pictures from a $5 disposable camera!
.
Pre-game - My brother-in-law Dan and two buddies flew in Saturday from the East Coast for Game 5. We agreed to get together in LoDo before hand, mostly so I could rub it in that he'd flown out here for nothing. We hooked up at a bar just south of Coors called the Public House or Pubic Hose or something like that to have a couple of beers and grab a bite to eat. Once in town we found a place to park (only $30, I was shocked it was so low) and headed toward the bar. Right away I was struck by how many Sox fans there were. I knew Red Sox Nation traveled well but it seemed like every 4th person was wearing Sox gear. That's when my wife reminded me that hardly anybody that lives in Colorado is actually from Colorado. It was also my first of many reminders that this is really a football town, not a baseball town. When I go to Broncos games I see fans with visiting jerseys but not in these numbers.
.
We meet up with Dan and his crew and they seemed to have picked the right spot. The Pats game is on a huge TV and there are Sox fans all over the place. This is a great opportunity for me to catch up on my fantasy football team (I have Tom Brady in both of my leagues, its nice to be me right now) and give Dan a hard time. Let me tell you a little bit about Dannyboy. I already mentioned the Mayor Diamond Joe Quimby voice but to top it off, he looks just like Ron Livingston from Office Space. Not only that but he went to an all boys Catholic school from Kindergarten to high school. He is a smart asses dream but today I feel sorry for him. He's much more of a diehard fan than I am and he knows tonight is the last game. Do I think about giving him my ticket? For about 5 seconds and then I remember what a selfish guy I am. He leaves Tuesday so him and the guys had talked about going to the Broncos/Packers game. Might as well see some sporting event while he's in town.
.

We tearfully leave Dan and make our way to Coors. I had picked up my tickets from a guy on craigslist, only paying $250 a ticket (trying getting into the Super Bowl for that) but every time I buy a ticket from a person and not the corporate machine TicketMaster I get a little worried. When I bought them, I looked them over and they sure looked real but with technology the way it is, you never know. Thankfully they actually were real and we started our long walk up to the third deck in right field.
.

Ahhh! My legs are burning! Who knew that when you're fat and out of shape that exercising would be painful. I think I need a beer and some nachos to ease my pain. We get to our seats early because the wife and I are so excited. The view is great and the weather is fantastic, its almost hot and now I feel the urge to tease the wife about bringing gloves, a hat, two sweaters, warm socks and a potbellied stove. Naturally I carried all of this in a backpack like a sherpa while she carried her small purse. Who said chivalry was dead?

The pre-game activities have started. There was about 5 "first pitches", the National Anthem sung by Tricia Yearwood and the chance to see the world's biggest Amercian flag but the highlight was Alex Rodriguez. The league was giving out its annual Hank Aaron award given to each league's best hitter. Hammerin' Hank received a standing O from the crowd and was on hand to present it to Prince Fielder and A-Fraud. Prince was cheered but A-Fraud, who for some lame reason wasn't there, was soundly booed. Even Rockies fans know what an ass he is, which he would prove again later by having his agent announce during the World Series that he would file for free agency.
.
1st inning - The Sox are off to a great start. Ellsbury doubles, Pedroia grounds out but Papi drives him home, 1-0 Sox. As a fan in enemy territory, I'm looking around for other Red Sox fans. My brother (a Rockies fan) had me convinced that I shouldn't dress in Sox gear because I would catch hell. Evidently when he when to game 3 of the Rocks/Phillies series, him and his buddies were riding visiting fans mercilessly. Big difference tonight as the Rockies are on the verge of elimination, there are a ton of Sox fans here and I'm not in my early 20's. Most drunk 20 year olds pick on other drunk 20 year olds, not old guys like me, and even if they did, I've seen enough Jean Claude Van Damme movies that I can handle myself in a fight.
Innings 2-4 - Both pitchers have settled in and we're in a pretty boring stretch. So boring in fact that I'm noticing little things about Coors Field that drive me absolutely nuts. While their sound system is great and the music is enjoyable (its like being in a giant techno club), they treat their fans like morons. First by passing out those ridiculous hankeys/faceclothes/I-surrender-towels as you walk through the gate. I've seen these at other stadiums but didn't expect to ever see them in Colorado. Aren't we smarter fans than that? Isn't clapping and cheering enough? To make matters worse, the scoreboard guy doesn't think fans can think for themselves so he has to tell everyone when to "Wave Those Towels". Its embarrassing. There is also never a quiet moment. I know baseball can be kind of dull, but do we need music blaring between every pitching change, inning break, every at-bat, and sometimes even between pitches? Its an insult to a fans intelligence that they feel the need to fill every waking second of non-playing time.
.
Innings 5 thru top of the 8th - Everytime the Rockies seem to get close, the Sox seem to have an answer. The Sox score in the 5th and 7th, Hawpe hits a HR in the bottom of the 7th then Kielty hits a pinch hit homer to make it 4-1 Sox. The air has been sucked right out of the crowd.
.
As the Sox pull away I notice a few more annoying things, most notably the female Rockies fan behind me. Not only does she have a voice only Fran Drescher could appreciate but she gives every single Rockies player an annoying nickname. Hawpe was Hoppy, Holliday was Matty, Spilborghs was Spilly. The worst nicknames were Tulo for Tulowitzki (appropriate for how he was hitting) and pitcher Aaron Cook who she called Cookie. Cookie? Are you serious? If you're going to be nicknamed after a food, it should be something manly like hambone or t-bone or something, not something soft and sweet like a cookie. By the way, "Spilly's" at-bat music is atrocious, its "The Sweet Escape" by Gwen Stefani. That's right, Spilly has a chick song to pump him up before every at-bat. Check these masculine, inspiring lyrics.
.
"I must apologize for acting stank and treating you this wayCause I've been acting like sour milk all on the floor. It's your fault you didn't shut the refrigeratorMaybe that's the reason I've been acting so cold"
"If I could escapeAnd re-create a place that's my own world. And I could be your favorite girl. Forever, perfectly togetherAnd tell me boy, now wouldn't that be sweet
.
Why not just play, "Why can't we be friends?" by War? On the plus side, its great to watch a game without the annoying drone of Joe Buck or the moronic Tim McCarver. Every baseball fans collective IQ drops 10 points when those guys are announcing. Jon Miller and Joe Morgan should be calling every game on TV.
.
Bottom of the 8th thru top of the 9th - Damn! Okajima gives up a two run homer to Atkins, but I can't say I'm surprised. He was looking a little worn yesterday and his fastball, which is normally in the mid-90's, is in the upper 80's tonight. His homer has made it 4-3 and for the first time during this series I'm just a wee bit concerned. Papelbon is coming out but he's been getting a lot of work as well. If the Rockies win tonight, they'll have a big mental boost not just from winning a close game but from beating our stud closer. That and who would close the game after Beckett gets tired in game 5? Definitely not the overworked Okajima or Paps and if Eric Gagne came out, the game would be a certain loss. I don't want this series to go back to Boston.
.
Thankfully this isn't an issue as Paps comes in and gets the final two outs. The Mrs and I pack up our potbellied stove and head down to the first level, we want to be as close as we can when the game ends.
.Bottom of the 9th through Postgame - We miss the entire top of the 9th as the three Sox batters are all dispatched fairly quickly and it takes us forever to get to the opposite side of the stadium. Its been awhile since I've been at Coors and compared to Fenway, this place is the size of a football stadium. Once we get to the lower level behind home plate, we find a ton of Sox fans. Strangely enough I don't spot Ben Affleck but I do see Mike "Boogie" Malin from Big Brother 2 and Big Brother: All-Stars. He's the mooner on the pic above. Sadly this first class citizen was wearing a Red Sox jersey. My wife is baffled that I would recognize a reality show celeb from a program I don't even watch, so I remind her that one of my gifts is knowing more useless information than anyone on the planet.
.
The crowd makes it really tough to see. We're not only behind a bunch of Sox fans but we're behind a gaggle of photographers with cameras that have lenses so big they could count the hairs in Paps nose. First Rockie up grounds out, I'm feeling pretty good. Second guy scares the crap out of me with a long shot that I initially thought was out of the park, but Ellsbury catches at the warning track. The need for a defibrillator has passed. With two outs, the final batter strikes out and the surrounding crowd goes nuts! Everybody is jumping up and down and we all breathe a sigh of relief.

After the Rockies fans have cleared out, the Red Sox fans work their way down and there are plenty of us. Looking around, there had to be close to 10,000 Sox fans cheering and standing on seats along the first and third base lines. The players are holed up in the locker room as the press and the players family and friends wait for them to emerge. After about 15 minutes the players start to come out. Mike Lowell, Scorsese power brows and all, comes out first hoisting the MVP trophy and makes his way over to his two hybrid cars. The crowd starts chanting "Re-Sign Lowell!" and "Don't Sign A-Rod!". Other players start coming out with the biggest cheers going out to Schilling ("One More Year!"), who was chugging a beer and waving to the crowd, and David Ortiz. Game 4 winner Jon Lester comes out with the trophy over his head and the crowd roars. I tried in vain to take pictures with my crappy disposable camera but people keep getting in the way.
.
Other random stuff I saw - Matsuzaka came out and was immediately pounced on by about 50 members of the Japanese press corps, sucks to be him. GM Theo Epstein is hugging everybody and looks ridiculously young, great to be him. Soon-to-be-traded Coco Crisp has the craziest hat hair I've ever seen. Josh Beckett was walking around with some babe, another country singer perhaps? Dustin Pedroia, only 24, has a bald spot and is the spitting image of Giovanni Ribisi.
.
We stay for about 45 minutes but its getting late and the crowd is starting to thin. I really wanted to see Papelbon do a World Series version of his Riverdance impression but its time to go. Its been an amazing night and the Mrs and I head to our car in awe of the whole experience. We've seen and done a lot of great things together but getting to see the final game of a Red Sox World Series win takes the cake.
.
coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

I'm waiting!!!

Yawn! - That's my feeling last night while turning on my TV to get my game on. I look at a stack of recently released games and can't decide which mediocre title to sink my teeth into. Halo 3? I can't believe I'm typing this but I've burned myself out on it. I've already logged a ton of time in multiplayer and with my brother in Australia (long story) I have no one to trudge through co-op with. PGR 4? Solid title, don't get me wrong, but something about it isn't quite right. It just doesn't have the allure of its predecessor and can't keep my attention. After those two titles the stack starts to look worse, filled with time killers or Achievement Point-only titles. Spider-Man: Friend or Foe, NBA 2K8, NBA Live 08, NHL 2K8, NHL Live 2K8, Stranglehold, Tony Hawk's Proving Ground, FIFA 08, Skate, Medal of Honor: Airborne, Blue Dragon, Lair. I'm supposed to get excited about these games? This leads me to another question - has the gaming industry lost its creativity?

.

As gaming searches for household recognition along the lines of the big three (music, TV and movies) its shooting itself in the foot with tons of lackluster titles. For every Halo 3, there seems to be 50 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Hard Evidence games. This is exactly what makes the movie industry such a bore. The last time I saw a movie was in August, and I love movies. Am I missing out on a good flick? Yeah, probably. Gone Baby Gone looks pretty good and so does We Own the Night but I won't see them, I've been burned too many times that I won't take a chance. Gaming has put me in the same boat. There are so many releases every month its almost impossible to pick the game that's worth my time and money. Plowing through the games listed above just leaves me with a "Ehh, I guess I can play this game but I'll probably be left wanting" feeling. Who wants to be left feeling like that? I want to feel excited about a game, not blah.

.

So what's the solution? Believe it or not, fewer games. Every week about 10-20 games are released across every format. ATTENTION GAME PUBLISHERS AND DEVELOPERS: Cut that in half and focus on the quality of games, not the quanitity. Every gamer knows you guys need to make a buck, it makes sense, but if this mess isn't cleaned up quick gaming won't rival movies, TV and music - it'll be its neglected half step-brother left to clean up after your mess while singing to birds and mice, hoping Princess Charming will recognize what a good guy he is despite being a poor schlub with third-hand clothes who drives a 1976 Chrysler Cordoba.

.

Another possible solution? One console to rule them all. That's right, at some point, gamers need one clearcut choice. There are just way too many formats. Its a mess for everyone in the industry (multiple formats to program for which is a bigger problem than anyone will admit, console exclusivity or no console exclusivity, varying release dates and content, simplifying games for hand helds, way too many suits to keep happy, etc., etc.) but most importantly its a pain in the ass for gamers. Imagine if music came in other forms besides CD's. You can make an argument that digital music is a different form, and in many ways it is, but it works with digital music not against it. I can take my CD and put it on my digital music player. I can't take my 360 game and play it on my PS3. The iPod's dominance of digital music makes it more streamlined. This isn't the case with games.

.

The Blu-ray/HD debate is another example. Consumers aren't willing to commit to either right now because it just doesn't make sense, even the movie studios switch sides. In the meantime Sony and Toshiba blow tons of money waiting for a new movie format no one is ready for or in a hurry to sink money into. In fact, the whole experience might be so frustrating that consumers might not accept either. Say hello to the new Betamax player! Why not take all of that time and energy and join forces to make one console? As you would expect money is the answer to that question, but a day when Nintendo and Sony hook up and make one console and force Microsoft out of the business might be what's best for gamers.

.

No more rhymes now I mean it! - Just in time for Christmas, it appears the long awaited Xbox 360 Pro Bundle with Marvel Ultimate Alliance and Forza 2 is now available. There has been no official announcement from Microsoft but multiple online sources have stated they have seen it in stores.

.

Anybody want a peanut? - Or Cracker Jacks for that matter? Somehow, someway the gods continue to smile upon me as I managed to acquire 2 tickets to Sunday's World Series game four. The Mrs. and I are heading up Sunday afternoon and meeting up with my brother-in-law Dan before the game. Dannyboy is from Peabody, MA and talks just like Mayor Diamond Joe Quimby. He and 2 other friends have tickets for game five, and I'll be busting his chops about flying out here for nothing if the Sox win game 3 today. In my efforts to expand this blog into "Gaming with some other stuff", look for a post with pics sometime Monday on the game 4 experience.

.

coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

Achievement Point Game of the Month

Yeah yeah I know. I've been negligent again. And again I apologize. Just like everybody else in Colorado, I was one of the guys left disappointed with the Colorado Rockies website not just on Monday, but on Tuesday as well. The fact that their site crashed on Monday is an absolute embarrassment. This is the World Series for crying out loud, how can you not be ready for that? Assaulted by an unknown party? Yeah right. Somebody screwed up and they're just covering their ass but I guess it didn't matter. With 8.5 million people trying to get as few tickets that were available I knew my chances weren't good. As a lifelong Red Sox fan, I'd love to go to a World Series game but after checking out what the prices are online I'm priced right out of it.

.

Back to my original point. One of the greatest things about the 360 are Achievement Points, rewards for working your way through a game. For some games (like the FIFA series) the points are tough to get. But for others, they give up points like Lindsay Lohan gives up...well, I think you know where I'm going. For those of us who are addicted to Achievement Points, finding a game with easy points is great. We're stat padders, plain and simple. We're the gaming version of Tom Brady against the Dolphins in the 4th quarter.

.

This months AP Game of the Month is the recently released Spider-Man: Friend or Foe. Like most easy AP games, this title is pretty much rental only. Even for a Spidey junkie like myself, its just a little too juvenile. The graphics are just okay, the game play is action-filled but pretty harmless and repetitive. In fact, it would save me time to give my 7-year old this game and let her play it for me. Maybe I'll tie it into her allowance as an incentive or something.

.

The points are wrapped up into a nice 12 Achievement bow, most given up by completing the games paltry 5 levels. The rest you can get by just playing through the game or upgrading characters after you've beaten it. The levels, while few, are divided into four sections and take only about 30 minutes to complete. The most annoying part is looking for the collectibles in every level, which can sometimes be well hidden. You don't get the Achievements without them but if you're looking for an easy 1000 points, this game is worth a look. Below is the list of Achievements for Spider-Man: Friend or Foe.

.

1. Tokyo Complete - Find all collectibles, find all secrets, and defeat all bosses in this location. 125 points
2. Tangaroa Island Complete - Find all collectibles, find all secrets, and defeat all bosses in this location. 125 points
3. Egypt Complete - Find all collectibles, find all secrets, and defeat all bosses in this location. 125 points
4. Transylvania Complete - Find all collectibles, find all secrets, and defeat all bosses in this location. 125 points
5. Nepal Complete - Find all collectibles, find all secrets, and defeat all bosses in this location. 125 points
6. Lightning Strikes - Obtain a Hit Chain higher than 15. 25 points
7. Combo Meter Master - Fill the Combo Meter all the way to Level 4. 25 points
8. Our Powers Combined - Initiate a Hero Strike Power-Up. 25 points
9. Web Slinger - Fully upgrade Web Line with all available Modifications. 75 points
10. Arachnid Artillery - Fully upgrade Web Shoot with all available Abilities and Mods. 75 points
11. All Tied Up - Fully upgrade Web Stun with all available Abilities and Mods. 75 points
12. Fury's Fourteen - All characters are fully upgraded with all Attacks and Attributes. 75 points

.

coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

PC Guy vs. Console Guy

Eli tries to pick a fight - In case you missed it, Eli and I continue our Siskel & Ebert, Yankees vs. Red Sox, Spy vs Spy, Democrat vs. Republican, Ecks vs Sever debate/feud.

.

Eli's reply

.

How many times in one week do I have to school you?! ;)

.

Yes the Broncos suck (the Rams suck much worse however)...

Indeed they do. However, they have a legit excuse, as opposed to the Donkey Flops. The Rams starting QB, RB, 2 WRs and 3 of the 5 starting O-linemen are hurt and/or out for the season. And that's just on Offense. Um... Cutler (he of the non-manly voice doing what should be a manly voice over radio commercial) suddenly has "I can't find MY guy" syndrome. And thank you for bashing your so called defense. Good lord.

.

The Rockies? Absolutely unreal.

Incredible! As a baseball fan, you gotta love seeing this kinda thing from a small market, out of nowhere team. Especially when the Spankees went down in flames without putting up any fight. BEAUTIFUL! Again, if your any kind of baseball fan, ya gotta be happy for Helton. I said it weeks ago... and as much as I hate the overused moniker, if there was ANY "Team of Destiny" - we're watching it in the Rockies.

.

I'm a Red Sox fan...

I like the Sox too, but after last nights drubbing by the Injuns... things look very bleak for the ole Bostonians.

.

Eli cracks me up with his Halo 3 hate, I've never seen a bigger H3 hater in my life.

Not really. I gave the original Halo a glowing 9 out of 10 score (officially, in public - it was one of my first reviews for GameDaily). And that was the PC version, which everyone (including deaf, dumb and blind people) said was worse then the way k001 k0nz013 version. I absolutely LOVED it. I do hate Microsuck though. The port job of Broken Halo 2 (which again took forever) to the PC and coincidently to the craptacular Vistadodaday OS was HORRIBLE. The graphics were puke, the online matching was puke. I didn't finish it and have actually removed it from my PC. I still have the original Halo installed though. As for Broken Halo 3... I won't bother with it if/when it gets ported to the PC. Unless of course I'm forced to review it.

.

UT3 is the king of online shooters? Maybe for you but the stats for Halo say otherwise...

Your gaming ignorance is startling. Of course Halo will have higher stats dofus boy. Halo 3 is complete. UT3 is a beta demo. Plus, stats are easier to track on k0nz01es, there's only one "server" per say. UT3 doesn't use a Hitlerain "pay for usage" online service. It's free. It's always been free for PC gaming ('cept for MMOs, which is an entirely different beast). Online numbers are statistics... and as EVERYONE with even a modicum of brains (i.e., anyone who attended a college other then DU) knows that stats can/do say whatever you want them to.

.

And since you brought it up... this article about how video gaming is on the rise with kids, and that PC gaming is their choice should rattle the foundations of k0nz013 folks everywhere: http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=17790

.

There were demos of Tabula Rasa and Time Shift at E3 and they really did look amazing but I just can't get into MMO's, they're just too much work...

Um, first... Time Shift isn't an MMO. Secondly, the door you just through open for me is big enough to drive an entire convoy of Mack Truck diesels through it. There you have it peeps... straight form the donkey's mouth: PC games are "too much work" for lowly k0nz0l3 gamers to grasp. And THAT'S the reason why there will always be a rift between the groups - PC gamers are smarter then k0nz013 gamers. Period. End of story. Game over. Thanks for playing. Move along. Nothing to see here.

.

Is it because... I think its a combination of all of those things, but mostly the last one. We are now a nation of instant history and short term memory.

BINGO! Couldn't agree with you more. It's this way for EVERYTHING. I was just making conversation. Seriously though... Halo 3 has been out what - a few weeks? Guess what the pimpin whore machine is already revving up for? Grand Theft Auto IV. The lifeless corpse of Master Chef (er, Chief) isn't even cold yet and the grindhouse wheels of the Advertising Juggernaut are churning on. That's insane!

.

Now its my turn to teach

.

Allow me to retort

.

The Rams starting QB, RB, 2 WRs and 3 of the 5 starting O-linemen are hurt and/or out for the season. And that's just on Offense...

blah, blah blah. Who cares? Just like a Rams fan to make excuses. Your team sucks, the reason doesn't matter.

.

Your gaming ignorance is startling. Of course Halo will have higher stats dofus boy. Halo 3 is complete. UT3 is a beta demo. Plus, stats are easier to track on k0nz01es, there's only one "server" per say. UT3 doesn't use a Hitlerain "pay for usage" online service. It's free. It's always been free for PC gaming...

I know its a demo, but that won't matter. The number for H3 will blow your precious UT3 out of the water. How can it be king of something when only a fraction of the people will use it compared to Halo 3. As usual, your missing the point. And I may pay $50 a year for XBL (actually I don't, they send me free cards every year) but at least I don't have to drop a few hundred bucks every year to update my PC so it can run these "free online" games.

.

Time Shift isn't an MMO...I didn't say it was, I said I saw it at E3 and it looked great, my comment about MMO's was unrelated. My bag for not writing a clear enough sentence.

.

I gave the original Halo a glowing 9 out of 10 score (officially, in public - it was one of my first reviews for GameDaily) AND this article about how video gaming is on the rise with kids, and that PC gaming is their choice should rattle the foundations of k0nz013 folks everywhere: http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=17790...

Once again you're site dropping for your corporate master

.

PC games are "too much work" for lowly k0nz0l3 gamers to grasp. And THAT'S the reason why there will always be a rift between the groups - PC gamers are smarter then k0nz013 gamers. Period. End of story. Game over. Thanks for playing. Move along. Nothing to see here...

Wow! Once again your elitist PC gamer snobbery rears its ugly head. PC gamers aren't smarter, they're just more rude and obnoxious. Aside from politicians, I've never seen a more dogmatic group of people than PC gamers. You guys would fight a console gamer over the color of the sky because you're always right. A caustic, holier than thou response from a PC gamer? Never expected that. Must be nice to sit on your PC throne and make judgements from on high. I, the lowly console gamer, bow down to your all-encompassing knowledge on PC AND console games despite the fact that you are a self admitted PC lover who doesn't even own a console. Your lack of tolerance is inspiring.

.

coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

Now We're Talking

Here are some posts within the last day or two, plenty of stuff to discuss here.

.

Anonymous poster on Halo 3 - "Actually, I do enjoy Halo 3. I'm just saying it's not all that different from Halo 2. Just updated to the 360 with a few new maps (not enough), and a few cool weapons and items. For us PC gamers, we would classify that as a "mod". It's a GOOD mod. Don't get me wrong." -ub3n00b

.

Of course it's not all that different from Halo 2. It was such a massive success, could you imagine the fallout if Bungie strayed from the formula and provided a different game. Their huge, loyal following would have been livid and just went back to playing Halo 2. To me, they had no choice but to update the graphics, add some new weapons and maps and do a "mod" of the game. I liked Halo 2, so I'm fine with it. As for the story being not as compelling as Halo 1 I disagree. Only because it's basically the exact same story as the previous 2- stop the covenent and flood (they just added the save cortona bit). The backlash gamers have with Halo 3 is mostly from gamers who didn't fall in love with Halo 1 or 2 and are upset that this game is "stealing" attention from other game's they find more interesting. And to be honest I don't blame them too much, as it is a valid point. Personally I love the game- so I don't mind.

.

Well played sir, well played. With the exception of this poster's angle on the Halo 3 story line being just as compelling as previous games, I couldn't agree more. Again, Bungie did the right thing, it gave Halo fans exactly what they wanted. As for the haters? Most of the Halo 3 hate that's been slung out there seems to come from gamers who aren't huge fans of the series but are getting into it late, OR, maybe its coming from those PC gamers who get sick of how much love H3 is getting and that nobody talks PC anymore. I honestly don't know one Halo fan who has been with the series from the start that hasn't liked Halo 3. There are sure to be exceptions, but I haven't met any.

.

John on PGR4, CoD4 and PC/Console play - That's a good point about PGR4. I played the demo the day it came out. I enjoyed it and figured I would buy the game whenever it came out. Then later that same day I'm at Wal-mart and PGR4 is on the shelf. I'm like what. Sure enough, the game was released something like 5 days before the demo came out? Is that correct? The first time I've heard or read anything about PGR4 was in May's edition of XBOX Magazine. The next thing I know, the game is out. I may have seen a commercial or two. All of a sudden it's on the shelf. Ok then. My next concern is COD 4. I've played the MP beta on the 360 and the SP demo on the PC. Right now, I'm leaning to playing the game solely on the 360 and this is coming from a long time hardcore PC gamer. Simply enough, it just has more of a console feel to me. RB6 Vegas was the same way. I play that on the console and not on the PC though I own both. I think alot of the deal is competition. With a brand new PC game, everyone that wants to compete has got to have a PC with decent specs. On a 360 game...well you just need the 360, and some skills.

.

To be honest, I never play demos unless its for an XBLA title and I'm bored. So I never pay attention to the time between the demo is out and the game is released. Poor PGR4, a very solid game but not nearly as great as its predecessor, had a horrible release date. Why so close to Halo 3 when you know everyone with a 360 is going to be playing it? MS should have pushed the date back to late October so gamers could get that initial H3 rush out of their systems. Just plain stupid. Not a great way to treat one of (if not the) best game the 360 had at launch.

.

As for CoD4, I'm certainly looking forward to it, but not nearly as much as Mass Effect. Strangely enough your comparison to Rainbow 6 Vegas makes it even slightly less of a must-have. Not because R6V wasn't a great game, it certainly was, but if CoD4 is just like it, I'm not sure how into a game I'd be if I played something like it before. That and I really need a break from shooters. You mentioned how the PC beta version of CoD4 played a lot like a console. I can't really speak to that since I don't play too many PC games (perhaps Eli could address this) but maybe this is the start of a gaming trend. I'm sure PC gamers are hoping its not.

.

Eli on a bunch of things - Did you hear that the movie industry is blaming Halo 3 for the downward spike (some 27%) of ticket sales? Funny stuff. Check it out at GameSpot at http://www.gamespot.com/news/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=25983621

.

Broncos suck. The Rockies are an amazing story. Even more glad I live here to see it (even though I'm not a true blue fan, still cheering for them). Cool story. Greater accomplishment.

.

This weekend I played demos for: Unreal Tournament 3 and Time Shift. Haven't gotten around to the CoD4 demo yet. All I can say is - MY EYES ARE BURNING! I'm a huge Unreal fan, and UT3 is absolutely amazing. Halo? Please. THIS is the King of online shooters. ALL HAIL THE KING! Time Shift looks like it will be fun. GORGEOUS demo. If you're into MMOs... Tabula Rasa is really fun. Launch was pushed back a few weeks, but they're on target. Oh, and the City of Heroes Halloween event is coming up in a few weeks. Always fun!Ya know what I was thinking? Does anyone remember Bioshock? I know... it just came out (2 months ago). I'm being facetious. But remember all that hype? Does anyone remember it? It's truly amazing how short the world's attention span is (and getting worse). MORE MORE MORE. NEXT EXT NEXT. Sickening.

.

Yes the Broncos suck (the Rams suck much worse however), I hate to admit it but they do. My 7-year old daughter could run for 100 yards against that sieve-like defense. Its just depressing. The Rockies? Absolutely unreal. I'm a Red Sox fan so I really don't watch many of the games but what they are doing is flat out amazing. Its hard not too root for them, and if the Sox end up losing to Cleveland, I certainly will be.

.

Eli cracks me up with his Halo 3 hate, I've never seen a bigger H3 hater in my life. The guy wouldn't say one good thing about the game even if I gave him $100. I think he got fired from Bungie or something. UT3 is the king of online shooters? Maybe for you but the stats for Halo say otherwise...There were demos of Tabula Rasa and Time Shift at E3 and they really did look amazing but I just can't get into MMO's, they're just too much work...

.

...Do I remember Bioshock? Of course! Absolutely fantastic game, loved it. Does anybody else? Sadly no. I couldn't agree more with your take on the gaming industry's short term memory. Everybody involved in gaming, and I do mean everyone (publishers, developers, gamers, stores, etc.) are all about what's coming next. It seems like no one ever takes the time to truly enjoy a game anymore. Bioshock came out in August and its already yesterday's news. Is it because there are so many games coming out its hard to keep track of them all? Is it because the gaming mags pump up a new game every month and forget about everything before it? Is it because publishers and developers put out a game and forget about it and just move right on to the next one? Or is it because that's how people are with EVERYTHING now, whether its games, TV shows, technology, news, etc. I think its a combination of all of those things, but mostly the last one. We are now a nation of instant history and short term memory. I believe the great philosopher Janet Jackson said it best, "What have you done for me lately?"

.

coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

No Excuses

You want the truthiness? - Since the release of Halo 3 I've been very lazy. Not that you should blame me, the last few weeks have been awfully slow. Sure we could be talking about the rather quiet release of PGR4 and Microsoft's confounding losses (Activision buying out Bizarre, Bungie going solo, EA grabbing Bioware) despite its overwhelming Halo 3 sales but the baseball playoffs, the Broncos collapse, fantasy football, other non-gaming writing assignments and my own H3 gaming addiction have been clouding my brain. I make no excuses, I've just been lazy. Time to attempt to get out of my slump.
.
Conversation starters - Lets get things hopping with some topics that need to be discussed. First up, Halo 3. Click here to read a nice back and forth I had with John X (gamertag ub3rn00b) about H3, Spider-Man 3 and the cheapest movie tickets in town...At Newsweek.com gaming journalist N'Gai Croal wrote this interesting piece about Microsoft's recent developer issues. Finally there's this article from gamespot.com that debates whether or not EA overpaid for BioWare/Pandemic.
.
I'd also be up for any NLCS/ALCS conversations, Bronco trash talk, or the chances that the Patriots could go 19-0. Sure this is a gaming blog, but I run it so why the hell not throw some other topics out there? Share what's on your mind.
.
coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

The Simpsons Game Achievements

No TV and no beer make Homer something something - As if playing a version of The Simpsons game at E3 wasn't enough to convince me that we'll finally have a game based on Fox's great series worth playing, check out these Achievements and all the gaming and movie references. And you know there'll be plenty of inside jokes for The Simpsons faithful.

.

1. Press START to Play - Easiest achievement... ever. 5 points
2. Chocolate Victory - Finish The Land of Chocolate. 10 points
3. Heist Hijinx - Finish Bartman Begins. 10 points
4. Burger Victory - Finish Around the World in 80 Bites. 10 points
5. Burns Baby Burns - Finish Lisa the Tree Hugger. 10 points
6. Fight the Power - Finish Mob Rules. 10 points
7. Power Up! - Finish Enter the Cheatrix. 15 points
8. The Alienator - Finish Invasion of the Yokel-Snatchers. 15 points
9. A Passive Fish - Finish The Day of the Dolphin. 15 points
10. Mmm Donut - Finish Shadow of the Colossal Donut. 15 points
11. Save the Simpsons - Finish Bargain Bin. 15 points
12. Victory at Sea! - Finish Medal of Homer. 25 points
13. Dragon Slayer - Finish NeverQuest. 25 points
14. Doggie Dazed - Finish Grand Theft Scratchy. 25 points
15. Sparkling Defeat - Finish Big Super Happy Fun Fun Game. 25 points
16. On the Matt - Finish Five Characters in Search of an Author. 40 points
17. Cloud Nine - Finish Game Over. 100 points
18. Goes to 11 - Find all of the collectibles in Springfield. 30 points
19. Dufftacular Finish - Find all of Homer's Duff Bottle Caps. 50 points
20. Hairs to You - Find all of Marge's Try-n-Save Coupons. 50 points
21. Doll Crazy - Find all of Lisa's Malibu Stacy Seals. 50 points
22. Poster Paster - Find all of Bart's Krusty Kollectible Koupons. 50 points
23. Worst Cliché Ever - Find all of the Video Game Cliché Moments. 50 points
24. Complete Package - Finish every episode, find every collectible, and discover every Video Game Cliché Moment. 150 points
25. Fast Times - Beat every episode target time. 50 points
26. Heavenly Score - Get a perfect score on the final Boss battle. 20 points
27. Pwnd - Dude, need help? You've died, like, 10 times... 0 points
28. Challenger - Win every time challenge. 50 points
29. Chocolate Heaven - Win time challenge for The Land of Chocolate. 5 points
30. Up and Atom - Win time challenge for Bartman Begins. 5 points
31. Table Smasher 2000 - Win time challenge for Around the World in 80 Bites. 5 points
32. Wood Chippin' - Win time challenge for Lisa the Tree Hugger. 5 points
33. Steady Mobbin' - Win time challenge for Mob Rules. 5 points
34. Engine Fun - Win time challenge for Enter the Cheatrix. 5 points
35. Mall Rising - Win time challenge for Invasion of the Yokel-Snatchers. 5 points
36. Clown Around - Win time challenge for Shadow of the Colossal Donut. 5 points
37. Nice Cans! - Win time challenge for The Day of the Dolphin. 5 points
38. Sim Sandwich - Win time challenge for Bargain Bin. 5 points
39. My Precious - Win time challenge for NeverQuest. 5 points
40. Shooters Rejoice - Win time challenge for Medal of Homer. 5 points
41. Maki Roll Mania - Win time challenge for Big Super Happy Fun Fun Game. 5 points
42. Hot Coffee - Win time challenge for Grand Theft Scratchy. 5 points
43. Back to the Futurama - Win time challenge for Five Characters in Search of an Author. 5 points
44. Heavenly Joy - Win time challenge for Game Over. 5 points
.
coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

The Mole: The Complete Guitar Hero 3 Setlist

Believe it or not, I actually took a break from Halo 3 to play to other games this week, NBA Live 08 and NBA 2K8. Despite both being about pro basketball, you couldn't find two games that are more different. One sucks, the other is great. Look for a review of both later this week. In the meantime, here's the latest news.

.

Lets get rocked - Here's the newly released, complete playlist for GHIII.

.

Same Old Song and Dance (by Aerosmith) • Helicopter (by Bloc Party) • Stricken (by Disturbed) • Monsters (by Matchbook Romance) • Before I Forget (by Slipknot) • Kool Thing (by Sonic Youth) • When You Were Young (by The Killers) • Devil Went Down to Georgia (as made famous by Charlie Daniels Band) • Sunshine of Your Love (as made famous by Cream) • Holiday in Cambodia (as made famous by Dead Kennedys) • Cliffs of Dover (as made famous by Eric Johnson) • Hit Me with Your Best Shot (as made famous by Pat Benetar) • Black Magic Woman (as made famous by Santana) • Story of My Life (as made famous by Social Distortion) • Pride and Joy (as made famous by Stevie Ray Vaughn) • The Seeker (as made famous by The Who) • Black Sunshine (as made famous by White Zombie) • Miss Murder (by AFI) • Minus Celsius (by Backyard Babies) • Sabotage (by Beastie Boys) • Hier Kommt Alex (by Die Toten Hosen) • Through Fire and Flames (by Dragonforce) • In the Belly of a Shark (by Gallows) • Welcome to The Jungle (by Guns N' Roses) • Avalancha (by Heroes Del Silencio) • Take This Life (by In Flames) • Number of the Beast (by Iron Maiden) • Ruby (by Kaiser Chiefs) • Closer (by Lacuna Coil) • Cult of Personality (by Living Colour)• One (by Metallica)• Knights of Cydonia (by Muse) • Mauvais Garcon (by NAAST) • Even Flow (by Pearl Jam) • Lay Down (by Priestess) • Bulls on Parade (by Rage Against The Machine) • 3's and 7's (by Queens of the Stone Age) • Suck My Kiss (by Red Hot Chili Peppers) • Generation Rock (by Revolverheld) • Raining Blood (by Slayer) • Cherub Rock (by Smashing Pumpkins) • Radio Song (by Superbus) • The Metal (by Tenacious D) • I'm in the Band (by The Hellacopters) • Anarchy in the U.K. (by The Sex Pistols)• Reptillia (by The Strokes) • Paint It Black (by The Rolling Stones) • My Name is Jonas (by Weezer) • Slash's Original Boss Battle Recording • Tom Morello's Original Boss Battle Recording • School's Out (as made famous by Alice Cooper) • Paranoid (as made famous by Black Sabbath) • Cities on Flame (as made famous by Blue Oyster Cult) • Slow Ride (as made famous by Foghat) • Barracuda (as made famous by Heart) • Rock and Roll All Nite (as made famous by Kiss) • Mississippi Queen (as made famous by Mountain) • Rock You Like a Hurricane (as made famous by Scorpions) • La Grange (as made famous by ZZ Top)

.

Microsoft letting go of Bungie? WTF?!? - On Friday Microsoft's PR firm sent out emails with the words "Microsoft and Bungie to Evolve Relationship" in the subject line. The carefully crafted email described how Bungie was becoming its own independent company with Microsoft still owning an interest in the company.

.

Bungie was founded in May 1991 by two University of Chicago undergrad students and aside from the Halo series, developed Marathon, Myth, Oni, Pathways into Darkness, and Minotaur: The Labyrinths of Crete. Microsoft acquired Bungie in 2000 where it became the most successful arm of Microsoft Game Studios. This makes Microsoft's release of Bungie completely baffling. An online interview at gameinformer.com with Bungie's Frank O'Connor left even more answers than questions. He essentially stated their primary focus right now are games for the 360 but that they'll be doing games for other consoles in the future. Is Microsoft nuts?!? Sure MS still owns the Halo franchise but why let them go and make the next Halo for another console? I'm sure with the success of Halo 3 that Bungie had quite a bit of leverage in forcing MS to let it return to its independent roots but caving just doesn't seem very Gatesesque. It makes no sense.

.

And finally - If you are one of the lucky ones who've been honored to see the 360 killer Red Ring of Death (like me and my brother) I have good news. You can now buy a t-shirt to show your pride. Or go here to either tease your 360 owner friends and make them feel like a moron for not owning a Wii or a PS3.

.

coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

All Halo 3 All the Time

La La La La La - What day is it? What time is it? I have no clue, nor do I care. I have been on a wicked Halo 3 bender and neglectful of my blogging duties but considering how much fun I'm having I feel like the Master Chief pictured above. Rabbits, unicorns, singing birds...the whole Disneyesque package has been my world for the past 9 days and to quote the Master Chief's favorite singer "I'm lovin' it!"

.

I came out of my basement just long enough to find out that Halo 3 has earned $300 million dollars of sales in its first week. Console sales have also saw an increase, with the 360 tripling its weekly sales numbers since launch. Online numbers have been absurd, with 40 million hours of game play the first week. That's the equivalent of 4,500 years. The Halo 3 output has been so impressive, Bill Gates took time away from lighting his cigars with $10,000 bills to give his take.

.

“Halo is truly a cultural phenomenon, and the launch of ‘Halo 3’ is an important milestone for Xbox 360 and for video games as entertainment and as an art form,” said Gates, chairman of Microsoft. “‘Halo 3’ embodies our vision for the future of entertainment, where some of the world’s greatest creative minds will deliver a new generation of interactive storytelling.”

.

While I should be reviewing games, comparing hockey series or pro basketball series and getting psyched about Mass Effect and PGR4, I just can't, which is weird. I'm used to playing a game for a week than being done with it. When you get to play tons of games, if they aren't ground breaking they can become old pretty quick. But this time I've drank a gallon of the Halo 3 and there's no turning back.

.

On a more stupid Halo 3 note - Some moron is selling his services on ebay to be on your online Halo 3 buddy. That's right, you can buy a friend. Don't believe me? Click here. I don't know what's worse, that someone came up with this idea or that there have been bids on it.

.

coloradojoemail@yahoo.com

Now you're playing with power

Is anybody out there? - Rubbing my eyes I slowly emerge this evening from my man cave, a blissful week spent playing nothing but Halo 3. As far as I know, no other game exists. Mass Effect? GTA: IV? Years away. I have completely submerged myself into the game. Every morning I arise at 6am (after 3 hours of sleep) to shine my Master Chief helmet and prepare for the new day. Multi-player? After shaking the rust off, I'm back to my melee killing, badass self. Single-player? The story is great, and if I hadn't been playing on Live so much I would've been done by now. But Co-op is the best, playing the game on Legendary with my brother is a blast. There is still occasional lag online but its getting better. The matchmaking takes longer than it did with Halo 2, but its well worth the wait. All in all, its been a kick ass week. On to the latest news.
.
Eli's new controller - Microsoft does a great job of giving gamers options. There are all sorts of different console options and a myriad of accessories. Faceplates, headsets, remotes, messenger kits, smoking wireless racing wheels, it goes on and on. When it comes to controllers, aside from standard off white, black and the Todd McFarlane designed Halo 3 controllers, gamers can now get pink and blue controllers. This isn't really newsworthy but what caught me off guard was how normally named the new controllers were. If you look at Crayola crayons now, they're not called yellow or red. Yellow is Macaroni and Red is Crimson or Scarlet. Shouldn't the pink controller above be called Strawberry Milk Pink? And while I'm sure there's a market for it, who's going to buy these anyway? Is it the same people who buy those pink Jay Cutler jerseys I saw at a Bronco game a couple of weeks ago? I just don't think buying a pink controller will get my wife to game.
.
Random Crap - Tabula Rosa has been postponed two weeks to November 2...The prices for the November 23 release of Rock Band have been confirmed. The PS3 and Xbox 360 versions will sell for $169. Both versions will come with the game disc, drums and microphone. The 360 bundle will come with a wired Fender Stratocaster controller and a USB hub. The PS3 bundle will come with a wireless Strat and no hub. A PS2 bundle will also be available but gamers will have to wait until December 10. It will sell for $159...The voice cast for Turok was recently announced. No name actor Gregory Norman Cruz has the lead role but Powers Boothe, Timothy Olyphant (who will be starring in the video game to movie version of Hitman), Ron Perlman, Donnie Wahlberg and William Fichtner will play significant roles.
.
coloradojoemail@yahoo.com